Date posted: September 25, 2012

The Fountain Magazine in collaboration with the Peace Islands Institute organized a conference titled “Peacebuilding through Education” on September 24, 2012 at The Times Center, NY. The conference aimed to highlight the importance of educating children, especially at the level of primary and secondary school, as an effective and sustainable method to prevent and solve the conflicts at all levels. The conference also intends to shed light on the successful cases, where the education has been utilized as a means to peacebuilding in the conflict-stricken regions.

A photography contest, which was called “Peace in a Frane”, was organized in conjunction with the conference. In addition to the prizes awarded, selected works was part of an exhibition at Times Center. Honorary President of the Peace Islands Institute Mr. Fethullah Gulen joined the conference with a message. Below is his message.

Dear guests and organizers,

Thank you for your kind invitation to the Peacebuilding through Education conference, and I regret being unable to join you today. The theme you cover in this conference is a very dear one, and I feel very honored to be a part of it through The Fountain magazine that continues to publish my essays. I have been penning my humble writings with hopes for a contribution, as much as an essay can go, to a greater good of our world, to a better understanding of the meaning of our lives, to a greater appreciation of being human – the best of creation – and to the promotion of mutual respect and tolerance among nations, and all the other values and high goals The Fountain aims to uphold in its pages and cherished not to a lesser degree by the co-sponsors of this conference.

I wholeheartedly commend The Fountain magazine, Peace Islands Institute, the Baruch College, Quinnipiac University, New York Institute of Technology, Yale University, and Alliance for Shared Values for their partnership in this event. I welcome all speakers, especially those who had to cover long distances from abroad and other states. My special thanks to Hon. Armin Altamirano Luistro, the Secretary of Education of the Philippines, Hon. Shukuru Jumanne Kawambwa, the Minister of Education of Tanzania, and Hon. Rochelle Hendricks, Secretary of Higher Education of New Jersey, for sparing from their very valuable time exclusively for this event.

Sincerely yours,

Fethullah Gulen

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