Issue: 2
The project aims to support schooling of the children working on the streets in 3 provinces of South-eastern Anatolia, namely Gaziantep, Batman and Sanliurfa. The campaign is organized jointly with UNDP, GAP RDA and Express Cargo; and the Swiss Government is financially supporting the project, which will start being implemented as of February 2006.
Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif Sener made the opening speech of the press conference. Swiss Ambassador Walter Gyger, UNDP Resident Representative Jakob Simonsen, GAP RDA President Muammer Yasar Ozgul and Suat Roe from Express Cargo also delivered speeches, highlighting the important aspects of the project. 'The Voluntary Parents Campaign' that will be executed within the context of the project was also introduced during the press conference.
'The Voluntary Parents Campaign'
One of the components of the "Rehabilitation of Children Working on the Streets Project", implemented in partnership with GAP RDA, UNDP and the Governor's Offices of Gaziantep, Batman and Sanliurfa is the 'Voluntary Parents Campaign'.
Voluntary parents will supply the education needs of the children working on the streets of Gaziantep, Sanliurfa and Batman with the consent of their parents; in return the children will attend
schools instead of having to work on the streets. In this way, young children of families that are economically disadvantaged that have to work on the streets will be directed to school and their success in school will be boosted.
Those individuals or institutions willing to become a voluntary parent will select a child that has to work on the streets from the mentioned 3 provinces on the website specifically designed for this project and just for once provide the school materials according to the needs of the kid. Personal information about the children such as the working status of their parents, school materials they need and their ages will be published on the website. Express Cargo will go to the houses of the voluntary parents' in 5 days to take the package and deliver the goods to the project centres in the GAP region. Social workers working on behalf of the project will thereby distribute the children the school materials sent by voluntary parents. A voluntary parent can also choose to meet other needs of his child, depending on the willingness of the parent and the family.
Local administrations, with the participation of social workers and the security forces, will monitor those children that receive education materials and ensure that they continue with their education.
The campaign aims at protecting the children from the dangers of working on the streets, while at the same time integrating them with the society and removing the barriers between them and the education they should get. It also aims at ensuring that they become functional individuals within their families and the society itself.
GAP Project
GAP RDA, Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Turkey and UNDP signed on 20 December 2004 the "Reduction of Socio-economic Disparities in the GAP Region - Phase 2 Programme", which is the continuation of "GAP Sustainable Development Umbrella Programme" being implemented by GAP RDA since 1997.
The second phase of the programme aims to achieve the social development of the disadvantaged groups such as women, youth and children working on the streets in the GAP Region and increase their participation in employment. The programme also covers increasing the planning, managing and implementing capacity of regional development projects. The programme, which is financially supported by the Swiss Government, will be completed in August 2006.
Other activities in the context of the GAP Project
GAP Project, which encourages development activities in order to minimise the regional disparities in Turkey, has three components: Socially and economically empowering the women, youth and the children working on the streets in South-eastern Anatolia. In this context, several activities have been initiated up to date, including the "Voluntary Parents Campaign".
For instance, women are joining their forces in cooperatives in order to establish the marketing infrastructure and to achieve the corporate sustainability of Multi-Purpose Community Centres (ÇATOMs)*. Since women have to make out invoices in order to keep the flow of sales of products they produce, women coming from all ÇATOMs in Mardin held a meeting. Upon the decision of women, the "Multi-Purpose Business Cooperative" was established in December 2005 in Mardin, following a two-month preliminary work. Number of cooperative members rose to 45 at the recent elections.
Batman ÇATOM is also working on establishing a cooperative. In case of need, another cooperative will be set up in Gaziantep as well. Information meetings on cooperative trading system are carried on in the region. Moreover, a women's umbrella cooperative, in which all women's cooperatives can unite their forces, is also needed in the region. Women will start working on establishing such a union in the coming months.
Youth in the region benefit from the 'National Apprenticeship Programme'
Young people and children aged 0-14 make up 41% of the population in South-eastern Anatolia and mostly they are the ones who are negatively affected by the socio-economic inequalities in the region. The youth greatly suffer from unemployment, one of the major issues of the South-eastern Anatolia. The unemployment rate in the region is 13% and 17 out of 100 young people aged 15-24 is unemployed.
The 'National Apprenticeship Programme' has been launched in order to establish a bridge between the youth and the private sector. This programme provides an opportunity to youth to work as apprentices in several companies nationwide and gain professional experience. Youth and Culture Centres in 8 provinces in the region execute this programme and help young people plan their professional training. To this end, the centres collected and pooled the resumes of 25 young people.
The concerned private-sector companies will cover the transportation and food expenses of young people that will be accepted in the Apprenticeship Programme, which will last minimum 2 and maximum three months. Young people will be employed in the accounting, sales, marketing, secretarial and data processing departments within the company and gain professional experience. Young people will not be paid during the Apprenticeship Programme.
