Fountain Magazine announces essay contest winners


Date posted: November 16, 2013

Hizmet News, November 16, 2013

In celebration of its 20th anniversary,  the Fountain Magazine organized an essay contest titled “What’s Your Motto?” Hundreds of essays were submitted from four corners of the world. Magdalena Rusanova from Leiden, Netherlands won the first place, winning $1,500 cash prize. Here is the list of the winners:

1st Place – The Only Memory by Magdalena Rusanova, Leiden, Netherlands
2nd Place – Embrace Mortality by Noble Lee, Houston, MN, USA
3rd Place – Mother Always Told Me by Janet Fichter, Lakewood, USAHonorable Mention – Missing Pieces by Caroline Lawrence , Greenville, South Carolina, USA
Honorable Mention – The Watermelon Towel by Elizabeth Harmatys Park, Burlington, Wisconsin, USA

“Congratulations to all winners who were selected by a jury of writers, scholars, and editors. We thank each one of the participants and appreciate all contributions,” said the the Fountain Editorial Board in a brief statement the magazine’s website.

Why did the Fountain choose this title, “What is your motto in life?” The Fountain welcomed 2013 with a new motto: On Life, Knowledge and Belief.

As the magazine has spent over two decades exploring life and its many meanings, its board have come to believe that knowledge and belief are the two most important tools for life’s journey and these three three words summarize what they want to embody in the magazine. Life is existence, with all its dimensions and veils. Knowledge is the human effort to remove these veils to reveal the truth beyond them. And belief is what gives truth its meaning and relevance to our being.

The contest was open to all writers worldwide, winners won below cash prizes:

1st Place – $1,500
2nd Place – $750
3rd Place – $300
Two Honorable Mentions – $200 each

The Fountain covers a wide range of topics including interfaith dialogue, science, technology, arts, culture and society from a faith perspective (especially Islam). It promotes a holistic approach to universe and human nature believing that science and religion are not in conflict; rather, they are two faces of the same reality. The Fountain encourages critical thought and scientific inquiry on a wide range of topics: physical science, social science, ethics, education, literature, religion, and comparative studies. All topics are to be dealt with fairly and substantively, and articles are to be balanced and judicious.


Related News

Fethullah Gulen and February 28th Military Coup

Nazli Ilicak, March 3, 2012 While February 28th is debated these days, a notion has been created as if Gulen was collaborating with “post modern coup.” In fact, Gulen in his interview on Channel-D on April 17,1997 asked Refahyol government to resign. However, these words were spoken in order to reduce the tension in the […]

Turkish court jails 17 housewives over alleged coup involvement

Seventeen housewives were arrested by a Turkish court on Tuesday due to alleged use of a smart phone application called ByLock and links to the Gülen movement, which the Turkish government blames for a failed coup last July, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported.

Victims of forced disappearance in Turkey

On this ‘International day of the victims of enforced disappearances’ (August 30), let’s raise our voices for the missing people of Turkey. In the aftermath of the coup attempt last year, at least thirteen people have been abducted allegedly by elements linked to the Turkish government as part of an intimidation campaign targeting critics and opponents of Turkey’s president.

The Hizmet Movement and Solutions to Today’s Problems

The Hizmet Essay Contest is a contest series that encourages research on the Hizmet movement and Fethullah Gulen. The contest aims to motivate individuals to research the works of Fethullah Gulen and the activities of various Hizmet institutions locally and globally, with the purpose of addressing how the Hizmet movement contributes to the individual, the […]

Turkish Gov’t gears up to boost mutual trade with Ghana to $1 bln

GAMZE GÜL, İSTANBUL Economy Minister Zafer Çağlayan said on Wednesday at a forum organized by TUSKON that the government is gearing up to increase the mutual trade volume with Ghana from $550 million in 2012 to $1 billion in the next two years. Speaking to participants at the Turkey-Ghana Trade and Investment Forum organized by […]

Kimse Yok Mu provides meal for 250 Syrians each day in southeastern Turkey

Turkish charity organization distributes meal every day for 250 Syrians who took refuge in Turkish southeastern province of Gaziantep due to ongoing war in their country.

Latest News

Turkish inmate jailed over alleged Gülen links dies of heart attack in prison

Message of Condemnation and Condolences for Mass Shooting at Bondi Beach, Sydney

Media executive Hidayet Karaca marks 11th year in prison over alleged links to Gülen movement

ECtHR faults Turkey for convictions of 2,420 applicants over Gülen links in follow-up to 2023 judgment

New Book Exposes Erdoğan’s “Civil Death Project” Targeting the Hizmet Movement

European Human Rights Treaty Faces Legal And Political Tests

ECtHR rejects Turkey’s appeal, clearing path for retrials in Gülen-linked cases

Erdoğan’s Civil Death Project’ : The ‘politicide’ spanning more than a decade

Fethullah Gülen’s Vision and the Purpose of Hizmet

In Case You Missed It

Kazakh President congratulated ‘Katev’ Foundation on 20th anniversary

Lack of tolerance and democracy

Gülen makes donation to needy Myanmar Muslims

Turkish feast in Madagascar

Gülen’s lawyers slam Erdoğan’s ‘slanderous’ unsolved murders remarks

Protests against likely closure of Pak-Turk schools in Pakistan

Turkey Carries Out Major NATO Purge

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News