Rumi Forum bestows Peace and Dialogue awards 2013

The Rumi Forum, an international organization promoting interfaith dialogue and peace, honored its 2013 RUMI Peace and Dialogue Award recipients on Thursday evening in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Cihan, İhsan Denli)
The Rumi Forum, an international organization promoting interfaith dialogue and peace, honored its 2013 RUMI Peace and Dialogue Award recipients on Thursday evening in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Cihan, İhsan Denli)


Date posted: October 25, 2013

The Rumi Forum, an international organization promoting interfaith dialogue and peace, honored its 2013 RUMI Peace and Dialogue Award recipients on Thursday evening at the National Press Club Ballroom in Washington, D.C.

In attendance at the seventh of the Rumi Forum’s annual Peace and Dialogue Awards ceremonies were academics from 15 different countries and representatives of civil society organizations.

Three awards in three different categories were presented to the honorees. Jose Andres, a chef who was listed among the most influential 100 in the world, mostly known for designing methods of cooking to end hunger in underdeveloped countries, received the Extraordinary Commitment to Public Service Award. Annette Lantos, the chairwoman of the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice was given the Extraordinary Commitment to Peace Award. Lastly, deemed one of the world’s most significant intellectuals and an Albert Schweitzer professor in the Humanities and the Director of the Institute of Global Cultural Studies at Binghamton University in Binghamton, New York, Ali Mazrui was honored with the Extraordinary Commitment to Educational Service Award.

Recalling that the Rumi Forum, which was founded in 1999 with the mission to foster interfaith and intercultural dialogue, stimulates thinking and exchange of opinions on supporting and fostering democracy and peace all over the world, forum President Emre Çelik stated that it further aimed to provide a common platform for education and the exchange of information. Çelik, seeing education and dialogue as the only means to overcome ignorance added: “The Rumi Forum’s honorary president, Fethullah Gülen, motivates institutions established with similar purposes about adopting common values like respect for human rights and democracy.”

Delivering the opening speech at the organization, Angela Greiling Keane stated that her organization had many missions, most of which are in line with ideas Mevlana, the founder of a Sufi school of spiritual thought, supported. Keane, focusing on the fact that they placed much importance on freedom of speech, said they had carried out studies worldwide on this crucial matter. Spreading of dialogue and tolerance is what they try to achieve, she added.

South African Ambassador in Washington Ebrahim Rasool said after he read “Masnavi,” written by Sofi Saint Mevlana, his admiration towards Mevlana grew as he thought the book was a remarkable work. Resul added that the Rumi Forum was a part of the Hizmet movement, known for its cultural and educational activities around the world.

The Rumi Forum’s annual awards honor individuals who work towards promoting education, bringing interfaith groups together in understanding and dialogue and promoting cultural understanding and inclusion.

Source: Today's Zaman , October 25, 2013

Tags: | | | |


Related News

Turkic American Alliance’s iftar brought diplomats together in Washington DC

The Turkic American Alliance (TAA), which is an umbrella organization with more than 200 member organizations, and its component organization Rumi Forum came together to host a Ramadan Iftar for many dignitaries in the Washington, D.C. area on Tuesday, July 30th. Several ambassadors, congressmen, diplomats and leaders of the Turkic community and organizations attended the dinner.

Turkish business suffers under Erdogan’s post-coup Gulen purge

Critics of the ruling AKP expect it to sell Gulen-linked companies to government allies in the business world at a large discount. In mid-October the AKP-linked Metro Holding applied to the TMSF to acquire all of Koza Ipek Holding’s shares. Akin Ipek, the fugitive former owner of the conglomerate, asked on Twitter how Koza Ipek’s $600 million in cash and $20 billion in mining assets could be acquired by a comparatively unimpressive entity. Metro Holding’s capital comes to just over $95 million.

AK Party gov’t violates rule of law with mass profiling of civil servants

Profiling by the government — which a senior member of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) admitted to over Twitter — of some 2,000 senior public officials including police chiefs, prosecutors and judges as well as academics, journalists and business people is a violation of the constitution, analysts have said.

Turkish Canadian institute presents peace and dialogue awards

The Intercultural Dialogue Institute (IDI), a group founded by Canadians of Turkish descent, has presented its first peace and dialogue awards at a ceremony in Toronto.

Flynn stopped military plan against ISIS that Turkey opposed – after being paid as its agent

One of the Trump administration’s first decisions about the fight against the Islamic State, ISIS, was made by Michael Flynn weeks before he was fired – and it conformed to the wishes of Turkey, whose interests, unbeknownst to anyone in Washington, he’d been paid more than $500,000 to represent.

Democracy is vanishing in Turkey, specialist says

Zeynalov reminded the attendees that Erdogan also was arrested a couple of decades ago. That eventually helped him to become famous and won him the elections five years later. But it didn’t stop Erdogan to use the same law for justifying the arrest of Zeynalov in 2014.

Latest News

Fethullah Gulen – man of education, peace and dialogue – passes away

Fethullah Gülen’s Condolence Message for South African Human Rights Defender Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Hizmet Movement Declares Core Values with Unified Voice

Ankara systematically tortures supporters of Gülen movement, Kurds, Turkey Tribunal rapporteurs say

Erdogan possessed by Pharaoh, Herod, Hitler spirits?

Devious Use of International Organizations to Persecute Dissidents Abroad: The Erdogan Case

A “Controlled Coup”: Erdogan’s Contribution to the Autocrats’ Playbook

Why is Turkey’s Erdogan persecuting the Gulen movement?

Purge-victim man sent back to prison over Gulen links despite stage 4 cancer diagnosis

In Case You Missed It

Kimse Yok Mu, the prominent outlet for international aid

Kimse Yok Mu’s Healing Hand Extended to Two Thousand Nepalis

I object to AK Party’s ‘New Turkey’

EastWest Institute honors Gülen with 2011 EWI Peace Building Award

17,000 women, 515 babies in Turkish prisons: SCF report

Turkish volunteers in US rush to help Oklahoma tornado victims

Turkish schools organize the biggest science olympiads of Indonesia

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News