FROM THE DIRECTOR

Hello!

Our staff is very busy preparing for the 39th Annual Taste of Columbus Buffet and Silent

Auction! Our signature fundraising event is less than a month away! If you haven’t al-

ready, please register for the event. You may do so online by clicking here. Also, we are

still in need of donations for both the live and silent auctions. As a reminder, our Taste of

Columbus will be held on September 22nd, from 4:30 to 7:30 PM at OCLC, at 6565 Kilgour

Place, Dublin, OH 43017.

Last week I spent a few days in Washington DC with our Social Work delegation that had just finished their program in

Columbus. Jamaican participants, Marjorie Simpson, Lorna Reid, Jacqueline Bryan, and Japanese participant, Masako

Aoki, accompanied me to our nation’s capital. The group met with the National Association of Social Workers, and en-

joyed touring D.C. Joining us was CIP Board President Phil Beltz. Phil Beltz and I also had productive meetings with

various embassies, the U.S. State Department, and the Commerce Department.

Our next delegation will be arriving from Kaliningrad, Russia on September 9th. The group will include four partici-

pants. Their area of interest is small business development. The delegation is scheduled to meet with several Chambers

of Commerce in Columbus, attend a presentation on small business development centers in central Ohio, and meet with

individual business initiators including CIP board member Bahram Hashemi. They will also travel to Strongsville and

Akron to meet with business professionals, and plan to go to Niagara Falls for a scenic weekend trip.

We were excited to find out that former participant, Almudena Perez Sanchez, was selected to be a featured speaker in a

National Social Work Conference in Spain later this fall! On a different note, we are sad to say goodbye to several of

our long-time participants. Şükriye Karahan recently returned home to Turkey after training in Columbus for nine

months. Kwame Sarpong will be returning to Ghana in September. He has been training at the Franklin County ARC

since May. We wish them safe travels as they return home and we are confident that their experiences in Columbus will

help them bring positive change to their countries.

Sincerely,

Mark Poeppelman, Executive Director

S e p t e m b e r N e w s l e t t e r

2 0 1 3

MEET THE NEW INTERNS

S e p t e m b e r N e w s l e t t e r 2 0 1 3 Page 2

Our 39th Annual International Taste of Columbus Buffet and Silent Auction

will take place on September 22nd, at OCLC (see page four for details). The

Taste of Columbus is an opportunity to sample international culture and cui-

sine present in our own city. There will be food from international restaurants

and authentic music. Gift baskets from various cities and countries will also be

featured during our Silent Auction. Our Live Auction is the highlight of the

event with guests competing with one another for one-of-a-kind items. You

may buy tickets on this website.

We are still seeking donations of items for both auctions, such as tickets to

events, museum tours, gift cards, and gift baskets. Please contact Kathy Moser

at 221-0034 if you are able to donate or have questions. We will make arrange-

ments to pick up your donation, if necessary.

Samuel Miller graduated from the Ohio State University with a degree in International Studies and Business. He was

born in Charlotte, North Carolina, but grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. During his time at OSU, Sam was president of the

AIESEC student organization. He studied Chinese and he learned to speak conversational Mandarin Chinese. After

graduation, Sam traveled to China for four months to do volunteer work at a school located in an impoverished area near

Beijing. Andrew Clark is a junior at the Ohio State University where he is studying German and International Studies.

He studied abroad in Austria for ten months, and is a fluent German speaker. While abroad Andrew traveled to ten other

countries. Andrew is a jazz saxophonist and plays in jazz bands. Bethlehem Aderajew is

majoring in International Studies and minoring in General Business and Studio Art at The

Ohio State University. She actively takes part in the Ethio-

pian Eritrean student organi-

zation at OSU, as her parents

are both from Ethiopia. Beth-

lehem speaks Amharic, the

language spoken in Ethiopia

and Eritrea. She recently

studied abroad in Beijing,

China.

