Wherever I am, the world comes after me.
It offers me its busyness. It does not believe that I do not want it.
Now I understand why the old poets of China went so far
and high into the mountains, then crept into the pale mist.
"The Old Poets of China" by Mary Oliver

From Istanbul to Bangkok: Dr. Sevilla Takes Part in Two Conferences

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Dr. Henelito Sevilla, Jr., Assistant Professor at the Asian Center, University of the Philippines Diliman, presented a paper, “Typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines and the Global Humanitarian Efforts: Saving Lives and Rehabilitating the Future” at the International Conference on Philanthropy and Peacebuilding, which was held from 10-12 April 2014 at Istanbul, Turkey.

 
The paper identifies the strengths and weaknesses of the Philippine government in acting on the crisis and in distributing to affected areas material and financial resources from various states and international organizations. It also discusses contributions of philanthropic organizations in providing necessary rescue and  relief aids during and after the crisis.

PHOTO (Top Right): Dr. Sevilla in Istanbul. 
 
The conference was sponsored by the  Journalists and Writers Foundation, the Istanbul Bilgi University, and the Kimse Yok Mu- a Turkish international  humanitarian NGO. While in Istanbul, Dr. Sevilla met with officials of Fatih University to discuss possible areas of cooperation between that university and the Asian Center, University of the Philippines Diliman. 
Later this April, Dr. Sevilla flew to Bangkok to present his paper, "Bridging Goodwill with Hospitality: An Emerging Trend in Philippine-Turkish Relations" at the conference, Hospitality in Anatolian and Asian Cultures, which was held from 28 to 29 April 2014 in Bangkok, Thailand. 

In his paper, Dr. Sevilla, who coordinates the West Asian Studies program of the Asian Center, explores the manifestations of Anatolian culture in the Philippines; show how Filipinos have reacted to the introduction of Anatolian culture in the country; examine how this culture has strengthened Philippine-Turkish relations; and pinpoint the challenges and opportunities that Anatolian and Filipino cultures face as they enhance the ties between the two countries. 

The conference was organized by, among others, The Turkish Review, Thai Turkish Business Association, Interncultural Dialogue Platform of the Journalist and Writers Foundation, the College of Religious Studies of Mahidol University, and the Thailand Achievement Institute. It aimed to highlight hospitality as a universal cultural value and discuss it from a variety of perspectives. 

PHOTO (Above): Dr. Sevilla in Bangkok. Courtesy of Center for Media, Thailand Achievement Institute.