Members in the News

In 2013, Forum member, Georgette Bennett, founded the Multifaith Alliance for Syrian Refugees, now, Multifaith Alliance (MFA), which has since worked to raise awareness and mobilize humanitarian aid benefitting over 3 million Syrian war victims.

The organization is now on the ground in Turkey, focused on providing vital emergency aid to the victims of the earthquake - and asking for support. An email message from the Multifaith Alliance CEO, sent earlier this week, can be found below and the link to the fundraising campaign can be found here: https://multifaithalliance.app.neoncrm.com/forms/quake

Forum member, Dede Bartlett, who first shared the information on the Multifaith Alliance aid work with us, also kindly reached out to our IWF - Turkey colleagues. Dr. Funda Sivrikaya Serifoglu wrote in response:

Thank you very much for your messages in these devastating times for our country and for the region.

The academicians of the field say that experiencing two earthquakes 9 hours apart with the magnitudes of 7,7 and 7,6 and with intensity of 11 in the same region is happening for the first time in history. The results are beyond any words, I do not think there are ways to describe the pain, losses, and suffering. The only relief is to experience that we quickly can come together as a nation to help each other. And international support increases our hopes both for the current disaster, and the relationships thereafter.

Your supporting messages to Iffet (Iffet Ozgonul) and IWF Turkey mean so much for us. Our new president Cigdem Ayozer Ongun will summon the new executive board, having been elected just yesterday, this evening with the urgent agenda of the earthquakes, and the possible collaborations we can realize with you, IWF global, and other friends.

Both Cigdem as the president, and Iffet and me as the founders will of course be in touch with you, as always. Cigdem will lead the communication traffic regarding possible collaborations with IWF Global.

Thank you again for the messages that made us feel that IWF represents a really strong friendship network that will not allow any member to feel alone and desperate.

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