Hurricanes, tropical storms, earthquakes … More and more, humans are being affected by natural disasters. But life’s challenges do not come only in the form of natural disasters – individuals have to face all sorts of disasters in their personal lives. Sometimes it’s the loss of a loved one or a job, or even a loss of faith; it could be having to abandon one’s home due to war or persecution at the hands of a tyrant. Some disasters may seem smaller at first glance, but can feel just as consequential – a first gray hair, a failed class, getting passed over for a promotion … the list goes on and on.
A life with no disasters is a fantasy. All of us face them – both personally and globally – sooner or later. Then, how should we face a disaster? Just as we take measures while constructing buildings on a fault line, can we be always prepared? How do we defend our inner peace when facing danger?
Tell us how you survive difficult times. Give us your best advice. Share your greatest life lesson.
Deadline for submissions: January 31, 2018
Contest open to all writers worldwide
Essay word count must be between 1,500 and 2,500
Essays must be submitted as Word document only through the essay contest page at www.fountainmagazine.com/essaycontest
Texas enjoys International Festival of Language and Culture
Around 3,000 people attended the 14th edition of the International Festival of Language and Culture, formerly known as the International Turkish Language Olympiad, in the US state of Texas on Saturday.
Fethullah Gulen on a Global Scale
James C. Harrington, founder [director] of the Texas Civil Rights Project and professor at the University of Texas at Austin Law School, spoke to a crowd of students, lawyers, judges, and local business people about his new book: Wrestling with Free Speech, Religious Freedom, and Democracy in Turkey: The Political Trials and Times of Fethullah Gulen. Harrington discussed recent changes in Turkey’s legal structure as part of the Gulen Institute’s ongoing lecture series, pointing to the result of the Fethullah Gulen trial as a pivotal victory in the nation’s struggle for civil liberties.
Irvine’s new arrivals — Turkish asylum seekers, after a failed coup and a sadly successful purge
The man, who ran a nonprofit that provided humanitarian aid, doesn’t want to be identified because he fears for the safety of the wife and two children he was forced to leave in Turkey. They are hidden in a different city, he said, not far from his hometown. They’ve thrown away their cellphones and erased their social media accounts for fear of being tracked down by a government that no longer welcomes them.
Symposium concludes: Hizmet (Gulen) Movement Contributes to World Peace
Professors said that Hizmet is an anti-violence group that uses education and dialogue to achieve its goals. One of the highlights of the symposium was Dr. Martha Kirk’s presentation called Iraqi Women of Three Generations. There are 32 Hizmet schools in Iraq and she said these institutions teach Iraqi women self confidence.
After coup, Turkish activist afraid to return home
Okumus said he has lots of questions about the origin of the coup, and is suspicious about Erdogan’s motives to blame Gulen. He said the coup has created a kind of with-us-or-against-us mentality in Turkey, one that will ultimately hurt the country and its relations with the United States. Turkish officials have already fired tens of thousands of teachers, university deans and others they say have ties to the failed coup plot.
Two Wrongs Don’t Make A Right
Dr. Brian L. Desbiens* As kids, our parents told us: “Two wrongs don’t make a right.” So it is with confusion and sadness that I read about the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi and the death of Ambassador Stevens. The violence was allegedly carried out in reaction to the airing of an American […]
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