Hizmet Movement and Nordic non formal education academic panel

“Educational Association Citizen’s Forum, SKAF”


Finland Dialog Förening rf

INVITATION TO ACADEMIC PANEL

”Hizmet Movement and Nordic non-formal education”

Fethullah Gülen, the inspiration of Hizmet Movement is Turkish philosopher and one of the contemporary world’s most
important religious leaders. He is recognized as the world's top public intellectual in Foreign Policy / Prospect poll in
2008.

Guest speakers and themes:

Mustafa Kasim Erol, Ph.D. Candidate at Kings College, University of London at the Department of Education and
Professional Studies.
“What is Hizmet Movement? Are schools of Hizmet Movement really a new approach to education?"

Jaakko Rantala, Principal of the Citizens' Forum Study Center (Kansalaisfoorumi).
“The Youth Society Movement as an example of Nordic non-formal adult education.”

Prof. Thomas Michel, Director of the Jesuit Secretariat for Interreligious Dialogue in Rome, Italy, Professor at
Georgetown University, USA.
“Pedagogy of Hizmet Movement and the Challenges for Modern Educators”

Time 16th of May, 2011 at 17.00 – 20.00
Place Helsinki University, Yliopistonkatu 3 - room Porthania, PIII (119)


The panel is organized by Finland Dialog Association and in close cooperation with the Kansalaisfoorumi.
The short curriculum vita of Fethullah Gülen, Thomas Michel, Mustafa Kasim Erol and Jaakko Rantala are enclosed.
The panel is open to everyone. Tea and coffee will be served.

Binding registrations until 13.05.2011 via info@dialogs.fi, 044 324 1554 or by clicking events section in our website.

Welcome!

Halis Yildirim

Finland Dialog Förening rf
WTC, Aleksanterinkatu 17
00100 Helsinki

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Fethullah Gülen and Guest Speakers in Short

Fethullah Gülen, the Turkish philosopher and founder of the Gülen Movement, estimated to have several million
followers worldwide. He is the one of the contemporary world’s most important religious leaders. Generally seen as a
progressive figure, Gülen has been advocating and practicing dialog between communities and religions since the
1990s. Extensive knowledge and teaching experience in Islamic scholarship. Proficient author with more than sixty books
translated into many world languages. Recognized as the world's top public intellectual in Foreign Policy / Prospect poll
in 2008. Years of service as an imam, preacher, and civil society activist with acclaimed competence as a speaker on
Islam, education, and dialogue in Turkey (http://en.fgulen.com).

Pr. Thomas Michel, after Arabic and Islamic studies in Egypt and Lebanon, Pr. Thomas Michel, completed a doctoral
dissertation on the thought of the Muslim scholar Ibn Taymiyya and received a Ph.D. in Islamic studies from the
University of Chicago in 1978. In 1981, he was appointed to the Asia Desk of the Vatican Pontifical Council for
Interreligious Dialogue and in 1988, he became Head of the Office for Islam in the same Vatican department. Since
1994, he has served as Executive Secretary of the Office for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the Federation of
Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC-OEIA), in Bangkok, Thailand. Since 1996, he is Director of the Jesuit Secretariat
for Interreligious Dialogue in Rome, Italy, and Ecumenical Secretary for the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences.
He is now living in Ankara, Turkey.
Jaakko Rantala, Principal of the Citizens' Forum Study Center. Jaakko Rantala has studied Economics and Social
Psychology at the Universities of Tampere and Bremen. He has taught Leadership at E-Instituutti -Training Center in
Helsinki. The last 19 years he has worked as the Principal of the Citizens' Forum Study Center. In the last years
Jaakko Rantala has studied the traditional Nordic non-formal Adult Education and especially the concept of self
education, which is an essential element of this tradition.
Mustafa Kasim Erol Mustafa Kasim Erol graduated from Department of Theology, Selcuk University, Konya / Turkey.
He obtained his MA from Birmingham University 1999. He was a teacher of Religious Education & Citizenship in
various schools from 2002 to 2008 in UK. His most recent job in teaching was being the head teacher at Coral College.
He founded several educational/ interfaith societies and acted as chairman for them in United Kingdom. He worked for
the Journalists and Writers Foundation in Turkey from November 2008 to September 2010 as well as working part
time as an examiner and team leader at Cambridge University (2002-2011). Also he is a PhD Candidate at Kings
College, University of London, at the Department of Education and Professional Studies. He presented papers/ articles
on education, human rights intercultural & interfaith dialogue and Islamic issues in conferences / seminars in various
cities in UK and other countries including South Africa, Singapore, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Turkey. He currently
heads Dialogue Society Oxford Branch.

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