New York

Time MAGAZINE 2013

Dear friends,

We were delighted to hear today that Mr. Fethullah Gulen, an inspiration for many of our volunteers and donors, was named as one of TIME Magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world in 2013.

Being named to the TIME100 list is recognition we see befitting of Mr. Gulen, who has dedicated his life to interfaith tolerance and peaceful coexistence with people of all faiths and backgrounds. His reinterpretation of aspects of Islamic tradition not only meets the needs of contemporary Muslims, but also inspires millions in Turkey and around the world to promote community service, intercultural dialogue and education.

The 2013 TIME 100 includes other noted world leaders such as Barack Obama, Pope Francis and Rand Paul In the past, TIME has honored global leaders such as the Dalai Lama, Pope Benedict XVI and Aung San Suu Kyi in their TIME 100 list. Last year, TIME’s honorees in education were Salman Khan and Cami Anderson.

TIME recognized Gulen for “preaching a message of tolerance that has won him admirers around the world.” As you may know, Hizmet volunteers over the years have been involved in building schools, dormitories and tutoring centers, teaching college preparatory courses, mentoring students, and providing financial aid to those in need. With a focus on science, math, literature and multicultural understanding, its award-winning schools have been established around the world, including Indonesia, Congo, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, South Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

To read more about Mr. Gulen’s and Hizmet’s efforts in education, please visit the Alliance for Shared Values at www.afsv.org. The Peace Islands Institute is a member organization of AFSV.

For more information, contact:

www.peaceislands.org

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Thank you all for your continued work and service to Peace Islands Institute

Best,

Murat Kaval

CEO

Peace Islands Institute.

Ambassador’s Luncheon Series: BANGLADESH - A Success Story from the South Asia – New York - March 21, 2013

Bangladesh is a success story from the South Asia in building sustainable socio-economic development.

Last two decades, Bangladesh has made remarkable gains in market-oriented liberal economy, primary education especially for girls and better health services for its people.

During the 1990s, Bangladesh notably improved both its economic performance and its human development indicators and reduced dependence on foreign aid significantly. The government made further progress in poverty alleviation and social development, increased bilateral trade relationship with India and other parts of the world. Bangladesh pursues a moderate foreign policy that places heavy reliance on multinational diplomacy, especially at the United Nations and World Trade Organization. The most spectacular manifestation of the Bangladesh-UN partnership lies in the field peacekeeping. In recent years, Bangladesh has played a significant role in international peacekeeping activities in Somalia, Rwanda, Mozambique, Kuwait, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Haiti, and East Timor.

On March 21, 2013, Ambassador’s Luncheon Series featuring “BANGLADESH: A Success Story from South Asia” was held at the Peace Islands Institute in partnership with the Journalists & Writers Foundation*. H.E. Dr. AK Abdul Momen, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to United Nations talked about the achievements of Bangladesh in last two decades. Dr. Mohammad Niamat Elahee, Chair and Professor of the department of International Business at Quinnipiac University started the program with an introductory speech and briefed the audience about Bangladesh in general. Dr. Elahee also moderated the Q & A session followed by a reception.

Socio-Economic Development Achievements

Bangladesh is a small island as big as Iowa. Iowa got three million people. Bangladesh has more than one sixty million people. It is one of densely populated country in the world. The youths comprise about 73 % of the population. Bangladesh has lots of challenges but in last years the government has been working very hard to improve standard of living and move the country forward. Bangladesh was like a bottomless basket as in nowhere to go, never could have pulled through all the rough phases, challenges form military coups and many more. There is a GDP growth of 6 % and hoping to increase to about 6.3 % this year. Capital income has increased as well the main engine of these growth are due to hard working farmers, increase in agricultural products, garments and migration workers working abroad and bringing money back home for further development for their families. The efforts on poverty eradication as the government spend 54 % of the countries wealth into poverty eradication.

Increase in primary school education for boys and girls, increase in number of girls in education by giving them free primary education by the present Prime Minister whom her self is a woman. The leaders basically are all female due to the credit they have earned for themselves in proper and well-organized public service.

