Photo: Dr. Sevilla (5th from left) at the conference venue. Grabbed from Dr. Sevilla's Facebook page.
Dr. Henelito A. Sevilla Jr. of the UP Asian Center delivered a presentation, “Hizmet Movement in the Philippines as Inspired by Fethullah Gulen’s Ideas (The Socio-Political Aspect of Hizmet),” in an international conference held on 19 May 2016 at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil.
In his presentation, Dr. Sevilla sought to determine the contributions of the Hizmet movement in enhancing Philippines-Turkey relations; examine the state of Philippines-Turkey relations before the mid-1990s; identify the “strategic tools” employed to promote Turkish interests in the Philippines and Philippine interests in Turkey; and pinpoint the challenges and opportunities of Philippines-Turkey relations.
Most members of the decentralized global Hizmet movement (Hizmet means service) are volunteer teachers, entrepreneurs, and ordinary Turkish nationals. They are visible in America, Asia, Africa, Central Asia, Europe and the Middle East. They have established schools, business councils and dialogue organizations, and they constantly consult and collaborate impartially with the host government, educational sectors, nongovernment organization and communities in various areas, such as educational promotion, trade cooperation and cultural and dialogue promotion.
In the Philippines, there are three Gulen-inspired schools: Filipino-Turkish Tolerance School in Zamboanga, and Fountain International School (grade school) on Annapolis Street and Fountain International School (high school) on Santolan Street, both in San Juan City. These schools advance the study of sciences and mathematics and follow the Cambridge-style of education.
Dr. Sevilla writes that "in pursuing...cultural dialogue and unselfish activism in the Philippines and by...serving humanity through the promotion of universal values…, Turkish nationals in the Philippines have been able to crucially perform “the middle way” approach to bridge reason, faith, religion, and cultural differences, and advance the process of eliminating ignorance and poverty in the long run.” Dr. Sevilla adds that the strategy involves “political avoidance” and arguing in favor of an “inclusive approach” for a “progressive Philippines-Turkish relations." Today, Turkish citizens in the Philippines recognize the need for more efforts to “encourage parents to send their children in war-torn areas to school” and to promote Turkish products in the Philippines.
The conference, "Dimensions of a Transnational Movement: Fethullah Gulen and the Hizmet" was organized by the Brazil-Turkey Cultural Center and the Department of Culture and Academic Extension (PRCEU), University of Sao Paulo. Visit the conference website to learn more.
Dr. Henelito A. Sevilla, Jr. is Assistant Professor at the Asian Center, University of the Philippines Diliman and Assistant to the Dean for Administration and Public Affairs. He specializes in Mindanao studies, Philippine-Middle East Relations, political economy of the Middle East, energy security in Asia, Persian Gulf security and Middle Easterners in the Philippines. The coordinator of the West Asian Studies graduate program of the UP Asian Center, he handles several graduate courses such as Seminar on West Asia, Philippine Foreign Relations in Selected Countries in West Asia, and History and Development of Philippine Foreign Policy.
The UP Asian Center offers M.A. degrees in Asian Studies with four fields of specialization: Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and West Asia. The Center also has an M.A. program in Philippine Studies that allows students to major in Philippine society and culture, Philippine foreign relations, or Philippine development studies. The Center offers a Ph.D. program in Philippine Studies in conjunction with the College of Arts and Letters and the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy. Get an overview of these programs. The Asian Center also houses a peer-reviewed, open-access journal, Asian Studies: Journal of Critical Perspectives on Asia. It has published several books and monographs, and hosts or organizes various lectures and conferences.