MODERATOR

 Osman Oztoprak

Managing Director

Alliance for Shared Values

(USA)

Osman Oztoprak is an accomplished educational leader and community organizer with a deep commitment to fostering intercultural dialogue and understanding. A founder and former school principal, he dedicated seven years to teaching science and leading a private school in New Jersey. Since 2001, Mr. Oztoprak has been actively involved in the Turkish American community, playing a pivotal role in founding several intercultural and interfaith organizations in the New York and New Jersey areas.

His academic achievements include a Bachelor of Science in Physics and two master’s degrees—one in education from Rutgers University New Brunswick and another in diplomacy and international relations from the Whitehead School at Seton Hall University. Currently, he serves as the Managing Director of the Alliance for Shared Values, which acts as an umbrella organization for Interfaith initiatives across the United States and provides resources and support for the Hizmet Movement. Through his work, Osman continues to promote understanding and collaboration among diverse communities.

BEST PRACTICE 1: Spanish Youth Interfaith Ensemble (JOIRE)

PRESENTER

Temirkhon Temirzoda

Executive Director, ARCO Forum

Founder, Spanish Youth Interfaith Ensemble

(Spain)

 Temir Naziri is the Executive Director and Founder of Arco Forum, a non-profit association that promotes the cooperation, coexistence and intercultural and interreligious development since 2013, with special attention to the promotion of the “Concert of Three Cultures” project since 2014. HE graduated from the Khujand Branch of Technological University of Tajikistan and holds master’s degree in political analysis and media from the Rey Juan Carlos University and Doctoral Studies in Political Science and International Relations at the Complutense University of Madrid.

He has worked as Director of Cultural Programmes and International Cooperation of the Hispanic-Turkish Association (Casa Turca) for 9 years. He is currently also an active member of numerous associations and forums that work for social integration, management of cultural diversity, defence of human rights, etc. He was recently awarded the Diploma of Recognition of the National Police “in response to the excellent collaboration” maintained with this institution.

ABOUT THE PROJECT:

The Spanish Youth Interfaith Ensemble (JOIRE, by its initials in Spanish) is an ensemble that emerged by the initiative of Arco Forum within the framework of the CommUnity project, co-financed by the European Commission. As part of this project was the Harmony CommUnity Campaign, that aimed to improve intergenerational, intercultural and interfaith dialogue by creating music groups that would gather to play together and share the passion for music without borders of culture, faith or generation. And thus, JOIRE was developed.

JOIRE unites young musicians from the three Abrahamic religions to perform religious, spiritual, liturgical, and cultural songs from these traditions. Beyond music, JOIRE fosters peaceful coexistence and personal growth, spreading a message of harmony and brotherhood/fraternity.

Since its inception, more than 40 young musicians, encompassing Christians, Muslims, and Jews, have actively participated in this ensemble’s activities. Collectively, they have delivered ten concerts, nine of which took place in various regions of Spain, while one was held in Brussels, Belgium, in the framework of the Youth Creative Festival.

Website: http://arcoforum.es/joire-es

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/JOIRE.JovenEnsembleInterreligiosoEspanol/  

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/joire.es/ 

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jovenensembleinterreligios9437 

X (Twitter) https://twitter.com/joire_es 

BEST PRACTICE 2: Embrace Relief Women’s Empowerment Initiatives

PRESENTER

Sarah Elsakhawy

Women’s Empowerment Program Coordinator 

Embrace Relief

(USA)

Sarah Elsakhawy is a dedicated project manager at Embrace Relief, where she excels in campaign design and execution, fundraising, and grant applications. With a passion for social impact, she previously led the Clean Water Initiative and currently serves as the Women’s Empowerment Project Coordinator, overseeing four distinct programs aimed at uplifting women in underprivileged communities. Sarah holds a B.S. in Diplomacy and International Relations from Seton Hall University, and she is currently pursuing a J.D. from Seton Hall School of Law, furthering her commitment to advocacy and social justice.

