The Institute of Interfaith Dialog

On January 25, 2012, The Institute of Interfaith Dialog, Oklahoma City hosted Dr. Kimball at the Raindrop Turkish House, as keynote speaker at a luncheon forum featuring the intersection of religion and politics.

Charles Kimball is Presidential Professor and Director of Religious Studies at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, OK. Between 1996 and 2008, he served as Chair of the Department of Religion and the Divinity School at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC.

IID Corpus Christi had its first "Open House and Welcome Reception" for its new volunteers in the new year. The program emceed and organized by Fr. Bruce Wilson and Ana Billeaux featured encouraging remarks and informative speeches from Loree Svadlenak, Rabbi Kenneth Roseman, Katy Kiser and Bora Karayaka. The guests were pretty prompt to emphasize their intentions to involve with various IID activities and had great suggestions and ideas such as:

1. Work with youth groups – build a "youth group" within IID to secure the future and carry the torch.

2. Learning about each other's religions.

3. Understanding each other on the basis of culture and traditions, know us as people first and then delving into religion.

4. Alliance with churches/other venues to find a meeting place

5. Fundraising tips.

(January 24th 2012, Corpus Christi,TX)

The Interfaith Dialog-Tulsa branch organized a reunion dinner for Alumni of Turkey Trips from Tulsa at the Raindrop Turkish House.

The Annual Dialog and Friendship Dinner was held Tuesday, November 15 at the Overton Hotel.  John Kirby, General Manager for KTXT-TV, was the Master of Ceremonies. The keynote address was delivered by the Honorable Tom Martin, mayor of the city of Lubbock.  His theme was “Why we all Get Along in West Texas.”  He described how changes in transportation technology over the years have changed how we think of who our neighbors are.  He noted that, like Turkey, West Texas is a crossroads where many cultures meet.  Because they are similar in this way, he said, they both are places known for their tolerance and welcoming attitude.

The 2011 Annual Friendship Dinner & Awards Ceremony of the Institute of Interfaith Dialog, Oklahoma City took place on Tuesday November 15, 2011. The event was held in Petroleum Club, Oklahoma City.

The dinner gathered about two hundred and fifty people most of whom were academicians, State Representatives, businessmen and volunteers of nonprofit organizations. Mrs. Nurcihan Uysal, the outreach director of the Institute of Interfaith Dialog made a welcome speech and delivered a presentation of the Interfaith Garden, a new project of the IID. And the program started with the invocation which was done by Bruce Prescott, Executive Director of Mainstream Oklahoma Baptists.

The Institute of Interfaith Dialog (IID) has organized a program titled '' Learning About Thanksgiving''  on Monday night Nov7^th ,2011.

On Thursday, October 27, 2011, the Institute of Interfaith Dialogue (IID) hosted the bi-annual "Dinner of Abrahamic Traditions." Among participants were members of the Lubbock community as well as national and international communities. The total participation was around 50 participants.
We are thankful for the attendance and participation of all of our guests, Pastor Barry Stephens, Dr.Howard Curzer and Imam of Houston Blue Mosque, Mustafa Yigit.