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UPF-Turkey Convenes Programs to Promote Collaboration for Peace
Written by David Fraser Harris, secretary general, UPF Middle East and North Africa
Saturday, September 24, 2022
Istanbul, Turkey—Peace-loving Turkish citizens were encouraged to work together with UPF for the benefit of their nation and the world.
A half-day UPF conference held at the Grand Cevahir Hotel on September 24, 2022, combined an introduction to UPF with discussions aimed at identifying key areas of interest in which UPF can cooperate with local citizens.
Binod Paudel, the coordinator of UPF-Turkey, was the event moderator. Following a video presenting the scope of UPF's activities, Marilyn Angelucci, the co-chair of UPF for the Middle East and North Africa, offered welcoming remarks in which she mentioned the UPF founders’ visits to Istanbul in 2005 and 2011.
A total of 20 participants gathered for the afternoon program, including people with considerable experience in business and economy, education and other areas of civil society.
The focus of the first session was an introduction to UPF, presented by David Fraser Harris, UPF secretary general for the Middle East and North Africa. This covered many of the pre-existing programs and projects incorporated into UPF at its founding, and provided specific examples of actions by the various associations that make up the current structure of UPF. Questions and answers ensued, followed by a break allowing for a good amount of one-on-one networking.
The second session began with Mr. Fraser Harris eliciting participants' preferred areas of interest. Based on that, three smaller groups were formed, dealing with economy, education and immigration/refugees.
Each group enjoyed a lively discussion, the results of which will be used to identify which field to begin with when it comes to follow-up. UPF-Turkey plans to build on this beginning to develop a series of informal discussions involving UPF friends and Ambassadors for Peace.
Following the discussion, Ambassador for Peace certificates were awarded to two participants: Kadir Yücelbas, vice president of the business association MISIAD Turkey, and Özay Çilekçi, the manager of Kuveyt Türk Bank, in recognition of their public-minded approach to life, truly reflecting UPF's guiding principle of living for the sake of others.
Other participants included Professor Dr. Hayar Kosai, an education expert; Professor Dr. Feyza Basar of Istanbul 19 Mayis University; Zuhal Mansfild MD, TMG Group; as well as Kemal Yildirim, Hatice Kubra, Aysegul Yildiztekin, Erhan Kunek, Muammer Bilgiseven, and Sharif Abdallah.
Umberto Angelucci, the UPF chair for the Middle East and North Africa, presented the awards and congratulated the awardees, concluding with some final remarks.
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