You are Cordially Invited to the Annual Dialogue and Friendship Dinner 2026

As we gather for the 25th anniversary year of Dialogue Institute Austin, we are filled with gratitude for the countless friendships, partnerships, and meaningful conversations that have shaped our journey since 2002. For nearly a quarter century, our mission has remained the same: to build bridges of understanding, respect, and cooperation among people of different faiths, cultures, and backgrounds.

This year, our Dialogue & Friendship Dinner 2026 carries special significance as the United States commemorates its 250th anniversary — America 250. Inspired by this historic milestone, our theme is:

America at 250:

The Art of Living Together with Freedom, Dialogue & Civic Engagement

The evening will celebrate the enduring American ideals of freedom, religious liberty, civic participation, and pluralism, while exploring how people of different faiths, cultures, ethnicities, and perspectives can continue building stronger communities together.

We are honored to welcome Dr. Alp Y. Aslandogan, Executive Director of the Alliance for Shared Values, as our keynote speaker. Dr. Aslandogan is widely respected for his work on civic engagement, interfaith relations, and peaceful coexistence. His timely reflections on America's past, present, and future promise to inspire meaningful dialogue and renewed hope.

In keeping with our tradition, the evening will also recognize individuals and organizations whose leadership and service have strengthened our community. The program will feature inspiring stories and musical performances, bringing together community leaders, elected officials, faith leaders, educators, business leaders, and friends from across Central Texas around one table in a spirit of friendship and shared purpose.

Please join community leaders, faith leaders, educators, business leaders, and friends from across Central Texas for an inspiring evening celebrating dialogue, friendship, and the values that bring us together.

Theme

America at 250: The Art of Living Together with Freedom, Dialogue and Civic Engagement

Date

Thursday

October 22nd, 2026

Time

6:30 pm

Venue

Asian American Resource Center

8401 Cameron Rd, Austin, TX 78754

PS: Please reserve your seat at your earliest convenience, as seating is limited and registration is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Keynote Speaker

Dr. Alp Y. Aslandogan

Dr. Y. Alp Aslandogan is the Executive Director of the Alliance for Shared Values, a non-profit organization that promotes bringing together citizens of diverse backgrounds around shared values of humanity. The Alliance serves as an umbrella for foundations focusing on interfaith and intercultural dialogue in North America, bringing together citizens of Christian, Jewish, Muslim and other faith backgrounds around meaningful conversations and social responsibility projects.

Prior to his current position Dr. Aslandogan served as the president of North American University, an adjunct faculty member of Prairie View A&M University, a faculty member of the University of Texas at Arlington, the board president of the Institute of Interfaith Dialog in Houston, Texas.

Dr. Aslandogan has served as an author and an editor of the Fountain magazine, and as a member of the board of practitioners and scholars of the Journal of Interreligious Dialogue. He published opinion columns on Newsweek, Huffington Post, CNN and Fox News.com. As the director of Alliance for Shared Values he was interviewed by PBS, CBS, and Voice of America.

Dr. Aslandogan holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He also did graduate studies at Hartford International University in Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations.