The OIC organized a program for the 12-member European and North American delegation, from April 11-13. It included visits to NGOs, economic and business institutions, higher education and media institutions as well as arts and cultural activities.

The fellowship program is one of several launched by the AoC as part of its efforts to facilitate intercultural dialogue at the grass-roots level, one of the OIC’s activities to foster better understanding among people of different cultures and break through stereotypes and misconceptions.

The delegation was headed by Jean Christophe Bas, the AoC director, and included 12 fellows with different professional backgrounds from Europe and the US. Bas met Ambassador Vefahan Ocak, director general of Cabinet at the OIC, before both opened the discussion between the fellows and OIC staff.

The delegation was given a brief overview of the OIC, its departments and activities. This was followed by a long discussion and exchange of views on current political issues in OIC member states, and included economic issues, women’s issues, the media and the youth.

The group visited the Islamic Development Bank, an affiliate of the OIC, where they also received a briefing on the different programs and projects undertaken by the IDB and its subsidiary institutions.

The delegation visited the Help Center NGO for disabled children and Injaz for empowering youth. There they met the founders and directors of these two pioneering institutions and were introduced to the work and activities they do.

The group also visited Dar Al-Hekma College for girls where they were impressed by the students and their level of awareness and aspiration. Later they toured Tashkiel, an arts, design and marketing company founded by Sofana Dahlan, herself an AoC fellow. They were completely taken by what they saw of paintings and traditional outfits and jewelry by artist Safiya Binzagr at her Dar Safiya Binzagr Art Gallery.

Arab News newspaper and Sayidaty magazine hosted a working lunch for the delegation where there was a lively discussion about media and women’s issues. The questions and issues raised opened the door for an interesting exchange of points of view.

The energetic tone of discussion was carried over to a later meeting with officials at King Abdulaziz Center for National Dialogue, which invited a group of university students. The debate touched on many controversial issues and topics of national and international concern and impacted the delegation.

Official meetings over, the delegation was given a tour of Jeddah's historic Balad area.

There the group enjoyed a guided walking tour provided by Jeddah municipality, in the narrow alleys, to the souk and inside the landmark Naseef House with its traditional architecture. The group also visited Beit Sami Angawi, the well-known architect who designed his house, which reflects the traditional style of the Kingdom’s architectural heritage.