Companies in the region were informed on the National Apprenticeship Programme at meetings held in cooperation with the regional Chambers of Commerce and Industry from 14-21 November 2005. Representatives from 58 companies attended the meetings held in the provinces of Adiyaman, Sanliurfa, Diyarbakir, Batman, Siirt and Mardin. Consequently, companies pledged to employ 41 young people as apprentices. Within the framework of the programme that has been launched in November 2005, a total of 10 young people (6 in Mardin, 2 in Gaziantep, 2 in Adiyaman) started working as trainees in several companies.
*Multi-Purpose Community Centres (ÇATOMs) started being established in the GAP region since 1995. Currently, there are 30 ÇATOMs in 9 provinces of the GAP Region. The target group of ÇATOMs is females above the age of 14.
By the end of Request for Proposals phase in September 2005, more than 40 applications for the Small Investments Fund were received. The environment and sustainable development projects were selected at the end of 2005.
Small Investments Fund (SIF) was formed within the Environmental Investment Programme of Baku-Tiblisi-Ceyhan (BTC) Pipeline Project. The project is a collaborative effort between UNDP and the BTC, with UNDP acting as the implementing agency. The project aims to promote the sustainable development and conservation of natural resources and sustainable energy along the Turkish section of the pipeline route.
The SIF Project started in September 2004 with the initial amount of funding provided by both BTC and UNDP. Total budget of SIF Project is US$ 325.000. 250.000 of this amount is contributed by BTC whilst 75.000 is provided by UNDP.
UNDP Turkey aims to use its expertise and network in its two thematic areas of concern, namely (1) Biodiversity and Natural Resources Conservation for Sustainable Development (2) Sustainable Energy within the framework of the SIF project in order to help strengthen the capacity to address these challenges at community levels. Throughout the project, the local capacity will be strengthened, demonstration projects and models will be developed and best practices will be highlighted.
Selected projects will be implemented in Artvin, Ardahan, Kars, Erzurum, Osmaniye and Antakya. The titles of the selected projects and the supported organizations are as follows:
SIF aims to embody some of the following elements through the support of projects:
The BTC pipeline traverses a geographical area that is rich in ecological features and exhibits a large variety. SIF aims to support local enterprises for the conservation of the natural resources and for sustainable energy that bring financial, social and/or cultural benefits for local stakeholders in the provinces that EIP of BTC covers namely: Rize, Artvin, Trabzon, Ardahan, Kars, Erzurum, Gumushane, Bayburt, Erzincan, Sivas, Kayseri, Kahramanmaras, Adana, Osmaniye and Hatay.
Please contact:
Eren Atak van der Vegt
UNDP Project Manager
Phone: (90-312) 454 1120
E-mail: eren.atak@undp.org
Alternative Life Association (AYDER) from Istanbul supports and "Alternative Camp Volunteers" youth group executes the project, and it aims at organising three camps and enabling 36 handicapped young people aged 16-26 from Antalya, Bursa and Kocaeli learn various skills.
The project also aims to bring handicapped youth together at a joint venue and help them to participate in life by boosting their self-esteem. The first camp in the context of the project was held in Kas, a coastal town in southern Turkey, from 23-29 December 2005 with the participation of nine handicapped young males.
AYDER selected the young camp attendees among the handicapped nominated by NGOs that operate in the towns the youth resides. Two more camps will be organised within the framework of the project. The camp, held in the charming holiday resort Kas, displayed how the handicapped youth added a 'plus' to both themselves and their surroundings.
The handicapped youth enjoy sports and dancing the most
The handicapped youth received a wide range of training courses from emergency aid to painting and sports at the camp based at a hotel in Kas and greatly enjoyed themselves.
Alternative Camp Volunteers taught the young people what to do in case of an emergency, how to help someone who has had an accident, which number to dial for Emergency Health Aid (112 for Turkey) and how to tell the address of the site the easiest way.
Young people participated in sports activities at the playground of Kas Public Education Centre during the camp. The volunteers initially arranged two groups and distributed plastic bags to the handicapped youth for an environmental cleanup. At the end of the cleanup, which indirectly makes the youth comprehend the necessity of keeping the surroundings dirt-free and not to litter outdoors, the team that collected the most waste earned the right to start the game. The handicapped played basketball, volleyball and bowling at the playground under the supervision of the volunteers. It was worth seeing the young handicapped in a physical activity! Those who remained silent during the emergency aid training fully and enthusiastically participated in the sports games. Their joy of life, determination to learn and energy seemed unending.
One of the volunteers pretended to be injured intentionally and asked the handicapped to get emergency aid. Some of the young people secured the volunteer's "injured" leg and said 112 had to be dialled. Thus, what they had learned in the previous emergency aid course was reinforced in action.
Hearing the merry screams of the handicapped, schoolchildren from Kas came to the playground and watched their coevals with interest.
Another activity the handicapped youth participated with delight was painting. Firstly they all drew anything they pleased in their painting books. Later they painted the letters on a big banner which read "In Memory of Plus to Life 2005 Kas". The last activity of the day was dancing, which was held almost every evening during the camp. They first let themselves to the rhythm of the music and danced the way they felt like; later the volunteers showed them steps for couple-dancing. The evening ended following the locomotive dance to which all attended.
