NCSU faculty members,

Curriculum and Instruction Department Head Dr. Ellen Vasu
&
Director of the Leadership in the Public Sector Program Dr. Michael Vasu

shared their experiences with us about their trip to Turkey on May 2008.

The program started with an informational film entitled “Ambassadors of Peace: Experiencing Turkey from the Inside Out” depicting the May, 2008 dialogue visit to Turkey. The film was produced by Dr. Steven Channing*.

Having played a powerful role in the accumulation of intercultural exchange among various cultures from the antiquity, Byzantium, Ottoman Empire to the present day, Turkey is a country that straddles Europe and Asia in both literal and metaphorical senses. A land at the convergence of many cultures, decorated with impressive historical monuments of ages old, Turkey has been home to diverse religious traditions over thousand years. Today the country is overwhelmingly Muslim, but the church and state are firmly separated, and freedom of religion is enforced. Turkey is the only Islamic country that includes secularism in its Constitution and practices.

A group of professors and clergymen from the Triangle took a trip to Turkey last year. NCSU faculty members, Dr. Ellen Vasu and Dr. Michael Vasu were among them. The group visited mosques, churches, synagogues, and historical/biblical sites and enjoyed natural beauties of Turkey. But more importantly they had the opportunity to meet some local families and share a dinner with them.

This talk discussed the questions:
- "How can citizens of the world live in peace and harmony?"
- "How sharing different perspectives by listening to each other contributes to the world peace?"

This presentation was an excellent opportunity of broadening our horizons by exploring the various dimensions of Turkey.

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*Dr. Channing is a teacher, writer, historian and filmmaker. He was won several awards over the years. His films have won various awards from Emmy awards and nominations to the Global Peace Film award.