An Evening In the Turkish Mission - by Becky Houran

We spent the afternoon sheltered from the torrent of rain enjoying a small, intimate event in the Turkish Mission. It was the launch of this year’s Centerpoint Now magazine publication by the World Council of Peoples for the United Nations, in honor of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations. Dr. Judy was invited because she wrote a piece for the magazine about her project of empowering girls in Africa. The magazine highlights a plethora of work done by people and organizations around the world – all linked together through the idea of breaking down cultural barriers, sharing unique history and connecting the world. 

The magazine was published by Dr. Judy’s friends in the NGO community at the UN, Sherrill Kazan Alvarez de Toledo (President of the World Council of Peoples for the United Nations and publisher of the magazine), and her daughter, Shamina de Gonzaga, (editor of Centerpoint Now and a major youth figure at the United Nations since her childhood). A panel of ambassadors and artists spoke about their contributions and hopes for the future. They provided an array of eloquent statements: “The alliance of civilizations was chosen to translate political initiatives in the concrete” (Shamina); “It’s an eclectic journal, set up to tear down walls and build bridges, to discover diversity;” “The alliance of civilizations stands in contrast to the idea of a clash of civilizations;” (Dr. Perry, a panelist); and “It’s a dance between internal forces with external forces.” It was a presentation of imaginative solutions and impressive insight.
(6/9/2011)