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February 2010, Issue 3
Dear Friend,
It is my pleasure to keep you updated on the past month's developments and work at the Dialogue Society.
We were honoured to host HE Mr David Graeme Blunt, The British Ambassador to Croatia, as our guest of honour at a roundtable event entitled 'Croatia's EU Accession Process: Challenges and Opportunities'. This event was attended by no less than nine Ambassadors to the UK from the Balkan region. As custom with our roundtable events, discussions were both relaxed and vibrant allowing for maximum interaction and open and candid dialogue. I am happy to report that more events with British Ambassadors are to follow in the coming months.
In addition to organising our own events, we are also keen to participate and attend events organised by others, showing our support and extending our outreach. As such, you will see below a selection of events attended by Dialogue Society staff and volunteers.
We are very happy to welcome two new recruits this month, namely Amir and Frances. Both are part-time interns with the Dialogue Society and both have already begun to make significant contributions to the work that we do. They are testament to what interns and volunteers can achieve and how important their input is to charitable organisations like the Dialogue Society. We have immediately allocated them projects which they will begin to manage in the coming weeks. At the Dialogue Society we are keen to provide our interns with responsibility and exposure, enabling them to get the most out of their time with us. If you are interested in becoming an intern with us, please click here for further information.
We are proud to be hosting Dame Anne Fyfe Pringle, DCMG the British Ambassador to Russia, Lord Falconer and Rt Hon Michael Howard in the next three weeks and expect to be confirming dates for further speakers in the coming weeks. If you have any ideas for topics or speakers you think we should address and invite, respectively, or wish to provide me with any feedback on the work that we do, please feel free to email me direct at okeles@dialoguesociety.org.
I would also like to send a belated message in support of International Women's Day celebrated on 8th March. May I also take this opportunity in wishing our Co-Director, Mrs Ilknur Kahraman a speedy recovery following her knee injury last month. We look forward to welcoming her back to the office as soon as possible and fully recovered.
Wishing you a productive month ahead.
Ozcan Keles
Executive Director
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Roundtable with the UK's Ambassador to Croatia
10/02/10 - The Dialogue Society was proud to host HE Mr David Graeme Blunt, The British Ambassador to Croatia, as its guest of honour at a roundtable event entitled 'Croatia's EU Accession Process: Challenges and Opportunities'. The event was very well attended, notably attracting nine Ambassadors to the UK from the Balkan region. They were joined by a range of MPs, academics, journalists and representatives from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and from various think tanks. The Ambassador engagingly discussed the road to Croatia's EU Accession, provoking lively and stimulating debate.
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The Foreign Policy Centre's Annual reception hosted by The Rt Hon David Miliband, The Foreign Secretary
09/02/10 - Dialogue Society attended The Foreign Policy Centre's Annual reception hosted by The Rt Hon David Miliband, The Foreign Secretary, on 9th February. The reception took place at the well-known Grand Locarno Room of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Stephen Twigg, Director of the Foreign Policy Centre (FPC), highlighted the activities of the centre over the past year and thanked the work of FPC staff and volunteers. David Miliband praised the work of FPC and said the Government is actively seeking the contribution of think tanks in the implementation of successful foreign policies.
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Reception hosted by Mr Chris Bryant MP, Minister for Europe
 08/02/10 - Dr Cem Erbil from the Dialogue Society attended a reception hosted by Chris Bryant MP, Minister for Europe, in honour of His Excellency Egemen Bagis, Turkish Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator, during his visit to the UK. The reception took place at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and was attended by community leaders, senior politicians, academics, analysts and community leaders from a cross section of the community.
In his speech, Chris Bryant reiterated his government's full-fledged support for Turkey's membership into the European Union
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Free Muslims: Autonomy and Creativity organised by BMSD
The Dialogue Society attended a conference entitled: Free Muslims: Autonomy and Creativity organised by the British Muslims for Secular Democracy with support from the British Council, at SOAS University.
This was a half-day open conversation event organised to explore in further detail access to the arts and humanities in the Muslim community and also the implications for their personal and social development. Various artists and cultural commentators were present at the event including: Razia Iqbal (special correspondent, BBC News), Saira Khan (businesswoman and former Apprentice star) and many others.
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Dialogue School
The Dialogue School has now been running successfully for seven weeks. Participants are exposed to a wide medium of activities to develop and enhance their dialogue skills.This month participants analysed media footage relating to issues and widely debated topics on faith and multiculturalism, focusing on effective communication and speaking skills. Participants were also introduced to practical techniques to enhance their productivity and motivation, such as memory skills, speed reading and time management. Alongside the practical skills, participants also discussed the justifications for dialogue and were given the opportunity to discuss and debate core issues relating to interfaith and intercultural dialogue.
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New Intern: Frances Sleap
 The Dialogue Society warmly welcomes Frances Sleap to its team. Frances is our most recent recuit; she joined the Dialogue Society in February as a part-time intern and is currently working on the DIY Dialogue Manuals.
After spending a year living and working with adults with learning disabilities in an ecumenical L'Arche community in France, Frances studied Philosophy and Theology at Oxford University. Her BA was focused on Christian Theology but she became increasingly interested in understanding other religions and in the relationships between different faiths and faith communities. She went on to a Masters degree in the Study of Religions at Oxford, opting for papers on Islam and Judaism. After finishing the degree in October 2009 she started volunteering at St Ethelburga's Centre for Reconciliation and Peace. Her interests include poetry and playing the classical guitar.
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New Intern: Amir Sabanovic
 The Dialogue Society warmly welcomes Amir Sabanovic to its team. Amir recently joined the Dialogue Society as a part-time intern with responsibilities including the Dialogue School and support for Dialogue Society's newly emerging branches.
Amir has a Diploma of Higher Education in Law with Business from Brighton University and is currently completing an LLB degree at Kingston University. He undertook a political science course in 2008 at the University of Detroit where he also took part in organising many intercultural events for the American Balkan community. Amir speaks four languages and is now learning to speak Chinese. His interests include digital photography, cycling, playing squash, cooking and travelling.
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