Government-Private Sector-NGO Partnership

There are public and private partnership programs; government programs are shared by NGO’s in the country accommodating the largest number of NGO’s around the world. These NGO’s are involved in education, healthcare and welfare programs through partnership with the government. The country has also gained good reputation and cost effectiveness in pharmaceutical products which are presently providing affordable health care to citizens in Somalia, Haiti and many more.

Climate Change and Its Outcome

 In the area of disaster management, Bangladesh has learned from experiences and improved disaster events programs. Recalling the past events and the trends, in the 1970’s due to big cyclone about half a million people died, in 1991 another big cyclone killed about 139 000 people and in 2007 same kind of cyclones only 3000 people died.  Dying is not a good thing that can happen to any one but we have been able to reduce the death rate from this natural disaster to almost 0.006 %.

Terrorism & National Security

We have improved home security from terrorism; we have punished those involved in terrorist acts by hanging them as the government is very determined not to have such thing happening in the nation.

Market-Oriented Liberal Economy

Good policies and involvement of the people has helped to improve the economy and GDP growth of the country. Created a high level of foreign investment and pattern ship, high level of international bilateral trade relationship. This was achieve by government providing information of what they are doing, how much is allocated, who does the job and how the job is done. In terms of bidding for projects, a website for submission of tender has been made available by the government giving qualified companies and individuals to be able to bid for the projects without any fear of corrupted means of been awarded the contract for the project.  Our industrialization is gradually growing though we still have more challenges and we are doing every effort to ensure things are achieved accordingly. The micros credit initiatives, community involvements and with well-guided principles are all contributing towards development and sustainability in our economy.

Are these achievements applicable and transferable to other developing countries?

Most of the models of our successes are presently been applied in health care sector in Liberia, Serra-lone, Somalia and other African countries. Our successes are transferable and could be applied in post conflict countries helping to achieve the MDG goals in those countries.

What is the role of Bangladesh in maintaining global peace and security?

Our global peace involvement is ensuring that there is consistent peace as the Bangladesh constitution mandates; it helps United Nations whenever in need for troops and security. We have provided over 120, 000 forces in UN peace keeping. According to statistics, 1 out of 10 UN peacekeeping forces are from Bangladesh. Bangladesh believe that the only way to development is through peace, encourage cultural diversity which we believe creates the mindset for tolerance, respect, living together as adapted at UN resolution assembly.

Our government believes that for a sustainable peace and development, empowerment through education, technical trainings and skills acquisition, prevent discrimination, provide decent living from which the people can be able to survive in general.

What is the influence of Bangladesh at the United Nations and the UN MDGs?

Bangladesh is not an influential country but she is in support of sustainable growth and development, climate change affairs, cultural diversity in South Asia and globally. A lot has been done in eradiating corruption in the country and its impacts are gradually been seen and attested to. Our government is working towards a digitalized Bangladesh as it will prove more on development, incentive to technology companies to invest in the country, issue of child marriage and youth affairs are strategically been work on to ensure good end resolutions.

Seating in a first class section in a plane and another seating in an economy class of same plane and fire engulfs in the economy class, with this you can say that if both sections don’t work together to stop the fire it is obvious that we all will go down the drain and not able to make to our destinations but if we work together, we will ensure that the fire is quenched and well able to land safely at our destination.

• Journalists & Writers Foundation is a non-profit International NGO with UN ECOSOC General Consultative Status.

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Ambassador’s Luncheon Series:Turkey’s Foreign Policy: From Regional Player to Global Power

Ambassador’s Luncheon Series

Turkey’s Foreign Policy: From Regional Player to Global Power

January 23, 2013 – 12-2pm – New York

Deputy Permanent Representative of Turkey to the United Nations Honorable Huseyin Muftuoglu discussed recent developments in Turkish foreign policy at the Ambassador’s Luncheon Series organized by Peace Islands Institute’s Center for Global Affairs.

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