“Noah’s Pudding Approach” to Address Immigration Problem

Former participants of the essay contest pose for a group photo in Washington DC.
Former participants of the essay contest pose for a group photo in Washington DC.


Date posted: March 13, 2013

Gulen Institute, jointly established by Houston University Graduate College of Social Work and Institute of Dialogue in Texas continuous to offer solutions and encourage action for challenges the contemporary world is facing.

 Youth Platform, which is an annually-held international essay contest under the institute’s umbrella, has recently announced the winners of 2013 essay contest with the prompt “Hospitality in the Global Village” which encouraged high school students to reflect on immigration problems and offer potential solutions.

Having received over 500 hundreds essays from 40 countries around the world and 30 states within the US, the contest committee announced the top three places along with top 30 students who have qualified for award ceremony and a complimentary Washington DC trip. George Abraham from Florida took first place for his essay: “Immigration and the Artistic Sense of Cultural Identity”. Gawoon Shim from South Korea received second place for his essay: “Hosts and Guests: We Must Learn to Live Along”. Vaishnavi Rao from California won third prize for her essay: “The Immigration Challenge: The Role of the Indian Government in the Future of Assam”. 

Among this year’s winners is a student from Private Atlantik Ahmet Ulusoy Social Sciences High School, Turkey who addressed the immigration problem in the US with introducing his ‘Noah’s pudding method”. Hasan Tugrul Akinci took the 9th place and is invited to the award ceremony to take place on April 10 in Washington DC. Akinci expressed his happiness and summed up his approach: “There is no assimilation in “Noah’s pudding method” but individual identities in a harmoniously coexisting society made up of individuals enriching one another’s values.”

U.S. Congressmen Ted Poe and Gene Green will be the co-chairs of the award ceremony on April 10. Following the award giving, the finalists will present their essays and exchange opinions in a discussion session moderated by Humboldt University English Department Chair Prof. Tom Gage and Houston University Department of Politics Chair Gregory Weiher.

In addition to participating in the award ceremony, students will have the opportunity to meet honorable U.S. Congress members, participate in follow-up discussions, visit local universities and think-tank organizations, and enjoy tourist attractions in Washington, D.C.

Source: Excerpted from the piece published [in Turkish] on Zaman newspaper, 05 March 2013. English translation is retrieved from HizmetMovement.Com

Tags: | | |


Related News

Ottawa urged to expedite residency process for those fleeing oppression in Turkey

Human rights advocate Renée Vaugeois wrote a letter asking Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen to expedite the Edmonton man’s residency application. She thinks that this is a targeted war on a specific group of people in Turkey and to her that speaks to genocide.

‘Hizmet is really something that demonstrates what’s universal about Islam.’

People who identify with the Hizmet Movement really have influenced the way I view it, in that I can see that it’s gonna have a lasting impact, because Hizmet is really something that demonstrates what’s universal about Islam, for the members of the Hizmet Movement, that there are universal values that you find in other faith traditions as well.

‘I admire Fethullah Gulen’s vision of a world that’s different from the one we have’

I appreciate that he’s [Fethullah Gulen] an Islamic thinker who spoke out after the attacks on September 11, immediately. In our country, for years after September 11 people kept saying, ‘why aren’t the Muslims speaking up’, and he did speak up but he wasn’t broadcast. He didn’t have the microphone in his mouth, so to speak. And I always regretted that because he was one who did.

Syracuse Turkish community celebrates their heritage with a Children’s Festival

The Syracuse Turkish community and representatives of the Turkish Cultural Center celebrated their National Sovereignty and Children’s Day at Syracuse City Hall

Youth address global poverty in Gülen Institute’s essay contest

Hundreds of young people from around the world pondered the issue of global poverty and proposed potential solutions based on their own research and experience in an international essay contest launched by the Gülen Institute, a US-based civil society organization.

Interview with Henri Barkey on the Hizmet Movement

Henri Barkey, who has been one of the leading Turkey analysts in Washington, joined journalist Ruşen Çakır’s live broadcast via Periscope. He made interesting comments about the claims of the “parallel structure,” the situation of Fethullah Gülen in the US, and the appointment of trustees to the Zaman daily.

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

Today’s Zaman Editor-in-Chief Bülent Keneş released pending trial

Threats and fear used to intimidate business world

Bryan couple joins interfaith tour of Turkey

EP kills parallel state lies

İstanbul Transportation Authority cancels bus line to Fatih University

Turkish FM calls on Gülen Movement for dialogue to find way out political crisis

Kimse Yok Mu offers vocational training for Kyrgyz orphans

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News