total of 4 thousands of Roma people in Turkey’s Mersin province have joint the countrywide reading campaign which encourages to learn more about the life of Prophet Muhammad. Mersin Intercultural Dialogue Center (MEKAD?M) organized a meeting to introduce the campaign titled Herkes O’nu Okuyor” (Everybody is reading him) at the Mediterranean Roma Federations Association. The meeting attracted wide attention especially from Roma people who came to register to the campaign, part of which is a contest. The campaign has been launched by Peygamber Yolu Association to disseminate broader knowledge of the prophet of Islam throught Turkey. The Mediterranean Roma Federations Association Europe Representative Özcan Purçu said Allah has created all humankind regardless of their race, gender, language and color, adding that “It is time to get to know Prophet Mohammad. It is time to read and read. Deputy president of MEKAD?M Hasan Sar? also said they organize programs which address different belief groups and parts of society emphasizing a peaceful coexistence. The Mediterranean Roma Federations Association President Ali Daylam said they are proud to be a part of such an important project. Reading the life of Prophet Mohammad, Roma women who registered their names in the contest said they will strengthen their knowledge.

I light a Candle to mark "World Interfaith Harmony WeeK 1-7 Feb " May the flame of candle spread light, hope for Interfaith Harmony around the World for PEACE.

The event has two parts: First the forum or lecture facilitated by different religious groups given a specified time to talk. Second, in the afternoon, the participants (mixed together) were grouped into six go to the specific exhibit prepared by the participating religions. All participants were able to catch the concept of the event, to understand and to develop love for each other as they serve one another. All participating religious groups felt honored and impressed to impart to the attendees their beliefs to avoid misconceptions and prejudice. The participating religious groups are: BAHAI FAITH, THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS, ROMAN CATHOLIC, ISLAM, BUDDHISM, LUMAD (AN INDIGENOUS FILIPINO RELIGION)

Our two activities that are within the time of World Interfaith Harmony Week are our Culture of Peace Series, which is monthly based upon our Peace Wheel. The theme of our January event was Interpersonal, Gender, and Family Relations. It was held at the IMAN Cultural Center.

This year’s Theme of Toleranc e, Forgiveness and Reconciliati on is in recognition of the legacy of the late Nelson Mandela who showed us that reconciliation and forgiveness can be weapons for victory against tyranny and injustice. Participating will be Faith Leaders and Spiritual leaders representing Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Judaism, and Native American communities. The Forum will be moderated by NY1 News Anchor, Cheryl Wills.

Here is the Link that tells our story in Arabic www.alwatan.com.sa/Dialogue/News_Detail.aspx?ArticleID=176976&CategoryID=4 This is our Story in English: As a child I spent 5 years in Lebanon during the civil war, a time when we saw Syria fuelling the conflict, their interference led to more instability. As we sat in underground basements for months on end, I was conditioned to distrust & even hate the Syrian people. 90 days ago as I watched a BBC Panorama documentary & saw the terrible plight of the Syrian refugees I was reminded of my own experience as a child being unable to attend school for 2 years. my father finally decided to take us back to Australia. 90 days ago I decided to have a garage sale; my aim was simply to sell a few things we no longer needed to raise money for Doctors without borders. 60 days ago we went to a Parent/Teacher weekend for our son Jack who is studying in Jordan; I used that as an opportunity to visit the Zatarri refugee camp. What I saw changed me forever. The camp had more than 200,000 people who were trying to survive in a tent city. I met people from Palestine, Jordan, Ireland, Syrian and Lebanon, People, who redefine the term “dedication” as they struggle to feed, clothe and educate 200,000+ people who fled their homes with nothing but the clothes on their backs. My visit to the camp was a real eye opener, learnt how to best package & label our collections in a way that minimizes handling for the NGOs on the ground. I saw a sea of humanity, and row after endless rows of tents. I went to the makeshift school which at the time had 9,500+ children with more arriving every day. The Teachers & volunteers ran 2 shifts in order to cope and make sure that every child gets enough hours in school each day. I met people like Karim at the school & Rasha with Save The Children, I thought their efforts were Truely amazing. It was Their example that inspired me to do more. Also went to the mother/baby clinic and witnessed the distribution of special feeding cups and date biscuits. I Was told about the social workers & psychologists who care for the children who have been traumatized and those who have lost both parents. I felt enormous Gratitude to the Jordanian government for keeping their borders open, if they had closed their doors, many families who escaped would have surely perished. On my return I put up posters & sent flyers to everyone I knew here in Riyadh, asking people to do a Spring clean and send to my home winter clothes, toys & blankets they no longer use. It has been the kindness & generosity of 100s of people of many Faiths and different countries that has enabled this project to mushroom. Strangers whom I’ve never met have come to our door with donations, people on our compound have stopped me and asked please tell me how I can help. The American Int. School helped a little. I also wrote to Mrs Aida Barq Kabaloui of The Bright Pre-School and Mr Mantz Principal at the British Int. School who were absolutely amazing with their generosity and support. Special thanks to both for encouraging everyone to help, but more than that, I thank them for their Trust. For 45 days our home was turned into a sorting depot, with more than a 100 people, giving generously of their time to help us sort, pack and get ready the 400 boxes. Our boxes were consolidated and transported with donations of the Saudi National Campaign for Refugees, they arrived in Jordan at Mafraq on Sunday 25th of January, 2014. Last October I heard that the UNHCR was in need of under-garments. We were able to purchased 5,000 in Riyadh which were part of the shipment. Then thanks to Google I was able to find a factory in Jordan that manufactured underclothes. We negotiated a price and they produce 25,200 pieces for us. Which will be delivered to the UNHCR next week. Our Son William & his friends discovered muscles they didn’t know they had as they moved 100’s of boxes from our garage to the basement & back up to the dining room. William lost his computer & games room and had to endure the presence of many teachers in our home every night and every weekend. As I reflected on this project, I am so aware of the support given by many different nationalities & religions, there were Egyptians, Palestinians, British, Pakistanis, Australians, Jordanians, Germans, Saudis, Iraqis, Irish, Japanese, Americans, Indians, Dutch, Spanish, Scottish, Syrians and Lebanese. People traveled to Alhamra from every compound, from all over Riyadh. It is a wonderful example of how a community can overcome their own personal prejudice with such an act of humanity… Nelson Mandela once said “No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, his background, or his religion, People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be Taught to Love, for Love comes more naturally to the Human Heart.” For me personally it has been an honor and I know that I could never have seen this through without the unwavering support & constant encouragement of my husband Iain. This journey has transformed my beliefs and altered my perspective, I now understand that citizens have little say in what their governments decide. I no-longer see Syrians as my enemies but as my cousins. Warm Regards Nowell Sukkar ALHamra compound Riyadh: +966 562 558877 Email: [email protected] Skype: nowell.sukkar Twitter: @Nowell_Sukkar

