Hizmet keeps school and cultural center in São Paulo


Date posted: May 14, 2014

Luisa Pessoa

Founded eight years ago, the Colégio Belo Futuro Internacional [Belo Futuro International School] teaches elementary to high school and has 163 students, of which only seven were born in Turkey.

“We are not a school intended for a single a community. We are a Brazilian school that has the distinction of teaching in Turkish and in which students are accompanied by tutors,” says Enes Acar, managing director of the school.

According to Acar, at least once a year tutors visit the homes of students to meet their families, which is not a common practice in other schools in the country. These visits are made mostly by teachers of Turkish nationality – 7 out of 24 – who work full time in the school.

The connection with the Hizmet and with the ideas of religious leader Fethullah Gülen, Acar says, happens in defense of values promoted by the movement, such as interreligious and intercultural dialogue. He added that the school is financially independent and does not report to any centralizing institution.

The bell for the break rings: it is an excerpt from Kâtibim, a popular Turkish song.

Another branch of the Hizmet in Brazil is the Turkish-Brazilian Cultural Center [CCBT], which provides courses of Turkish language and culture as well as Portuguese to Turkish immigrants living in Brazil.

Headquartered next to the Paulista Avenue, the center has branches in Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia and Istanbul.

The CCBT promotes several cultural activities in São Paulo. In January, they conducted a short course of Ebru art (paper marbling) in SESC Pompeia. The CCBT also teaches a free university extension course, divided into four modules, on Turkish language and culture at USP [University of Sao Paulo] campus Butantã. In addition, similar courses are taught at PUC-SP [Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo], UFF [Fluminense Federal University] and UnB [University of Brasilia].

In April, the center will take cultural managers and academics for a trip through Turkey. According to Yusuf Elemen, CCBT’s cultural manager and project coordinator, the goal is “to show the riches” of Turkish culture beyond stereotypes and deepen bilateral knowledge of the country with Brazil. The CCBT also promotes travels of Turkish cultural managers to Brazil.

Published [in Portuguese] on Folha de S. Paulo, March 15, 2014.

Source: HizmetMovement.com , May 14, 2014


Related News

Gulen-linked RI schools remain calm amid coup in Indonesia

Two students wearing red long-sleeve shirts combined with checkered skirts were chatting fluently in English while playing at the grounds of Kharisma Bangsa Bilingual boarding school on Tuesday afternoon. Meters away, in a guest room within the school’s lobby, a parent was speaking with a Turkish teacher.

Al-Jazeera: Turkish probe marks AKP-Gulen power struggle

Fethullah Gulen, 72, has been living in self-imposed exile in the US since 1999, reportedly, for health reasons
His movement is famous for its success in the area of education with tens of schools spread across the globe.

Police rescue 8 students, staff of Nigeria-Turkish International School from kidnappers

‘The pupils and staffs of Nigeria Turkish international school kidnapped on Friday 13th January have all been rescued unhurt this evening. Details later,” the police said Tuesday.

Pakistan – Turkish teachers, students not to be deported, court told

The federal government Wednesday told the Lahore High Court that Turkish national teachers and students of PakTurk International Schools would not be deported.

Yamanlar College student wins gold medal in int’l computer project competition

Mustafa Ege Şeker, a student of Yamanlar College in İzmir, has won a gold medal with a computer project he made for the 14th InfoMatrix International Computer Project Competition.

Education Association Defends Zaman University

The Cambodian Higher Education Association (CHEA) released a statement on Saturday defending Zaman University against calls for its closure over alleged links to a group blamed for the failed coup in Turkey last month.

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

Sweden delays sending back Erdogan dissenters

Main opposition deputy head slams gov’t for targeting Hizmet Movement

Islamic scholar Gülen rebukes ISIL over ‘brutal atrocities’

Turkey’s trampling of freedoms is Europe’s problem too

Government media runs riot in smear campaign against Hizmet

Turkish School’s sucesss in Iraq

Fethullah Gülen’s Condemnation and Condolences Message for the Mosque Attack in New Zealand

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News