‘The World is one family’: Students from around the world extend peace message at international culture festival


Date posted: May 10, 2016

A fusion of cultures was seen at the fourteenth edition of the International Festival of Language and Culture (IFLC) that was held in India for the very first time.

India, which is known for its varied languages, witnessed dance performances by warrior dancers from Georgia, who danced on the steps of mekhla-clad Bihu performers from Assam on the rhythms of the dhol.

This year, the theme of the International Festival of Languages and Colours (IFLC), which aims to spread the message of global peace and cultural harmony is “The World is one family” or “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”.

Details of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”:

  • As many as 400 students from 17 nations participated
  • The event started up with the songs on the theme of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’
  • At the end of the event, participants sang, danced and acted to build universal harmony and brotherhood
  • The event was attended by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal , Venkaiah Naidu (Minister of Parliamentary Affairs), Sushma Swaraj  (Minister of External Affairs), Mahesh Sharma (Minister of Tourism and Culture), Najma Heptullah (Minister of Minority Affairs) and others.
  • The mega programme was organised by a non-profit and nongovernmental organisation, the Educational Endowment Trust (EET) along with the Ministry of Culture and the UN Information Centre for India and Bhutan
  • Also, students represented their culture through various music and folk dances from countries like Belarus, India and Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Germany, Bulgaria, Kyrgyzstan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Tanzania, Tunisia, Ukraine, Georgia, Russia, Hungary and USA
  • While inaugurating the event, Minority Affairs Minister Najma Heptullah said, “I am amassed to see the spirit of these young studentsâ?¦ in fact, they are the real emissaries of peace, who represents not a country or state, but the entire universe.”

Meanwhile, Abdul Malik from Tanzania said, “This is for the first time I have come to India and I wish to come here again.”

Previous year events:

  • In 2003, IFLC started with students participating from 17 countries
  • Last year, 145 countries participated with around 2000 candidates
  • In 2016, IFLC will be organised in 30 countries, in over 60 venues

At the event, Educational Endowment Trust president Ersin Karaoglan said, “IFLC plants a field of harmony and understanding between the people, no matter from which culture, language, and religion you are, but we have so many commonalities to share.”

Further, he added, “We believe that these ideas will be harvested in the future as friendship.”

Source: India Today , May 9, 2016

Tags: | | | | |


Related News

Secretary Tillerson: Evidence against Gulen provided by Turkey inadequate, while voluminous

Mr Gulen denies any role in the failed coup in July, and US officials have privately said the evidence provided by Turkey has been inadequate, while voluminous. Prime Minister Binali Yildirim recently described the delay as a joke on Turkey.

Turkish PM: State of emergency will continue until Gülen movement completely wiped out

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım said in Ankara on Thursday that the state of emergency which was declared following a failed coup attempt in July of last year will continue until the faith-based Gülen movement, which the government accuses of being behind the coup attempt, is completely wiped out from state institutions.

Terrorist organization, you say

He is 73 years old and is known as a respected scholar who has been studying Islamic exegesis. He is well-known in academia. He was promoted to associate professor in the field of Islamic exegesis back in 1977. He served as head of the exegesis department at the faculty of theology at Erzurum’s Atatürk University, conducted research in Paris Sorbonne, taught at the faculty of Islamic studies at the Islamic University of Madinah, was the chair of exegesis studies at Marmara University and conducted academic studies at International Islamic University of Malaysia. He is the author of 13 books and hundreds of articles.

Gülen’s lawyer files criminal complaint against several Twitter accounts

In the criminal complaint, which was filed at the Ankara Public Prosecutor’s Office, it was written that suspects were claimed to have committed a crime by “tapping phone calls, and [making] audio and visual recordings [of] Mr. Gülen illegally.”

A Year Ago Today: Teacher Gökhan Açıkkollu died of torture on his 13th day in police custody

Gökhan Açıkkollu, a history teacher suffering from diabetes, died of torture in police custody as part of a post-coup investigation into Turkey’s Gülen group. According to his father, Ayhan Açıkkollu, Gökhan was a diabetics patient while human rights defenders hinted at torture and maltreatment.

The Fountain 100th Issue Essay Contest

With its 100th issue, The Fountain invites you to join us in our celebration. Write in an essay a projection of yourself on your 100th birthday. What would you say to yourself at that age? What would your 100-year-old self tell you back? Would it be a conversation of praise and/or regret? Praise for achievements in your career, but regrets for a destroyed family? Warnings for the mistakes you did in your projected future or you will do in your past; pitfalls you happened to be dragged into, temptations you could not resist; or celebrations for the good character you were able to display and sustain a whole life, a precious life wasted or a life lived as it was meant to be.

Latest News

Turkish inmate jailed over alleged Gülen links dies of heart attack in prison

Message of Condemnation and Condolences for Mass Shooting at Bondi Beach, Sydney

Media executive Hidayet Karaca marks 11th year in prison over alleged links to Gülen movement

ECtHR faults Turkey for convictions of 2,420 applicants over Gülen links in follow-up to 2023 judgment

New Book Exposes Erdoğan’s “Civil Death Project” Targeting the Hizmet Movement

European Human Rights Treaty Faces Legal And Political Tests

ECtHR rejects Turkey’s appeal, clearing path for retrials in Gülen-linked cases

Erdoğan’s Civil Death Project’ : The ‘politicide’ spanning more than a decade

Fethullah Gülen’s Vision and the Purpose of Hizmet

In Case You Missed It

Disregard call to close Turkish schools – Proprietors tell Nigerian govt

‘Selam’ – story of teachers in Turkish schools abroad to hit movie theaters in March

Hizmet schools win 64 out of 120 TÜBİTAK medals despite gov’t pressure

Who is Fethullah Gulen?

American reporters got an intriguing glimpse into the political mind-set in Turkey

Peace Islands Honors Noteworthy NJ Residents

Joint mosque-cemevi project will contribute to peace in Turkey

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News