Network of Nations, a local community service organization, hosted a dinner last Friday at the Newman Catholic Student Center, 512 Normal Road, to give a group of visiting activists from Mindanao, Philippines, the chance to meet with people from DeKalb County.

The Network of Nations is a not-for-profit partnership of local churches that shares the love of God in practical ways to internationals of the university and community, said Ruth O’Donnell, community coordinator of Network of Nations.

Network of Nations was formed in 2001 and provides friendship and a weekly intercultural cafe, O’Donnell said. The organization also has provided temporary housing and airport pickup for new students coming to NIU.

The visiting Filipino activists are part of the Bridging the Gap program. The training institute will help Filipino activists examine volunteerism and introduce participants to American institutions that promote tolerance and religious diversity.

“Funded by state grants, Bridging the Gap is a conflict resolution program, establishing a new generation of leaders from Southern Philippines,” said Lina Ong, co-director of the program.

The NIU International Training Office and the Center for Southeast Asian Studies have brought the activists to NIU, Ong said.

At the dinner, Nagasura Madale, a Bridging the Gap coordinator, introduced all students and talked about the importance of being overseas.

Deborah Pierce, NIU executive director of international programs, and Thecla Cooler, International Student and Faculty Office director, talked about bridging the gap with other countries.

“My entire professional life has been getting folks across borders,” Pierce said. “The only way that we can make things better is by establishing bridges.”

Cooler said the war with Iraq has somehow impacted the number of international students in the United States.