IDI Edmonton Jan - Feb - March Newsletter

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IDI Edmonton Intercultural Dialogue Institute Edmonton Newsletter

Practice Dialogue At every issue this corner will focus on some tips on how to practice dialogue.

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Come and visit Muttart Conservatory on March 8th The Muttart Conservatory presents a pyramid opening celebrating all things Turkey! Stop in to see Turkish cultural demonstrations, performances and activities!

There will be a wide range of fun activities for all ages to enjoy. Come and taste Turkish coffee and tea with your family to feel the warmth of Turkish hospitality.

Past and Upcoming Events Seminar: March 4th 6:30pm MLA Steve Young will speak about Alberta’s Economy and Oil Prices.

Turkish Delight th

March 8 12:00pm The Muttart Conservatory presents a Turkish delight event.

Anzac Day April 18th Anzac day friendship gathering will be held in Edmonton.

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Leave your comfort zone and participate activities in your city.

Try to choose activities that are not familiar to you at all.

Build empathy to be able to understand the other.

Reach out and have the conversation.

JAN-FEB-MARCH

2015

Global Aid Award Intercultural Dialogue Institute Edmonton organized Global Aid Award Ceremony just recently Feb 24th at Royal Glenora Club.

Kimse Yok Mu & Red Cross Global Award recipients were Kimse Yok Mu and Canadian Red Cross aid organizations. Both organization received the award to recognize their great achievement and their outstanding performance on World’s well being.

Many people from all walks of life attended ceremony including MLA Steve Young, MLA Alana DeLong, Mr. Metin Cetiner, General Coordinator of Kimse Yok Mu , Doug Bryson, Provincial Manager, Alberta Disaster Management of Red Cross, and Nick Condradi, Advisory Committee Councilor for Red

The Event was a Great Success MLA Steve Young has presented a Global Aid Award to the Kimse Yok Mu (Is Anybody There) aid foundation for their great achievement and outstanding performance on World’s well being. On behalf of Canadian Red Cross Mr. Doug Bryson received a Global Aid Award from MLA Alana

Kimse Yok Mu & Red Cross Both Kimse Yok Mu and Canadian Red Cross are international non-profit humanitarian aid organizations. Kimse Yok Mu based in Turkiye with 40 branches throughout the country, which also provides humanitarian relief in over 113 countries, as well as having 180,000+ volunteers assisting its operations around the globe.

The Canadian Red Cross Society is part of the largest humanitarian network in the world, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. This network includes the International Committee of the Red Cross 2

JAN-FEB-MARCH

2015

Learn, Practice and Taste the Delicious Meals From Turkish Cuisine at IDI’s Cooking Classes Cooking classes are being offered to those who like to experience the taste of Turkish cuisine.

while we are not destroying the vitamins that so many kinds of vegetables offers to us.

Oh well, the best part of course when we observe how the ingredients became a perfect meal we had a chance to taste them.

We experience how the ingredients come together and become a tasty meal. Everyone feel the centuries old culture and hospitality of Turkish family.

It is also such a self-confidence course too for some who things they can never cook. When you taste something that your own effort involves makes you believe that you can cook tasty meal too.

We were able to put our own effort to get the skill of making ingredients dance together and put them in a perfect shape and taste harmoniously. We discovered the tricks of cooking perfect meal from experienced cooks.

Which spice goes best with which meal and how long we should cook to get the best taste

Perfect meal, delicious desert and unforgettable time. Come and join us for informative and joyful time.

For 12 servings 1. 2 cups raw white rice 2. 1 large chopped onion 3. -½ cup chopped parsley 4. ¾ cup fresh lemon juice.

5. 1 t. spoon tomato paste 6. 1 cup olive oil.

7. 1 teaspoon black pepper 8. 1 teaspoon salt 9. 60 grape leaves drained and rinsed.

