Date posted: December 8, 2021

Civil Society Movement Crystalizes Key Tenets after Years-long, Multistakeholder Process

CLIFTON, New Jersey (September 21, 2021) – Today, the Alliance for Shared Values (AfSV), a U.S.-based non-profit representing regional Hizmet organizations, together with many other Hizmet-affiliated nonprofits around the world, published a landmark document that helps define and guide the civil society movement’s activities for years to come.

Core Values of the Hizmet Movement outlines 12 values common to Hizmet participants and pursued by Hizmet-oriented organizations. Although these values have existed in the movement for decades, the new document concisely codifies the tenets that have appeared in the movement’s inspirational documents, discourse, and activities. The new publication is the result of multi-year, multi-stakeholder conversations that AfSV conducted to ensure that voices from different age groups, genders, and social and professional backgrounds were reflected.

The Hizmet movement is committed to the ideals of living together in peace and serving humanity, and it works within the framework of social responsibility and philanthropy. The movement is centered on the concept of altruistic volunteerism, and it prioritizes education, interfaith dialogue, and humanitarian aid in its activities. It is a faith-inspired social movement that embraces religious, social, and cultural diversity and is inspired by Islamic and universal humanitarian values.

“Whether it is a respect for human rights, civic activism or the empowerment of women, these principles are fundamental to humanity and, therefore, to Hizmet,” said Alp Aslandogan, executive director of AfSV. “We hope this document helps cement the course for Hizmet for generations to come as participants use these principles to guide their activities in serving humanity.”

Hizmet’s core values include:

• Respect for humans and fundamental human rights
• Respect for the rule of law
• Peaceful and positive action
• Empowerment of women
• Ethical action
• Respect for diversity and pluralism
• Voluntary participation and altruism
• Consultation and shared wisdom
• Civic nature and independence
• Civic engagement and contribution to society
• Protecting the environment
• Holistic view toward humanity (and integration of the mind and the heart)

With origins in Turkey in the 1970s, and inspiration from the words and works of Muslim preacher Fethullah Gülen, Hizmet participants have spread out around the world to launch education, humanitarian, and interfaith dialogue organizations that bring people together, promote mutual respect, and help those in need. Hizmet participants have established hospitals in Africa and private non-sectarian grade schools in over 100 countries around the world, including schools for girls in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Nigeria, among others.

Read Core Values.

About the Alliance for Shared Values

The Alliance for Shared Values (AFSV) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that serves as a voice for cultural organizations affiliated with Hizmet, a civil society movement inspired by prominent preacher and peace advocate Fethullah Gülen. AfSV strives to promote peace and social harmony by helping reduce misinformation and false stereotypes about any or all ethnic, cultural, and religious communities. To learn more about AfSV, please visit www.afsv.org.

Tags: Hizmet (Gulen) movement |