SALEM, OR – On Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012, Rosegarden Turkish American Cultural Center in cooperation with The West American Turkic Council, hosted the 2nd Annual Turkish-American Legislative Dialogue and Friendship Dinner. The dinner was held at the Montag Den Hall of the Willamette University and co-hosted by Representative Jules Bailey and Representative Tim Freeman.More than sixty legislators and community leaders from Salem and
the grater Portland area attended this dialog dinner. The dinner facilitated positive interaction between Turkish communities and the elected officials that represent citizens of Oregon.
The keynote speaker for the event was Mr. Denny Doyle the Mayor of the city of Beaverton. Mayor Doyle emphasized the importance of dialog and living together in peace. He also talked about the Gulen (aka Hizmet) movement. He said that some of the priorities of the Gulen movement mirror what they [the city of Beaverton]are trying to accomplish in Beaverton, pointing to activities that are organized by Gulen inspired organizations like Rosegarden Turkish American Cultural Center.
Other speakers of the night were co-hosts Representative Jules Bailey and Representative Tim Freeman. They added to the importance of friendship and dialog between two nations. They also shared their viewpoints and personal stories about Intercultural Turkiye trips organized by Rosegarden Turkish American Cultural Center and its mother organization, Pacifia Institute. Professor Peter Bechtold who is the Director of Middle Eastern Studies at the Portland State University and Tom Jones, Senior Special Agent of FBI, gave remarks of the night. Hosts offered authentic Turkish Baklava and Turkish coffee to their valuable guests.
The Rosegarden Turkish American Cultural Center, a branch of Pacifica Institute, is a non-profit organization serving the greater Portland area. It brings together people of different communities and ethnic backgrounds through intellectual interactions in the forms of conferences, panels, art performances, and presentations. Its mission is to promote cross-cultural awareness in order to attain peace and diversity, help establish a better society where individuals love, respect and accept each other as they are. Rosegarden envisions a community in which people from all walks of life interact with each other and cooperate to serve their communities, thereby strengthening civil society and promoting the development of human values.
The West American Turkic Council is a non-profit and non-government organization. It is an umbrella organization committed to the advancement of interactions between American and Turkish, Turkic and Eurasian people. It also intends to promote and encourage continuing good relationships and understanding regardless of the individuals’ ethnic origin, religion and other preferences. It brings people together in programs and private events featuring leaders and experts with diverse views on a wide range of global and regional topics. It facilitates task forces, executive forums, luncheons, conferences, studies, and leadership dialogue. For more info visit the Rosegarden Turkish Cultural Center’s Website
