GYV holds reception for attendees of 70th UN General Assembly

The president of the 70th session of the United Nations General Assembly Mogens Lykketoft has given a speech in the reception by GYV. (Photo: Cİhan)
The president of the 70th session of the United Nations General Assembly Mogens Lykketoft has given a speech in the reception by GYV. (Photo: Cİhan)


Date posted: October 2, 2015

Ministers, academics, bureaucrats, entrepreneurs, opinion leaders and nongovernmental organization representatives from all over the world attended a reception held by the İstanbul-based Journalists and Writers Foundation (GYV) at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York on Wednesday.

The reception, which was sponsored by the Peace Islands Institute (PII) and the African Union, came after a panel titled “Development Agenda: Contributions of Private Sector and Civil Society.” This panel was also organized by the GYV with the same sponsors and representatives of more than 60 countries at the UN headquarters in New York attended.

Former Danish Foreign Minister Mogens Lykketoft, who was elected president of the 70th session of the United Nations General Assembly, said at the reception that the UN had a wide agenda on sustainable development and that its agenda concerns all countries and people in the world. Lykketoft also said that the UN believes it is not possible to erase poverty unless people fight against inequalities both within and between countries.

Lykketoft added that climate change and environmental disasters are causing poverty and restricting sustainable development and could destroy the resources that people need to survive.

Malawian Foreign Minister George Chaponda also spoke at the reception, saying in a speech that the private sector and NGOs should work together for sustainable development. Chaponda also praised the Turkish schools and NGOs in his country, saying: “The Turkish schools are doing a great job. Education is one of the keystones of sustainable development for us. Raising the quality of education for children changes the future of a country dramatically.”

Former Beninese Foreign Minister Mariam Boni Diallo also spoke about the Turkish schools in her country, saying that she was a little worried when they schools first opened but they have won the approval of society. “Students’ parents are content with the schools,” Diallo said.

GYV President Mustafa Yeşil described the reception as an important event in which the private and public sectors came together to support sustainable development.

Speaking in the morning session of the GYV panel, Central African Republic (CAR) Education Minister Eloi Anguimate underlined the contribution of civil society to the development of countries through education. Stating that it is impossible to achieve sustainable development only via governments, Anguimate praised the activities of the Gülen movement, a civil society movement inspired by Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen that is active throughout the world, including in the CAR.

Noting that he had traveled to Turkey two months ago and had talks with officials from Turkish charity Kimse Yok Mu (Is Anybody There?), which is also inspired by the Gülen movement, Anguimate said that he had asked them to open more educational institutions in his country, which he said provide a high-quality education.

The minister underlined that education is needed not just for development but also to establish peace and stability in the country, adding that chaos, violence and migrant tragedies witnessed in various countries across the world can only be prevented through education.

GYV Deputy President Hüseyin Hurmalı also delivered a speech at the panel, saying that the GYV has contributed to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals for 2030. The UN’s Sustainable Development Program includes goals to improve cooperation between state institutions and the private sector, Hurmalı said, adding that the Gülen movement is supporting these goals in its activities across the world. “We organized this panel to share inputs and outcomes on this issue,” he added.

The Gülen movement is made up of volunteers engaged in interfaith and intercultural dialogue inspired by the ideas of Gülen, whose teachings promote mutual understanding and tolerance between cultures. Now residing in the US, Gülen has pioneered educational activities in a number of countries, along with efforts to promote intercultural and interfaith activities around the world.

Source: Today's Zaman , October 01, 2015


Related News

Ramadan Dinner At Kings Bay Y Celebrates Peace And Unity

Those who could not find a chair stood shoulder-to-shoulder against the walls of the Kings Bay Y’s auditorium Wednesday night for a special Iftar dinner promoting peace and unity between the Jewish and Muslim communities.

Ramadan meal iftar helps Muslims break religious, cultural barriers with guests

“May God accept your fasting,” Turkish-American host Fuat Aksoy said as each member of his family bit into a date palm — together breaking their Ramadan fast.

Turkish Canadian institute presents peace and dialogue awards

The Intercultural Dialogue Institute (IDI), a group founded by Canadians of Turkish descent, has presented its first peace and dialogue awards at a ceremony in Toronto.

US prosecutor denies any links to Gülen, says never set foot in Turkey

Responding to allegations from Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who accused US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara of being a sympathizer of the faith-based Gülen movement, Bharara said he has just learned Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen’s name from Google and has never been to Turkey.

Water Well Constructed in Uganda in Memory of Slain Journalist

The charity Kimse Yok Mu (Is Anybody There?) and the Embrace Relief aid foundation, founded by Turks residing in the US, have jointly constructed a water well in Uganda dedicated to the memory of James Foley, an American journalist killed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

‘Building Bridges Through Education’ explores education’s role in a globalized society

Leaders of more than a dozen universities from around the world recently visited California University of Pennsylvania to discuss collaborative educational opportunities and the cultural gap that education can bridge.

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

Fethullah Gulen and February 28th Military Coup

Eid joy fills Kimse Yok Mu’s Ikbaliye town

Sultan of Zing: Erdogan’s power trip makes African pit stop

A coup was launched from here? Intrigue in rural Pennsylvania

Failed 2016 coup was gov’t plot to purge Gülenists from state bodies, journalist claims

Main opposition brings plans to sink Bank Asya to Parliament

Turkish evidence for Gulen extradition pre-dates coup attempt

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News