OIC hosts delegation from UN Alliance of Civilization

The OIC organized a program for the 12-member European and North American delegation, from April 11-13. It included visits to NGOs, economic and business institutions, higher education and media institutions as well as arts and cultural activities.

The fellowship program is one of several launched by the AoC as part of its efforts to facilitate intercultural dialogue at the grass-roots level, one of the OIC’s activities to foster better understanding among people of different cultures and break through stereotypes and misconceptions.

http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article612861.ece

Patriarch Bartholomew praises Gülen's dialogue efforts

Greek Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has praised well-respected Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen for his efforts to build intercultural dialogue in Turkey and the world in an interview he gave to a US daily.

“He builds bridges, and religion should build bridges,” said the patriarch. “This is why we need the dialogues. Not to have religious fanatics who divide people. The idea is to bring people of faith together for the benefit of humankind,” he told the Chicago Tribune’s John Kass.

http://www.todayszaman.com/news-277097-patriarch-bartholomew-praises-gulens-dialogue-efforts.html

Sacramento Mosque Opens Doors to Churchless Church on Easter Sunday

When The Spiritual Life Center, a Sacramento Christian church, found itself without a venue to hold its Easter Sunday services this past weekend, the church's Reverend Michael Moran came up with what many may call an unconventional solution. He sought the help of a local mosque. For the past 12 years, church-goers and members of the Spiritual Life Center of Sacramento rented space at the Pioneer Christian Church, but when their lease expired on March 31, the 500-member congregation was left with little time to find somewhere else to hold their Easter Sunday service, which is, historically, the best-attended event of the year.

http://www.aaiusa.org/index_ee.php/blog/entry/sacramento-mosque-opens-doors-to-churchless-church-on-easter-sunday