Category Archives: Illinois
Interview with Laila Muhammad of Zakat Foundation
By Kathy Bolano, Communications Intern On Thursday, April 2nd, 2015 from 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM, Niagara is excited to host Laila Muhammad of...
| Tagged charity, faith, Interfaith, ZakatWomen in Male-Dominated Religious Roles: Event Recap
By Kathy Bolano, Communications Intern On Thursday March 12th, we had the honor of hosting a Friends In Faith event with Cantor Julie...
| Tagged cantor, Judaism, male-dominated religious roles, religionSharing the Faith: Easter 2015 Programs
Sharing the Faith is an educational program offering opportunities for the larger Chicago community to learn about Judaism, Christianity, and Islam during their respective...
What is Purim?
Today is the Jewish celebration of Purim. This holiday celebrates the saving of the Jewish people from Haman, who planned to kill all...
| Tagged Judaism, PurimCantor Julie Yugend-Green on Women in Religious Leadership
On Thursday, March 12 from 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM, Niagara Foundation is excited to host Cantor Julie Yugend-Green of Oak Park Temple...
| Tagged cantor, leadership, religious leadership, womenTurkey Trip Tales: Illinois State Representative Kathy Ryg
By: Representative Kathy Ryg My trip to Turkey with fellow legislators was most definitely a life changing experience. The opportunity to learn more...
| Tagged Aegean Sea, Ankara, Ephesus, Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, travel, turkeyMillennials and the Catholic Church: Event Recap
By: Kathy Bolano, Communications Intern Nicholas G. Hahn III joined us for one of our Friends in Faith events at the Niagara office...
| Tagged Catholic Church, Catholicism, church, millennialNot My Life Screening Event Recap
By: Kathy Bolano, Communications Intern On Wednesday, February 18, Niagara Foundation screened the film Not My Life in partnership with UNICEF US Fund....
| Tagged children, documentary, exploitation, fair trade, human trafficking, modern slavery, Not My Life, sex trafficking, UNICEF, UNICEF US FundInterview with RealClearReligion’s Nicholas Hahn III
By: Kathy Bolano, Communications Intern Nicholas G. Hahn III will be joining us for a roundtable discussion about millennials and the church from...
| Tagged Catholicism, church, millennials, politics, religionAnti-bullying activist Patrick Dati to speak at Chicago & Education Forum
Niagara Foundation is excited to host Patrick Dati, an anti-bullying advocate and child abuse prevention spokesman, at our upcoming Chicago & Education Forum:...
| Tagged activism, advocacy, anti-bullying, bully, domestic violence, LGBT, LGBTQ, rape, sexual abuseFriends in Faith: Reverend John Cunningham Event Recap
By: Joshua Heine, Public & Global Affairs Intern On February 4, Niagara Foundation was pleased to welcome Reverend John Cunningham, a Jesuit priest and...
| Tagged faith, Jesuit, physics, scienceInterview with UNICEF’s Marshaun Montgomery on Human Trafficking
By: Kathleen Ferraro, Communications and Membership Coordinator This Wednesday, February 18, from 5:30-7:30 PM Niagara Foundation will partner with UNICEF US Fund to...
| Tagged documentary, human trafficking, Human Trafficking Awareness Month, modern slavery, Not My Life, UNICEFInterview with Stacy Ratner, Founder of Open Books
By: Kathy Bolano, Communications Intern Edited by: Kathleen Ferraro, Communications and Membership Coordinator On Wednesday, February 11, 2015 from 11:30 AM-1:00 PM Stacy...
| Tagged community, literacy, Open BooksTurkey Trip Tales: Mary Ellen O’Hare-Lavin, Ph. D.
By: Mary Ellen O’Hare-Lavin, Ph. D. In spring 2013, I joined a group of faculty, students and other interested persons on a trip...
| Tagged travel, turkey, Turkey TripInterview with Toni Irving of Get In Chicago
Tomorrow, we are excited to host Toni Irving for a roundtable discussion at our office from 11:30 AM – 1 PM. Irving is the...