INTERNATIONAL TASTE OF COLUMBUS

Sam Miller in Taiwan Andrew Clark in Austria Bethlehem Aderajew

Volunteers giving out German food dur-

ing last year’s Taste of Columbus.

Our Social Work Delegation recently completed their program. The delegation included: Abdurahman Isoqov of Tajiki-

stan (left), Masako Aoki of Japan (top right), Lorna Reid of the Cayman Islands, Jacqueline Bryan of Jamaica, and

Marjorie Simpson of Jamaica (bottom left to right). High-

lights of the program included visits to The Ohio State

University’s College of Social Work, Washington D.C.,

Bristol Village, Salvation Army, and The Sanctuary for the

Arts.

Lorna, Jacqueline, and Marjorie arrived in Columbus in

July to participate in the first part of the program, which

focused on Art Therapy. Masako and Abdurahman joined

them in August for the second half of the program, with a

general focus on Social Work.

Make sure to watch a video of participant Abdurahman de-

scribing his experience here.

SOCIAL WORK PROGRAM RECAP

SAYING GOODBYE TO OUR TURKISH FRIEND

Former CIP Participant Şükriye Karahan of Istanbul, Turkey

recently completed her training in Columbus. Şükriye trained

at the United Way of Central Ohio’s Columbus Kid’s Pro-

gram and Nationwide Children’s Hospital. She also partici-

pated in CIP’s Art Therapy Program in July. She valued her

experience in Columbus. Her training allowed her to learn

and strengthen her techniques with her work in Turkey. She

found new friends among other CIP participants.

Şükriye works as a psychotherapist for hospitalized children

and adolescents at the Patient’s Rights Unit at the Zeynep

Kamil Gynecology-Obstetric and Children Diseases Research

and Teaching Hospital Uskuda in Turkey. Recently, Şükriye

provided a wonderful presentation on her country. In case you

missed the event, take a look at part one and part two of our

interview with her.

We will miss you and we wish you lots of success in the future!

Page 3 S e p t e m b e r N e w s l e t t e r 2 0 1 3 Page 3

Şükriye Karahan of Istanbul Turkey.

The group with intern Niny Rosso (in white), and

Jacquelyn Meshelemiah (center), an instructor at the

College of Social Work.

CIP 2013 Upcoming Events

Sept. 22nd The 39th Annual Taste of Columbus Buffet

and Silent Auction

4:30 P.M. to 7:30 P.M.

OCLC Online Computer Library Center

6565 Kilgour Place

Dublin, Ohio 43017

Prices: $40.00 for members, $45.00 for non-members and

$25.00 for students.

This is an exciting annual event where you get a taste of the international presence

in our own city. The Buffet will provide foods from various authentic restaurants

in Columbus and the surrounding areas. International dancers and music will

bring entertainment to the event. The live and silent auctions will feature city and

country gift baskets, as well as many other fun items.

Don’t miss out, register today!

RSVP to our events by contacting the office by phone at 614-221-0034 or by email

at cipcols@aol.com.

Nov. 2nd UNA Symposium:

Hyatt Regency Hotel, November 2, 2013 9:00 am - 5:15 pm

According to GALLUP, US perception of the United Nations, although improving, still sits at a

low 42% approval rating (May 2011). How much public knowledge and trust in the ambassadors at

the UN play a part is unknown, but on November 2, 2013 the people of Columbus, Ohio will have

the chance to place their own stamp on the policy and actions of the United Nations. For the very

first time, the adult community, not just middle school, high school, or college students, will have

the opportunity to act as delegates of the 193 member countries of the United Nations.

This is a fully sanctioned model of the United Nations, with representation from the UN offices in New York and the US

State Department to observe the proceedings. All resolutions composed and passed by the participants will be taken to

the UN offices in New York for consideration and potential action by the ambassadors. The objective of this event is to

provide an opportunity for educating the public about the process of the United Nations, and also create a lens in which

to bring focus to the public discourse on a variety of global issues, with measurable and tangible results. Prices are

$80.00 for delegates and $45.00 for college students. For more information visit this website.