ABOUT THE PROJECT

Embrace Relief’s R.I.S.E., L.E.A.R.N., K.E.E.N., and S.E.E.D. programs are dedicated to empowering women and girls through education and entrepreneurship in various communities around the world. The R.I.S.E. (Reach, Inspire, Support, Educate) program in Tanzania focuses on closing the gender gap in education by providing scholarships and leadership training to young women, helping them become educators and leaders in their communities. L.E.A.R.N. (Learning and Education for Afghan girls’ Rights and Needs) provides online high school and college education to Afghan girls. Through partnerships with Global Town School and Amity University, LEARN equips these girls with valuable skills in fields like Computer Applications and English, offering them a chance for a brighter future. 

The S.E.E.D. (Sustainable Entrepreneurship through Eggs and Dairy) program operates in Uganda, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Kenya, and Afghanistan, where it provides women with livestock, such as goats and chickens, along with training in animal husbandry and business management. This program empowers women to build sustainable agro-entrepreneurship ventures, fostering economic independence and contributing to community development. Together, these initiatives illustrate Embrace Relief’s commitment to creating long-term, transformative change for women and girls across diverse regions.

Website: https://www.embracerelief.org/charitable-donation-for-womens-empowerment/

BEST PRACTICE 3: Chess: A Transformative Catalyst for Students’ Academic and Personal Growth

 PRESENTER

Zoran Stojcevski

Board Member

Chess Federation of North Macedonia

(N. Macedonia)

Zoran Stojchevski, a distinguished chess master and chess educator, is recognized for his groundbreaking work in integrating chess into educational curriculums and promoting social inclusion in his native North Macedonia. 

He serves as one of the main teachers of teachers in primary schools in North Macedonia as part of the “Chess in Schools” (CIS) project which began in October 2022 and has continued till the present. During this time, he has trained more than 600 teachers from 50 municipalities.

His chess curriculum has led to notable improvements in students’ academic performance across various subjects especially during the CIS project. His chess teaching methods have facilitated a qualitative leap in children’s learning, particularly in logic-based subjects such as mathematics, as well as in language studies and other sciences. Students also demonstrated increased focus and concentration, with attention spans improving from 10 minutes to 20 minutes after one year of chess instruction.

With more than 20 years’ experience as a chess player and as an organizer of chess events, Stojchevski is an active board member of the national Chess Federation of North Macedonia. Additionally, he has more than 24 years of experience in the banking software industry and serves as a manager in ASEE BSS company of Delivery Banking Unit that works primarily with development and implementation of banking software. 

ABOUT THE PROJECT

This work aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in areas related to inclusive education, interfaith contributions to achieving SDGs, and fostering peaceful, just, and inclusive societies. His experience demonstrates the transformative impact of chess on students’ academic and personal development, making him a valuable contributor to discussions on innovative educational practices and social inclusion.

This project implements a chess curriculum that has led to notable improvements in students’ academic performance across various subjects. The methods used have facilitated a qualitative leap in children’s learning, particularly in logic-based subjects such as mathematics, as well as in language studies and other sciences. Students demonstrated increased focus and concentration, with attention spans improving from 10 minutes to 20 minutes after one year of chess instruction.

Highlights about the Project

• Promoting social inclusion and diversity through chess. 
• Enhancing academic performance and critical thinking skills via chess education. 
• Integrating chess into school curriculums to foster inclusive education. 
• Utilizing chess to promote peace, understanding, and social cohesion among diverse student populations. 
• Strategies for breaking the cycle of poverty and promoting gender equality through educational initiatives.

