Gulen Institute’s Biennial Peace Award goes to Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela, world renown peace activist and former President of South Africa, received this year’s Peace Award of the Gulen Institute, a Texas based institution perspectives of which are inspired by the life and works of the distinguished contemporary scholar and civic leader M. Fethullah Gulen. The award presenting ceremony was held at the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Johannesburg, South Africa. Given his health circumstances, Mandela could not participate the ceremony. Ruth Rensburg, the resource development manager of the Nelson Mandela Foundation received the award on behalf of the 93-year-old former president. Read rest of the story

Gulen Institute to Promote Academic Research and Grassroots Activities for the Sake of Achieving Positive Social Changes

Gulen institute, as it follows from its name, is a Houston-based educational establishment the activities of which are inspired by the works of famous contemporary religious scholar Fethullah Gulen. Established in 2007 as a nonprofit organization and a joint initiative of the University of Houston, the institute’s main goals are to provide academic research and grassroots activities for achieving positive social changes such as establishment of peace, social justice and maintaining social harmony. Read rest of the story

Diplomacy or War, Democracy or Military Coups?

Now it’s youth’s turn to address one of the most crucial issues of centuries that adults obviously could still not find an effective solution: Democracy or Militarism to resolve our conflicts?

Through an upcoming essay contest organized by the Gulen Institute of Texas and the Rumi Forum of Washington DC, high school students from allover the world will compete each other to provide the best answer to the following question: The use of military means as a solution to today’s international and national political issues: Diplomacy or war, democracy or military coup? Read rest of the story

Gulen Movement: Is it a reasonable fear?

Some individuals in Turkey and other countries of the world fear that Gulen Movement is some kind of malicious organization. Some portrait it as a sort of clandestine radical organization which utilizes religious values to achieve political goals. Others, mostly in Turkey, see it as a group of radical people focusing only on political Islam and wanting to overthrow democracy and establish Islamic political system. There are even people who think that it has links with terrorist groups.  Are these fears reasonable?

First of all, let us focus on what constitutes the goals and of ideas of Gulen Movement.  The movement, which is based on ideas of Fethullah Gulen, aims to promote intercultural and interreligious dialogue, democracy, peace, tolerance, human rights and education. In general, the official pillars of the Gulen movement have very positive and constructive nature which runs contrary to the abovementioned fears. Moreover, the movement has a high degree of transparency since thousands of books and journal articles have been published in order to explain the aims and actions of the Gulen Movement. Read rest of the story