Dr. Leah Rampy, CEO of ILLUMINE, LLC, talking about her RumiForum trip to Turkey:
My name is Leah Rampy. I am a business consultant specifically focusing on leadership and I also facilitate multicultural community dialogs. So lots of things have been running through my mind about the fabulous experience that we had, about the opportunity to be with all the people sitting around this table for the opportunity to see the wonderful things that we have been able to experience. But I think that what I want to do is use my minitive airtime to speak my gratitude in two ways. First I wanna speak gratitude specifically for those of you who have been so much a part of making this a very special experience, so I wish to thank you for your ever positive smile and willingness to do whatever you needed to do and Vedat for the mischievous nature, hah hah. I had no idea you had. He tried to steal my camera in Istanbul on the first day when I was here. For literally and figuratively making water appear when it was needed. And Jenna for always being there no matter what we needed and when we needed it, and keeping calm in spite of the chaos around you; just for making this trip so much a part of what comes from your heart and your love for this country. I thank you for that! And Ali for what is clearly a very important part of your expression of your love and care and your deep desire to connect us with others who feel so much aligned with bringing peace and love and community to the world the importance of dialog.
So I want to express gratitude for that! The second gratitude I want to express is to the people you put us in contact with who moved very quickly from speaking philosophically or politically just speaking from the heart. And we did community dialog we really invite people to speak from the eye to speak what is import for them, their experiences, their own believes, their feelings. Because I believe we believe that that’s how people connect; that when we see the humanity in each other. It is very hard to understand the humanity when we are hiding behind our political statements and our walls every way and even our philosophies, but when we move into speaking from the heart there’s the opportunity to understand each other in a very human way. I want to express appreciation for all the people you put us in contact with who are so willing to that among us as strangers. So it was hospitality but it was more than hospitality. For me it was courage and a spirit of commitment and dedication and deep love for what these individuals believe right; and for that I wanna say thank you!