BEST PRACTICE 4: MHM Exploring the Unspoken

 PRESENTER

Madhuri Kibria

Program Manager for Policy Research, Bachar Lorai

(Canada)

Originally from Dhaka, Bangladesh, Madhuri Kibria has cultivated her passion for human rights, climate justice, and preventing and ending violence against women and girls through her education and professional roles in Canada, Bangladesh, Australia, and the United States. Over the past 4 years, she has worked in development and policy research, communications, and reporting at UN Women, The Nature Conservancy, and multiple NGOs in Bangladesh. Her past research has focused on women’s rights and autonomy, gender-based violence prevention and response strategies, sexual and reproductive health rights, rights-based sustainable development and improving access to justice and social support for historically marginalized groups and communities. She holds an M.A. in Social Sciences from the University of Chicago and a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Criminology Double Degree from the Australian National University (ANU). 

She currently serves as a Program Manager for Policy Research at BacharLorai (BL) where she leads all work focused on SDG 5. During her time at BL, she co-authored their first published policy brief on “Ending Period Poverty”, developed and facilitated their first Canadian workshop on menstrual health management, and moderated their first CSW-NGO panel event focused on period poverty alleviation in South Asia. She is now working on developing and rolling out the organization’s pilot iteration of the Global Impact Fellowship, aimed at providing development, policy, and fundraising capacity development to promising students and youth leaders

ABOUT THE PROJECT

The lack of information, along with persistent misconceptions and myths about menstrual health and hygiene, has been shown to affect the opportunities and social status of women and girls worldwide. Addressing knowledge gaps and dispelling myths surrounding menstruation have profound implications for the health, societal status, and ability of women and girls to realize their full potential. As outlined in BacharLorai’s 2023 Policy Brief – titled Ending Period Poverty – a combination of social taboos, gender-unequal social norms, low levels of education, and limited decision-making power among women and girls in South Asia have contributed to Bangladesh’s continued neglect of MHM in households, schools, and sanitation policies. 

Young members from the Bangladeshi diaspora from Toronto, including students from University of Toronto St. George and Toronto Metropolitan University, attended a full-day workshop which featured interactive menstrual health activities, advocacy discussions, and a fire-side chat with gender equity experts from Oxfam Canada & Plan International. This was BacharLorai’s first youth workshop in the Global North, leading on from their pilot policy brief publication and as a precursor to their first CSW68 panel side-event, in partnership with JWF, focused on ending period poverty for South Asian women and girls. 

Website – https://www.bacharlorai.com/community/workshop/2024/mhm 

BEST PRACTICE 5: Showing Up: Bystander Intervention Program

 PRESENTER

Ahmet Keskin

Executive Director

Australian Intercultural Society 

(Australia)

Ahmet Keskin is Executive Director of the Australian Intercultural Society since 2015. He is one of the co-founders of the Affinity Intercultural Foundation and was an NSW Centenary ANZAC Ambassador. He sits on the Alfred Deakin Institute’s Advisory Board and the VMC’s Multifaith Advisory Group. He was a recipient of the Western Sydney University (formerly UWS) Community Service Award 2013. He completed his Masters in Islamic Sciences with Islamic Sciences & Research Academy Australia through Charles Sturt University & Masters in Arts exploring identity & belonging of Muslims in Australia at Deakin University. He has been actively involved in community work since his university days, with the last 25yrs in the area of intercultural dialogue.

ABOUT THE PROJECT

This project was a community-initiated project to empower and enable members from the public to safely ‘show up’ and respond to hateful, racist, Islamophobic and anti-Semitic incidents. 

Globally and locally in Australia, we have seen anti-Semitic and Islamophobic attacks are on the rise. To counter this, the Australian Intercultural Society and the Jewish Community Council of Victoria devised a project aimed to train ordinary civilians to be confident and upskilled to take a safe active stance when observing Anti-semitism and Islamophobia. Drawing on important lessons from transformative work in the space of anti-racism and bystander training, the organizers engaged Polykala, with their skilled instructors Ananth & Tom, to train participants so they are equipped with the skills, language and confidence to interrupt bigotry, harassment and violence in our community and to rally in the support of the victim rather than confront the perpetrator. By doing so, they act as a circuit breaker to cut-off the vitriol and racial slur directed to a visibly apparent Jew or Muslim.

