Confluence of cultures at 14th edition of IFLC

Women engaged in the traditional Bihu dance (File Photo: dsyw.assam.gov.in)
Women engaged in the traditional Bihu dance (File Photo: dsyw.assam.gov.in)


Date posted: May 10, 2016

It was indeed a confluence of cultures when the warrior dancers from Georgia matched steps with mekhla clad Bihu performers from Assam twirling on the rhythms of the dhol, at the 14th edition of the International Festival of Language and Culture (IFLC) here last evening.

The festival, which has been in vogue for the last 14 years debuted in India this year to witness students from 17 countries come together and celebrate the diversity of language through the medium of song and dance.

The three-hour-long event began with a slew of songs that professed the idea of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – the world is one family’ as students donning traditional attires of their respective countries swayed in unison, with the virtues of kindness, friendship, equality, peace etc flashing in the background.

Organised by city-based non-profit and nongovernmental organisation, The Educational Endowment Trust (EET) in association with the Ministry of Culture and the UN Information Centre for India and Bhutan, the event was hosted at the Talkatora stadium here.

“IFLC is a platform which aims at sowing the seeds of harmony and understanding among the people no matter which culture, creed or religion you belong to. We believe that we are all brothers and sisters in humanity. We believe that these ideas will be harvested in the future for friendship and peace,” Ersin Karaoglan, President, EET, said.

Karaoglan said that the 43 visiting students along with over 400 students from across Delhi schools, had rehearsed over a period of 8 months to present the colourful cultural evening.

“They are visiting historical sites of India and being hosted by Indian families, thereby experiencing the warmth of Indian hospitality. They will hopefully be the goodwill ambassadors of Indian culture in their respective countries,” Karaoglan said.

On Sunday they will be visiting the Taj Mahal in Agra.

Minister of Minority Affairs, Najma Heptullah, welcomed the initiative saying that there was nothing better than culture that united us and that the event reflected the message of ‘Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam’ in the true sense.

“I welcome this initiative. Today, we have gathered here with a message of unity and peace, and I believe that the message of Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam is being emanated from here in the true sense.

“We might have different religions but this diversity is only in language. Our cultures are same. We are united in one word that we are all Indians,” she said.

They evening progressed as students from each country presented their distinctive songs from their countries as Indian students shook a leg to match the tunes. A selection of ethnic dances from different countries and different regions of India were also a part of the event.

The participating countries included Azerbaijan, Belarus Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Germany, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Tanzania, Tunisia, Ukraine, Hungary, US, Gerogia and Russia.

The first edition of the festival was hosted by Turkey in 2003, and the participation has increased exponentially since its inception. Nearly 2000 students attended the IFLC festival held in 145 countries last year.

The earlier editions of the festival held in Indonesia, Morocco and Australia, had also seen similar active participation of Indian students.

Source: The Statesman , May 08, 2016


Related News

The International Festival of Language and Culture visits UN, Ban Ki Moon sends a message

The International Festival of Language and Culture (IFLC), which is a Gulen-inspired organization was at United Nations headquarters in New York on April 29, 2016. The youth from many different countries showcased their talents at UN. Mr. Ban Ki Moon, UN Secretary General, sent a message to IFLC.

‘Turkish schools are building the future’, expresses Somaliland leader

Turkish schools in Somalia have shown great success. Hailing the success of Turkish schools in Somaliland, Silanyo said “This [Turkish school] is building a future.”

Azerbaijan detains Turkish teacher under UN protection as wife fears deportation

Taci Şentürk, a Turkish teacher who was working in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku, was taken by police to an unknown place after UN officials stopped his deportation to Turkey at Baku Heydar Aliyev International Airport on June 7, his wife said.

Kimse Yok Mu to launch 1000 “field schools” project in Africa

International aid organization Kimse Yok Mu is launching a new project to help improve education in Africa – KYM Field Schools. The project is about the foundation of 1000 schools for primary education of African children and submission of schools to local authorities.

Ramadan joy in 110 countries on 5 continents

Iftar dinner for one thousand Ugandan orphans daily Having launched its Ramadan 2014 initiatives under the slogan “Fill up your umbrella of mercy with the abundance of sharing,” Kimse Yok Mu Foundation has been serving iftar dinners for one thousand orphans daily in Uganda. The target is 30 thousand by the end of the month. […]

Kazakh-Turkish high schools win 16 medals in science competition

Students from Kazak-Turkish high schools in Kazakhstan won 16 medals in the MOSTRATEC science and technology competition, held in Brazil, the Anatolia news agency reported yesterday. Twenty-two countries submitted 274 projects in total. The competition, held in Novo Hamburg on Oct. 26-31, aims to bring students from diverse backgrounds together and instill a love for […]

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

[Part 3] Gülen says gov’t cut back on rights and freedoms in Turkey

Fethullah Gülen and the role of nonviolence in a time of terror

Turkey stands by Somalia during Eid Al-Adha

Smear campaign against Gülen fails after new details emerge on eavesdropping

Review of Dogan Koc’s Strategic Defamation of Fethullah Gulen: English vs. Turkish

Gulen suspect testifies before US Congress on recent coup attempt

Austrian President Fischer receives Turkish Language Olympiads team

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News