Meet Our New Team Member!
Niagara Foundation welcomes Kathleen Ferraro as a new addition to our Chicago family. She will be joining us as Communications & Membership Coordinator,...
Niagara Foundation Condemns the Actions of Gunmen in France
Chicago, January 7, 2015 – Niagara Foundation abhors the actions and motives of three masked gunmen, who this morning attacked the office of a...
Statement on Erdogan Government’s shameful action against Fethullah Gulen
New York, December 19, 2014 – With its latest action, Erdogan government has abandoned all sensibilities and crossed important ethical and moral boundaries....
Top 5 Reasons to Attend Niagara’s 10th Anniversary Gala on December 4th
Niagara Foundation is celebrating its 10th Anniversary on December 4th and here’s why you don’t want to miss it! 1. The Peace &...
Meet Our New Director of Communications & Member Relations
Niagara Foundation welcomes Mignon Senuta as our newest team member in Chicago! Interview by: Mevlut Hilmi Cinar, VP of Development and Strategy Hilmi:...
Interview with Dr. Wendy Pearlman
By: Kathleen, intern at Niagara and student at Northwestern University We are excited to host Dr. Wendy Pearlman, Assistant Professor and Crown Junior Chair...
Fethullah Gulen’s Condemning Message about ISIS
Our Honorary President, Mr. Fethullah Gulen’s condemnation of ISIS was published on several U.S. newspapers on Wednesday, September 17, 2014 ISIS Cruelty Deserves Our...
Sacred Sources: God and Human Suffering
Sacred Sources: God and Human Suffering Ryan Fordice, Program Director, Center for Interfaith Engagement Bright, mid-day sunlight flooded through the windows as the delicious aroma of Turkish food wafted...
Qasim Rashid – January 16th at 11:30am
In a couple weeks, Qasim Rashid will be speaking at Niagara about his book, The Wrong Kind of Muslim. It’s amazing how much...
New Year’s Resolutions
By: Eleanor Peck, Director of Communications and Member Relations Happy New Year from all of us at the Niagara Foundation! We hope your...
One Intern’s Reflection
Our writing and reporting intern, Karen Shen (pictured, center), has been hard at work here at Niagara these past few months. Last week...
Study Turkiye Workshop 2014
By: Alexis O’Connor, Intern at Niagara and Student at Northwestern On Nov. 15, participants in the 2013 Study Turkiye curriculum development program...
Niagara Forum on Syria
By: Karen Shen, intern at Niagara and student at Northwestern University It is our goal at the Niagara Foundation to bring...
Recap: Niagara Forum on Egypt with Dr. David Faris
By: Karen Shen, intern and student at Northwestern On Friday, November 1st, Dr. David Faris joined us at the Niagara Foundation to discuss...
Law School Deans Discuss the Crisis and Transformation in Legal Education
by Eleanor Peck, Director of Communications and Member Relations On October 24th, the Niagara Foundation was happy to invite two law school...
Reflections On My First Trip to Türkiye
Photos and Words By: Brendan Dowd, Director of the Center for Cultural Exchange and Interfaith Dialogue “What do you think of my decision...
Niagara Forum on Syria: 11/14
By: Karen Shen, intern at Niagara and student at Northwestern University The ongoing conflict in Syria has been in and out of front...
Hot Air Balloon Ride in Kapadokya
All Photos by Brendan Dowd Niagara’s Director of Cultural Exchange and Interfaith Collaboration is currently on a trip to Turkey, his first, with...
Interview with Dr. David Faris on Egypt
David Faris went to Cairo on a lark – as he says, “well, not a lark exactly, I was looking for a research...
Abraham’s Tent: Good Food and Even Better Conversation
Anders and Tekim – Photo by Brendan Dowd By: Brendan Dowd, Director of the Center on Intercultural Exchange and Interfaith Collaboration The evening...