Your Invitation To Our WORLD INTERFAITH HARMONY WEEK Event Friday • 07 February, 2014 • 3 - 5:30 p.m. United Nations NLB, Conference Room 4 1st Ave and 45th Street • New York • NY 10017 The United African Congress (UAC) and partner organization, Give Them a Hand Foundation (GTAH), in collaboration with Buddha’s Light International Association, The NUSANTARA Foundation, and The Diasporan Touch; with co-sponsors The Permanent Mission of Ethiopia to the United Nations and The Permanent Mission of Indonesia to the United Nations, invite you to their Third Annual For um On Interfaith Harmony at the United Nations Headquarters on Friday, 07 February, 2014, starting at 3:00 p.m. As many of you may be aware, the United Nations General Assembly made a Declaration in 2010 that, every year, the first week of February should be observed as Interfaith Harmony Week. During this week, governments, religious organizations, civic societies, and citizens at large, should organize activities which would bring people of different faiths, beliefs, and cultures together in order to help create a better understanding and acceptance of each other’s differences. The theme of this year’s discussion is Tolerance , Reconciliation and Forgiveness; and will honor the life experience and example set by the late Nelson Mandela. The Forum will be moderated by NY1 News Anchor, Cheryl Wills, and will have representation from all major faiths: Christianity; Islam; Hinduism; Buddhism; Sikhism; and Judaism. A spiritual leader from the Native American Peoples will also participate. The United African Congress and Give Them a Hand Foundation held their first forum at the UN in February 2012. More than 100 persons attended and enjoyed lively discussions with forum participants during Q & A. In 2013, over 400 guests from the tri-state area attended, including a traditional faith leader from the Republic of Guinea in West Africa, whose contribution shed light on the evolution of beliefs of present-day religion. We invite you, your friends and family, as well as your affiliated organizations, to join us for another afternoon of exciting and informative discussions. For security purposes, you must RSVP to [email protected] no later than January 31, 2014. You must also have your picture ID on your person, and you should arrive by 2:00 p.m. Mohammed

Are you interested in celebrating the similarities and differences of two beautiful faith traditions? How do Hindus and Muslims perceive God? What is the importance of prayer and pilgrimage in the Hindu and Muslim faiths? Please join us on Wednesday, February 5th in Makom from 7:30 pm-9:00 pm for the annual "Shanti and Salaam" event jointly hosted by the Hindu Students Association and the Muslim Students Association. The event will begin with some mingling and refreshments, followed by a showcase of prayer by students of each religion. Stop by for some dessert and tea, get a chance to observe a short prayer from each faith, and share your thoughts about worship, spirituality, lifestyle and more in small groups of students from both faiths. Both HSA and MSA are excited to share this evening of peace and contemplation with you!

A voluntary professional mediation service in San Fernando Trinidad. Training in Insight Mediation is based on Lonergan's theory of Insight into Human Understanding. For the social context of crime conflicts in Trinidad see research paper by Catherine Ali at: http://journals.sta.uwi.edu/iir/index.asp Formal launch of the programme on 17th February 2014.

Join us for our third annual forum which strives to bring congregations together to learn from one another, share praise for our Creator, and discuss projects that we can all do to restore and heal Creation in our local environment.