Sunday, June 29, 2008
Expat Harem Editor Anastasia Ashman Cohosts Turkey's First Global Nomad SalonWith all its disparate cultural facets, could Turkey be a model for integration - for today's hybrid identity individuals? On June 26th twenty-five social scientists, businesspeople and cultural thought leaders gathered at the Four Seasons Hotel in Sultanahmet in the shadow of the Haghia Sophia to try to answer that question when Anastasia Ashman cohosted the country's first Global Nomad Salon.
She partnered with Janera Soerel, the New York-based founder of a series of intellectual dinner parties (see Janera.com, theonline magazine and members-only social network which explores issues of global citizenship).
Expert guests at Thursday's rooftop cocktail and dinner included Neşe Gündoğan (secretary general of the National Turkish Olympic Committee), Şerif Kaynar (country managing director of executive recruiting firm Korn/Ferry) and global intercultural trainer Ferhan Alesi, as well as Tara Hopkins, the recipient of an Open Society/Soros Foundation grant to create a civic involvement program at Istanbul's Sabancı University. The VTR crew directed by veteran documentarian Enis Riza filmed the event as part of its on-going production of an Expat Harem film.
With other local co-hosts, Janera plans upcoming events in Amsterdam, Paris, London, Miami and Buenos Aires, as well as the first Global Nomad Retreat in Tuscany in September.