Abraham’s Tent
“I felt that the cultural and religious demarcations that exist in the corporeal world were put to the wayside as we shared a...
Two Perspectives on Domestic Violence: Social and Judicial Activism
By: Karen Shen, Intern at the Niagara Foundation and Student at Northwestern University In the continuing effort to connect people and raise awareness...
Sacred Sources: The Joseph/Yusuf Narrative
Text by: Eleanor Peck This past Thursday, December 12th, was the inaugural Sacred Sources program, inspired by the academic practice of small group...
On the Passing of Nelson Mandela
“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn...
Illinois Tornado Condolences
It is with deep sadness that we at the Niagara Foundation express our condolences for those affected by the tornadoes in the Midwest...
Typhoon Haiyan Condolences
Those of us at the Niagara Foundation were saddened to hear of the devastation in the Phillipines from Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda last week. Our...
Gulen back in good health
We are happy to report that the honorary president of the Niagara Foundation, Fethullah Gulen, is in good health after he was taken...
Domestic Violence Awareness
In case you were not aware, October is Domestic Violence Awareness month. This commemorative month was passed into law in 1989 by...
Fethullah Gulen’s Statement Condemning Terrorist Attacks in Nairobi
September 25, 2013 – The Niagara Foundation joins with our Honorary President, Fethullah Gulen, Turkish Muslim scholar, poet, as well as humanitarian and...
The 8th Annual Peace & Dialogue Awards
The honorees and Rob Stafford with Niagara staff By: Eleanor Peck, Director of Communications and Member Relations The Eighth Annual Peace & Dialogue...
9/11 Remembrance #2
Here is the second installation of our blog posts remembering 9/11 from an interfaith perspective. Our own Sanya Mansoor interviewed three faith...
Welcome Letter
Dear Friends, Family, and Community of Niagara Foundation, It’s an honor to be the newest member of the team here at the Niagara...
9/11 Remembrance
In between some admittedly harried days getting ready for the Peace and Dialogue Awards, we got the chance to hear from a few...
Anne Pramaggiore, CEO and President of ComEd, on Innovation and Communication
By: Sanya Mansoor, Intern at the Niagara Foundation and Student at Northwestern The Niagara Foundation was thrilled to feature Anne Pramaggiore, President and...
2013 Peace & Dialogue Awards: Recognizing Excellence
By: Sanya Mansoor, Niagara Intern and Student at Northwestern The Niagara Foundation is eagerly counting down the days until Sept. 16, 2013, the...
Study Türkiye, A Curriculum Development Project for University and Community College Faculty
The Study Türkiye program brings together professors from different disciplines and universities to study the history, politics, religion, economics, and culture of Turkey. Every...
A World of Difference
By Karen Shen, Niagara Intern and Student at Northwestern I grew up in a family that emphasized exploring diversity and experiencing cultures around...
The Niagara Family: “It’s About the People”
By: Sanya Mansoor, Niagara Intern and Student at Northwestern “I always consider the Niagara Foundation as the Niagara family.” Sherif Soydan, President and...
Martin Luther King Jr. and The Drum Major Instinct
Photo: Library of Congress By: Brendan Dowd, Director of the Center for Cultural Exchange and Interfaith Collaboration and Eleanor Peck, Director of Communications...
Bassiouni: Egypt Facing Challenges of Legality and Legitimacy
By Sanya Mansoor and Trevor Harty – Reporting and Editing Interns Cherif Bassiouni speaks with attendees of the event. On Thursday, August 22nd,...
Sharing the Faith 2013
From Left to Right: Kirsten Peachey of the Center for Faith and Community Health Transformation, Harry Rhodes of Growing Home, inc. , and...
Branching Out to Buddhism
By Sanya Mansoor Turkish tea and talk of Buddhism made for a memorable intimate gathering between members of the Niagara office and local...