Abuja will on May 21 host the Hizmet Movement and commence preparations for the 14th International Festival of Language and Culture aimed at promoting the rich cultural heritage of the Hausa, Fulani, Yoruba, Ibo, Efik and other Nigerian tribes.
The movement, led by Fethulah Gulen, has been involved not only in promoting language and culture but the establishment and development of colleges, hospitals, charities and other public institutions across the globe.
It started the International Festival of Language and Culture in 2003 in Turkey with participating students from 17 countries, but today over 37 countries are participating in the festival including Nigeria.
Other countries that hosted the festival include Australia, India, the United States. The theme of the 14th edition slated for Nigeria is; “Colours of the World”, to again celebrate diversity, tolerance and respect.
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.
The Gülen Movement and Turkish Soft Power*
The Gülen approach to education aptly demonstrates the group’s global strategy—Gülen movement schools are open to both Turkish migrants and citizens of host countries, and they avoid advancing a religious agenda. These schools aim to help Turkish migrants succeed in their host societies without losing sight of their Turkish roots, and at the same time they promote social unity by serving the needs of migrants and local students alike. The success of Gülen movement schools stems both from the success of the students (and the satisfaction of the parents) and from the prestige and goodwill they enjoy among local and political authorities for promoting integration and acting as a social mediator.
Rethinking the state-people relationship [in Turkey]
We all know that Turkey has to solve a number of critical problems to become a democratic, pluralist and transparent state that is ruled by law. It would be a good start to ask who is going to have priority in the country: Is it the people or the state? Once you put the people at the center, rather than the state, then you have to accept that no way of life can be imposed on people.
International Festival of Language and Culture
The International Festival of Language and Culture (IFLC) promotes research, learning and information exchanges in support of peace, friendship, understanding, inclusion and diversity. Founded in 2003 with 17 countries participating, the IFLC has grown to include 145 countries with more than 2,000 participants in 2015.
Turkish Deputy PM rules out ‘ill will’ against Gülen community, unveils prep school draft details
Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç has announced September 2015 as the deadline for the “transformation” of private examination prep schools (dershanes) into private schools, while denying that the move represents hostility toward the “Hizmet” (Service) movement of Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen. Speaking after a 7.5-hour-long Cabinet meeting on Dec. 2, Arınç also announced January 2014 […]
While Erdogan Demonizes a Peaceful Movement, International Community Applauds Them.
It is no secret that the corruption scandal on December 17, 2013 that encircled the Turkish government was one of the biggest threats to Erdogan’s rule since he took the office in 2003.
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