Delivered across Melbourne and regional Victoria, these half day programs aimed to:

• Provide community-led responses to Islamophobia and Antisemitism
• Train and up-skill bystanders to respond to situations
• Raise awareness of issues and promote respectful behaviors and interfaith understanding

Testimonials by: Terri Soumalis, Jawhara, Greta Williams

BEST PRACTICE 6: “Stars of Dialogue” Award

PRESENTER

Fatih Saribas

Director

Institute for Intercultural Dialogue 

(Brazil)

Fatih Saribas is an accomplished director and advocate for intercultural understanding, serving as the Director of the Institute for Intercultural Dialogue in Brazil. He holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations from the Centro Universitário de Brasília (UniCEUB) and has furthered his expertise by specializing in International Law and Human Rights at the Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais. 

As a certified speaker from Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Fatih is dedicated to promoting dialogue and education across cultures. He is also an editor and volunteer journalist at the Turkey Voice Portal, where he plays a crucial role in fostering communication and understanding between diverse communities. Additionally, he co-organizes the Intercultural Dialogue Course, which aims to cultivate awareness and collaboration among individuals from different backgrounds. Fatih’s passion for intercultural dialogue and human rights continues to drive his impactful work in the field.

ABOUT THE PROJECT:

The Institute for Intercultural Dialogue has been organizing the “Stars of Dialogue” award, an initiative designed to recognize and celebrate individuals who have excelled in promoting dialogue across various spheres of society since 2015.

Our award encompasses five categories where dialogue is essential for promoting mutual understanding, cooperation, and harmonious coexistence within society. These categories are:

1. Political and Cultural Dialogue Award: Honoring those who foster dialogue between different cultures and political perspectives, aiming to build bridges and resolve conflicts.
2. Social Dialogue Award: Honoring those who work tirelessly to promote inclusion, social justice, and community cohesion through dialogue and collaboration.
3. Interfaith Dialogue Award: Honoring those who facilitate mutual understanding and respect among people of different religious traditions, promoting peace and religious harmony.
4. Dialogue in Education and Science Award: Honoring those who advance dialogue and collaboration in the fields of education and science, aiming for the advancement of knowledge and sustainable development.
5. Dialogue Through the Arts Award: Honoring artists and cultural producers who use art as a tool to promote intercultural understanding, empathy, and social transformation.

By highlighting the achievements of individuals through awards in each of these areas, we aim not only to honor their contributions but also to inspire others to engage in constructive dialogue within their communities and fields of work. Together, we can create a more just, peaceful, and compassionate world through the transformative power of dialogue.

PROGRAM

Date & Time

Date: September 24, 2024 – Tuesday

Time: 10:00 am – 1:00 pm EST

Venue: 630Second – Guild Hall

 630 Second Ave New York, NY 10016 (Entrance between 34^th and 35^th Streets)

Format

Introduction

Welcome Remarks by the JWF and Global Partners

Opening Remarks and Introduction by the moderator

Round 1: Interfaith Contributions to SDGs Achievements (60 mins)

(10am – 11:15am)

(Panel Discussion Format)

Brief introduction by the moderator

Speakers’ reflections (7-10 mins each)

Q & A: Interactive Discussion

Open Discussion for ideas, thoughts, and reflections

BREAK Session (11:15am – 11:30am)

Round 2: Civil Society Best Practices and Initiatives for the SDGs (60 mins)

(11:30am – 1:00pm)

(Presentation Format)

Brief introduction by the moderator

Presentation Sessions (7-10 mins each)

Open Discussion and Exchange

Closing Remarks

Final Remarks by the moderator

Final comments by the JWF and organizers

Reception

Light food and drinks / Networking

Participants 

Civil society delegations from our Global Partners from around the world and the United States will participate in the roundtable discussion and the workshops.