Her "grandchildren" visited Muazzez Hanim!
Municipality of Kas allotted a minibus and a driver to support the project. One of the sites the youth visited was the Patara antique city and also the Patara beach, which is the breeding ground of the endangered Loggerhead turtle and therefore being protected by NGOs active in environmental protection. The handicapped youth admired the amphitheatre and the sarcophagi and played merrily on the beach. They also had their first photography training in practice on the sandy beach of Patara, taking each other's and the volunteers' pictures with a digital camera.
Later when they were taking a walk in the village of Patara, the artisans invited them to their shops. One of them was the café-owner Muazzez Hanim. Saying, "It feels as if my grandchildren have come to visit me", she offered them hot lime-blossom tea, played music and danced with them.
"My biggest dream is to go to the university"
There were nine young handicapped males at the camp: Mehmet Ali (16), Aykut (16) and Sukru (26) from Bursa, Guclu (18), Serkan (24) and Feridun (16) from Antalya and Servet (25), Mustafa (18) and Recai (16) from Kocaeli. Two of them were physically handicapped, one was both physically and mentally handicapped and the rest were only mentally handicapped on various levels. This is what they have said:
Sukru (Physically handicapped. Senior student at Eskisehir Ataturk Open-University Faculty of Public Administration. Speaks English and is a competent swimmer. Member of Bursa Local Agenda 21 Association.): "When I regard my healthy coevals, I see that they don't know how to exhaust the advantages in hand. Whereas, one has to have a positive onlook on life. I use the computer, like the movies and theatre a lot. I read books on psychology and sociology. My biggest dream is to make friends just like we did here at the camp and be at peace with my surroundings."
Aykut (Physically handicapped. Last-grader at high school. Takes a great interest in foreign politics.): "If I was re-born, I would have liked to be a football player. I'm keen on computers and listen to foreign and classical music. I have two dreams. My biggest dream is to be able to attend the university and become a teacher; the other is to go to Dubai and the Maldives. When taking tests at schools, I tell the answers and a mate writes them down but I experience difficulties as I am given equal time with my classmates."
Servet (Physically and mentally handicapped. Third-grader at Kocaeli Kanuni Vocational School. He worked as a trainee at the Municipality of Ýzmit Information Office.): "I love playing football. I also love dancing but I'm not good at it. I adore my elder brother's kids and I'd like to have children of my own too. My biggest dream is to be a clerk at the municipality and live in Antalya."
Guclu (Sixth-grader at Antalya New Horizons School and attends the Special Sportsmen Training Programme at the Akdeniz University Sports Club.): "I like painting and Turkish pop music. I'm a fan of Besiktas football team, and I have been to one of their matches. I love running and playing basketball and Atari games. I dream of getting married and becoming a referee."
Mehmet Ali (Seventh-grader at Bursa Education School. He plays basketball competently.): "I don't want to get married but wish to become a police officer in order to catch thieves. My biggest dream is to become a national basketball player."
Mustafa (Second-grader at Kocaeli Kanuni Vocational School.): "My biggest dream is to learn English."
Recai (He is the younger brother of Mustafa and is a student in the first grade of the same school.): "I would like to learn English really well."
Serkan (He has Down Syndrome. He attends the Special Sportsmen Training Programme at the Antalya Akdeniz University Sports Club. He is the loveable mascot of the camp in Kas. He speaks with gestures and one-word-only sentences. He dances perfectly well and loves taking photographs with passion. When his stomach got upset at one point during the camp, he lied down in front of his hotel room and told the volunteers "Call 112!")
Feridun (He attends the Special Sportsmen Training Programme at the Antalya Akdeniz University Sports Club. He is a perfect sportsman and plays on the basketball team of the Sports Club at nation-wide matches.): "I have a wide circle of friends. I think of nothing but playing sports and want to become a national basketball player.
Volunteers add a plus to life alongside the handicapped
We cannot leave out the volunteers when talking about the camp in Kas. AYDER and Alternative Camp Volunteers look after the handicapped youth without tiring and complaining and make every possible effort so that they can gain an extra thing or two and develop into individuals who can stand on their own feet. Just like the name of the project, they are "Hand in Hand for a Life without Obstacles" and have devoted themselves to the training of the handicapped without expecting any material benefits in return whatsoever. They are young too and work tirelessly. They visit and hold talks with the Mayor, Provincial Administrator, Commander of the Gendarmerie Headquarters and the directors of the local high school and hotels in Kas and secure to get their support. Thus, the handicapped can go sightseeing,
attend parties and sports activities and make use of the swimming pool with local help. Pelin, Alp, Golden, Zuhal, Duygu, Hatice, Devlet, Benan and Ozgur. While they themselves add a Plus to Life, they help their handicapped friends to add a Plus to Life too! In short, not that they only give the fund its due, they also add invaluable assets to life itself.
The main sectors with economic value that came out in the discussions were agriculture, animal husbandry and other non-traditional income areas such as tourism and processing of 'Oltu' stone*.
Celalettin Güvenç, