Global peace as a dream to follow

Begüm Burak
Begüm Burak


Date posted: June 19, 2013

BEGÜM BURAK*

Every dream can come true if we have enough courage to follow it.

Peace has always been a dream to catch; however, it has always been almost impossible to provide peace and order. Let alone world peace, no single community can fully have peace. From the very beginning of history, the war between good and bad has existed. Famous English thinker Thomas Hobbes puts forward this argument by underlining that human nature is evil and, as a result, conflicts are not abnormal.

Building dialogue bridges through cultural and educational connections as well as trade relations can serve the aim of peaceful resolution of conflicts. Turkish schools around the world serve this aim to an important degree. Intercultural and interfaith dialogue fosters mutual understanding, and this ultimately leads to peaceful relations. In this sense, the role of Turkish schools cannot be underestimated vis-à-vis their impact upon mutual understanding and intercultural dialogue.

Paradoxically, despite the fact that the world has started to develop considerably in terms of economics and science, ethnic tensions, religious conflicts, global poverty and civil wars still dominate the world scene.

On the one hand, the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita has increased in particular parts of the world, while on the other the welfare gap between north and south has increased. The “North-South divide” is still a major problem in global politics. Moreover, technological advancements and the emergence of social media as a brand new platform for the interaction and representation of various worldviews and ideologies have strengthened globalization and made international affairs more interconnected and interdependent. However, this interconnectedness has unfortunately not paved the way for a constitution based on mutual understanding and respect among different groups and actors; to the contrary, it has generally increased social tensions at both inter-state and intra-state levels.

The recent debates concerning the Taksim protests can be viewed as a litmus test in terms of analyzing the tremendous role of social media today. As has been seen, the digital arena has been dominated by misrepresentation and underrepresentation instead of providing a vibrant environment for efficient communication and peaceful reactions. Indeed, social media can be used as an instrument to cope with social conflicts and to decrease social tensions in the contemporary world.

It must be noted that there have been many different steps taken so far in order to build a peaceful environment by decreasing conflicts and tensions. Some ideologies serve this aim through putting forward the idea of evolutionary change. Also, liberal institutionalism tries to minimize international conflicts by establishing international institutions such as the United Nations.

In this sense, Turkish schools can also be seen as indisputably important actors in providing mutual understanding between Turkey and the countries that have Turkish schools. The teachers of these schools, who leave their homeland and family behind in order to build dialogue bridges around the world, use love while teaching. Thanks to their self-sacrifice and human love, they play a major role in leading to global tolerance and peace. Thus, Turkish schools can be seen as sources of love and tolerance through which humanity once again can breathe serenity and peace.

*Begüm Burak is a research assistant at Fatih University’s department of political science and public administration.

Source: Today’s Zaman, 17 June 2013


Related News

AK Party gov’t violates rule of law with mass profiling of civil servants

Profiling by the government — which a senior member of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) admitted to over Twitter — of some 2,000 senior public officials including police chiefs, prosecutors and judges as well as academics, journalists and business people is a violation of the constitution, analysts have said.

The Guardian view on the week in Turkey: coup – and counter-coup?

Now, with the European convention on human rights suspended and a six-month state of emergency that allows President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to rule without parliament – although thousands still turn out nightly in his support – some are beginning to wonder if the cure has turned out to be little better than the original threat.

Deutsche Welle: Power struggle between old friends in Turkey

Gülen argued that Muslims should work against “the decline of morality” in society, calling for conservative values like faith and family to be put before modern individualism – but always within the existing secular state structures.

Turkey’s failed coup could worsen Nigeria’s recession

For an economy almost in recession, these kind of controversies could be worrisome. This is actually not the time to close down any legitimate business in Nigeria. Turkish schools and their promoters have not really given the Nigerian government any reason to worry. They have been law abiding citizens in Nigeria.

Gülen’s solution to Kurdish issue discussed at panel

A solution to the Kurdish issue proposed by Turkish religious figure Fethullah Gülen has been discussed at a symposium in the southeastern province of Bingöl. Prof. Cengiz Yıldız spoke at the “Kurds from Ottoman to Today” symposium and gave a presentation describing a solution to the Kurdish issue as put forward by Gülen, daily Zaman […]

Foundation stone of Ethio-Turkish Schools’ new dormitory laid

The ground breaking ceremony of a new 150-bed capacity high school dormitory for Ethiopian-Turkish schools’ Alem Gena campus was held in Ethiopia. In addition to Turkish businessmen residents of Ethiopia, Turkish Ambassador to Addis Ababa Kenan Ipek was in attendance at the ceremony. Ipek said “What distinguishes us from other nations is that we do […]

Latest News

Fethullah Gulen – man of education, peace and dialogue – passes away

Fethullah Gülen’s Condolence Message for South African Human Rights Defender Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Hizmet Movement Declares Core Values with Unified Voice

Ankara systematically tortures supporters of Gülen movement, Kurds, Turkey Tribunal rapporteurs say

Erdogan possessed by Pharaoh, Herod, Hitler spirits?

Devious Use of International Organizations to Persecute Dissidents Abroad: The Erdogan Case

A “Controlled Coup”: Erdogan’s Contribution to the Autocrats’ Playbook

Why is Turkey’s Erdogan persecuting the Gulen movement?

Purge-victim man sent back to prison over Gulen links despite stage 4 cancer diagnosis

In Case You Missed It

Davud Hanci’s wife says Calgary imam detained in Turkey ‘a very peaceful man’

CHP submits parliamentary question on anti-Hizmet plot

“It was so cold, it felt like an arrow through my heart”

Written Evidence to UK Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee on Hizmet

Dedicated couples teaching Turkish to the world

AK Party criticizes Hakan Şükür’s sudden resignation

False reports on Bank Asya breach laws

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News