b'or ideologies and at nurturing a culture of living together in THE HISTORICALpeace.Beginning in the 2000s, humanitarian relief projects came BACKGROUND OFto the forefront, and movement participants rushed to help victims of many natural disasters in Turkey and around the HIZMETworld. In some places, participants did not stop with disaster relief and began permanent projects such as medical clinics, During the 1960s, Turkish society suffered from social illsschools, water wells and courses for training qualified such as poverty, lack of equal opportunity and politicalpersonnel.polarization that often turned into armed conflict. AgainstThrough education projects, the movement expanded this backdrop, Muslim scholar and intellectual Fethullahbeyond Turkeys borders. The movements inclusive attitude Glen, together with a group of friends, started educationalallowed for the participation of people with different ethnic, initiatives aimed at protecting youth from violence andreligious and cultural backgrounds, leading do a more diverse self-destructive addictions, empowering them with qualitypopulation of participants. education for career opportunities and providing anAt the same time, Hizmet participants have interacted environment for them to learn and live their faith fully inculturally with the people and countries where they were the modern world by embracing science, democracy, andactive. This naturally led to the formation of local expressions the diversity of their society. What later became the Hizmetof the movement with different cultural textures, values, movement started out as a group of volunteer participantsattitudes and working methods. Movement participants view who shared the vision of these educational activitiesthis differentiation as richness within the framework of their including student housing, scholarships, dormitories andcore values.college preparatory courses.Hizmet volunteers pursue their goals both through the formal Over time, this initial community turned into a socialactivities of foundations, institutions and organizations they movement shaped by concepts such as respecting theestablished and through informal organizations such as dignity of every human, accepting everyone as they are,spiritual gatherings and social activities. serving humanity and finding long-term solutions to socialIt is essential that the formal organizations and institutions problems through educationconcepts rooted in Islamicare run by their boards according to the laws of the country tradition and universal human values. of residence, within the transparency and accountability While the movement focused on education initially,norms of their society, consistent with the core values of participants soon organized dialogue and intellectualthe Hizmet movement and in harmony with the broader meetings as well as social responsibility projects aimed atmovement. reducing tension and prejudice among segments of societyFrequent communication, discussion and the sharing of best with different religious or ethnic identities, political viewspractices help maintain this consistency.'