ISTANBUL PRESENTATION

The following text is an adaptation of the transcription of the audio CDs of the Conference 2005.

Ms. Pinar Burcu Güner, Project co-ordinator of the Local-Civilian Unification Center of the Beyoglu Municipality, has represented the city municipality of the Turkish Delegation. The NGO representatives have been: Ms. Ayse Beyazova, Project coordinator of Democracy and Human Rights from the Community Volunteers Foundation and Mr. Zafer Caglar, Member of the Istiklal and Haciahmet Neighbourhood Environmental Association.

The main problems of young people in the metropolitan region of Istanbul are the difficult access to the state institutions and the low participation quota of young persons as far as social and public involvement concerns. Therefore one has tried to establish projects to mobilise youth to more participation in the society. In the youth information centre they are being informed about national and international programs and there are youth exchanges with Tunisia, Belgium and Greece. Another similar youth centre will be set up soon.

Ms. Beyazova confirmed the already mentioned participation problem and presented her organisation, which has been active on the whole Turkish region by means of voluntary work in the sense of human rights and mainly by forming a human rights conscience. Trained trainers should make the young program participants more sensible for the field of human rights and should encourage them to design their own projects.

Trainer: Ali Alper Akyuz is Turkish; he lives in Istanbul and works at the University in the research centre.

Fields of possible cooperation: Participation ideas