10. 1 head garlic 3

Stuffed Grape Cook onions and oil over medium heat until the onions are soft, about 10 minutes. Add mashed garlic along with tomato, lemon juice, tomato paste, and salt and pepper. Cook for another 5 minutes. Stir in the rice. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool down at room temperature. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Add 1 tablespoon of the rice to the middle of the grape leaf. Fold the sides over the rice and roll the leaf into a small log shape. Place them into baking dish. When finishes cover them and bake them for 1 hour. Serve them cool.

JAN-FEB-MARCH

2015

Intercultural Study Tours to Turkiye Building Bridges IDI Edmonton has been organizing several intercultural trips to Turkey every summer. These study tours are designed and organizes to strengthen existing relations with tour participants and build bridges between communities, organizations and cultures.

2010 Study Tour Group in Cappadocia

Cultural Richness These series of interfaith trips to Turkey are parts of the effort to share the cultural richness of this beautiful country with the community we serve. The trips help discover the historical, cultural and natural beauties of Turkey, a living example of the harmony of various faiths for centuries.

Ephesus, Izmir

Great Success IDI strives to make study tours a success, with participants as tour delegates, in cooperation with Turkey’s participating cities, community and business representatives, families and NGO’s.

Goreme, Open Air Museum in Cappadocia

Many things to Discover Participants have the opportunity to meet and interact with the different sections of Turkish society acting as our hosts: individuals, business people, cultural religious representatives, educational institutions and officials in the designated cities.

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JAN-FEB-MARCH

2015

Turkish-Canadian Organization Hosts Dinners To Build Community Outside the Bubble.

BY OTIENA ELLWAND, EDMONTON JOURNAL One Wednesday night in August, I drove to a home in northwest Edmonton that I’d never been to

were urged to dig in. Our plates were quickly loaded

before and sat down for dinner with a group of five

with delicacies, including rice-and-onion-stuffed

strangers.

grape leaves called sarma; dumplings stuffed with spiced beef in a yogurt sauce called manti; and fried

As a reporter, it’s not unusual to knock on strangers’

croquettes stuffed with bulgar and ground beef

doors and ask them questions, but it isn’t the norm

called icli kofte.

to be warmly welcomed in for a multi-course meal.

The women had made most of the food from The Intercultural Dialogue Institute of Edmonton, a

scratch. It was clear they’d been preparing for hours.

Turkish-Canadian organization with 11 chapters

As I asked what each of the items was called and

across the country, is trying to foster community by

what was in them, the ladies joked that the answer

bringing people together from different cultural,

is always the same. “Everything is stuffed with

social and religious backgrounds for a feast at a

ground beef.”

local Turkish family’s home.

It was just the beginning of a lively night of laughter, The initiative is called Meet Your Neighbours and is

food and conversation that delivered on its promise

held about two or three times a month, depending

of being an engaging cross-cultural experience. I

on demand.

learned how to make traditional Turkish coffee (don’t boil too much and make sure the foam is evenly

Mehmet Ozcan, who hosted the dinner I attended

distributed in all cups). And I learned how my hosts

with his wife Aysegul Ozcan, said he believes it’s

had carved out a place for themselves in Edmonton,

important for people to see one another in their

where both their children were born.

natural environment to better understand them and how they live. They had also invited three Turkish

Mehmet and Aysegul met and fell in love in Hamilton

friends, Ibrahim Cin, the executive director of IDI

11 years ago and moved to Edmonton in 2006.

Edmonton and his wife Sevgi Cin, and Semra Gur, a

Aysegul began studying science at MacEwan

self-professed Turkish coffee fanatic who helps

University and then switched into education with a

organize events with IDI’s women’s group.

focus on mathematics at the University of Alberta three years ago. When we met, she had just finished

“We may have different language and religion, but at

a practicum at an elementary school in St. Albert.

the end, we’re all human. Difference gives you richness. We must share our differences. If you

Back in Turkey, Mehmet worked as a linguistics

don’t come and talk, there may be fear,” Mehmet

teacher and a shopkeeper at Istanbul’s Grand

said.

