December 1, 2011

Abant Platform to discuss Turkey's role in post-Arab Spring

Today's Zaman

Logo: Abant Platform
The prestigious Abant Platform, which regularly sponsors roundtable and panel discussions on issues crucial to Turkey, is set to discuss the future of the Middle East and Turkey's role amid demonstrations and revolutions taking place in Arab countries.

Main characteristics of the Gülen movement and the importance of education in globalising world

Prof. Dr. İsmail Albayrak *

While the cry for democratic values, human rights and intercultural dialogue is frequently heard, the global threat of war, terrorism, the increased gap between poor and rich, famine, malnutrition, global warming and pollution, and many other social and cultural problems, pose a real challenge for present citizens of the globe. To tackle these challenges is the prime concern of today’s intellectuals and politicians. Despite the existence of some pessimists, there are a number of initiatives working for the common good and expending great effort to eradicate these problems. The Gülen movement is one of the most influential initiatives which should be taken into consideration in this context. The question of how the formal and informal educational activities of the movement contribute to the solution of local and global problems is the second concern of this paper. Finally, as an extension of the movement’s global educational activities, the paper deals with Gülen’s approach to cultural and religious diversity and their relationship in modern societies.