Where the World Intersects
From September 12th – 22nd, I had the great pleasure of accompanying Murat Gurer from the Niagra Foundation and nine other professional women from Cleveland on a trip to Turkey.
In addition to four days in Istanbul, we visited ancient ruins in Ephesus, Cappadocia (the historical region of rock formations in Central Anatolia) and the beautiful Mediterranean coast of Antalya.
The Niagra Foundation’s mission is to promote social cohesion by fostering civic conversations and sustained relationships between people of different cultures and faiths. This objective was accomplished on our trip through meetings with journalists, women’s groups, university leaders, hospital administrators and city government officials.
What I have taken away from this amazing experience is a new understanding and appreciation for the critical role that Turkey plays on the international cultural and political stage. It has been the cradle of civilizations and a historic bridge between the West and the Islamic world. Being in the country at a time of an internal political shift and international upheaval demonstrated that change is a constant for countries and cultures. Turkey stands at the crossroads of this change.
The Niagra Foundation works to create meaningful understanding that unites people from different perspectives. We are very fortunate that the Niagra Foundation, under the leaderhship of Murat Gurer, is providing Cleveland-area leaders the opportunity to gain an international perspective and develop relationships that can lead to new ideas and partnerships abroad.