Bazaar, one of the oldest covered markets in the world that attracts up to 400,000 visitors a day.

We gathered around a table laden with food and

Knowing 5 languages came in handy. Now he works 5

JAN-FEB-MARCH

2015

Building Bridges

Edmonton Journal reporter Otiena Ellwand smells the still brewing Turkish Tea

Semra Gur serves Turkish Coffee at the end of the dinner.

“If I had a job offer in Fort McMurray, I would think a lot about it because of the environment, and friends we have here. In that sense, I feel Edmonton is home,” Mehmet said.

After dinner and coffee, dessert was served: a bowl of rich vanilla pudding garnished with walnuts and sugar and a side of baklava.

Turkish Tea is being served.

“If you eat a lot it means you feel comfortable,” I was told. My stomach was ready to burst, but it wasn’t over yet. There was still sweet black tea to be enjoyed, a tradition that couldn’t be missed.

“This is a way to learn about Turkish culture and vice-versa. It’s a way to get rid of prejudice,” Cin said. “We don’t want to live in a Turkish ghetto. We want a sense of belonging in our city, to live just like others and give back to the community.”

By the end of the evening, we were becoming friends in person and online. Our Twitter and Instagram handles were shared; a picture had

Turkish Tea is served at the end of the dinner.

already been posted of our first Turkish tea.

For more information about Meet Your Neighbours, visit edmonton.interculturaldialog.com or follow on Twitter at IDIEdmonton. oellwand@edmontonjournal.com

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JAN-FEB-MARCH

2015

SEMINAR Alberta’s Economy with Changing World Oil Prices.

TCCC and IDI Edmonton organized a Seminar on March 4th evening at Nebula Academy building. The event was a great success. Many people from all walks of life attended the seminar. Program started with a welcoming speech by Mr. Burak Koban, Coordinator of TCCC Edmonton. Keynote speaker was Mr. Steve Young MLA for Edmonton Riverview and following his speech Senator Grant Mitchell also shared his thoughts on the topic.

Senator stated that he congratulates IDI and TCCC for putting this event together, because it is very important to brainstorm about strong Alberta’s economy. Mr. Young also did detailed presentation about Alberta’s economy at many aspects.

Participants had a chance to ask questions during Q&A session.

MLA Steve Young, TCCC Coordinator Burak Koban and Senator Grant Mitchell

Burak Koban, TCCC Coordinator during his welcoming speech

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2015

JAN-FEB-MARCH

Muttart Conservatory celebrated Tulip Festival with a big event on March 8th in partnership with Intercultural Dialogue Institute Edmonton and Anatolian Cultural Centre. Record breaking attendance achieved from 10 to 4 pm. Over 700 people from all walks of life visit Muttart Conservatory to join the celebration and also to enjoy the Turkish Delight Pyramid exhibit.

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JAN-FEB-MARCH

2015

Kyrgyz Association in Alberta also attended to the Tulip Festival celebration with their wonderful exhibition and outfits. Saule Ashimova Kyrgyz Dancer was also attended to represent Kyrgyz Association at Tulip Festival. Her performance was a great experience for event participants. She performed Kyrgyz dance with gymnastics elements.

Kyrgyz Association exhibition desks

Saule Ashimova during her performance.

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JAN-FEB-MARCH

2015

At Muttart Conservatory, participants were able to taste Turkish coffee and Turkish tea while enjoying many kinds of embroideries. IDI Edmonton and Anatolian Cultural Centre woman’s division worked hard to make the event happen. Special thanks to our Saz (Turkish Instrument) performer Mr. Orhan Benli and Ney (Reed Flute) performer Mr. Tosun for their great work during the event.

Turkish Tea and Coffee served at the Tulip Festival

Mr. Orhan Benli during his Saz Performance

Mr. Tosun during his Ney Performance

Violinist Etelka Nyilasi during her show 10