On November 19th, 2014, the Turkish Cultural Center in New Hampshire (TCCNH) collaborated with the Council for Turkic American Associations (CTAA), the Peace Islands Institute and the Turkish Cultural Center of New Hampshire (TCCNH) to hold their 3rd Annual Friendship Dinner and Award Ceremony in Manchester, New Hampshire.
The event, which was also partnered with The World Affairs Council of New Hampshire, brought together individuals and groups from different backgrounds, cultures and heritages to celebrate diversity and differences. The purpose of the dinner was to recognize the outstanding achievements of leaders that promote peace, intercultural and interfaith dialogue, community service and education.
Among the distinguished guests were Maggie Hassan, Governor of New Hampshire; Charlie Sherman, Executive Director at New Horizons; Kevin Landrigan, Chief Political Correspondent at WBIN-TV; Dr. Dale Eickelman, Professor of Anthropology at Dartmouth College; Dr. Paul LeBlanc, President of Southern New Hampshire University and Emre Celik, President of Rumi Forum in Washington D.C.
Early in the evening, TCCNH recognized Kimse Yok Mu and Embrace Relief for jointly constructing a water well in Uganda in honor of James Foley, an American journalist killed by the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) earlier this year. The well was built in order to provide clean drinking water to communities in Uganda. John Foley, father of the slain journalist, who was also at the dinner, shared his son’s admiration towards the Turkish people and the city of Istanbul and expressed his gratitude to the organizations for their kind gesture.
Later, New Hampshire Governor Maggie Hassan was awarded the Leadership Award; Charlie Sherman, Executive Director at New Horizons, received the Community Service Award; Dr. Paul LeBlanc, President of Southern New Hampshire University, was awarded the Education Award; and Kevin Landrigan, Chief Political Correspondent at WBIN-TV, received the Media Award.
