Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Describing a Value-Centric Economic Development Approach Based on a Living Archetype: Hizmet Development Model

This scientific paper was published in the International Journal of Islam, Volume 1, Issue 6.


Abstract

This paper criticizes existing economic development models, goes into the roots of the term "develop(-ment)" and by using these roots, it aims to build a new and value-centric economic development model based on the approaches, concepts, and practices of the Hizmet (Gülen) Movement. The values that the Hizmet (means “service” and “serving humanity”) Movement defends and institutionalizes are universal humanitarian values that go beyond being Islamic. The movement takes its roots from Said Nursî's interpretation of Islam and presents a broad perspective for societies, with the concepts and institutions it produces.

Although Fethullah Gülen is a religious leader who defines development efforts as a kind of worship, there is a large academic research gap regarding the contributions of his and the Hizmet Movement to development processes and its conceptualization in the context of a value-centric approach. The article in hand is one of the first steps towards filling this gap. This paper prioritizes conceptualizing the Hizmet Development Model based on universal humanitarian values, determines its main pillars and components, and aims to start a ​​discussion on the model and a new research field in the literature. 


The article combines a literature review and case-based analysis. I draw on the insights and the teachings of Said Nursî and Fethullah Gülen and integrate their principles into the proposed Hizmet Development Model. While theoretical, the article refers to the real-world practices of the Hizmet Movement as evidence of the model's applicability.

This study finds that the Hizmet Movement has made concrete contributions to development processes on a global scale through practices such as education, new business culture, humanitarian aid, dialogue, and peace initiatives, using the Hizmet Development Model which is based on nine main components.

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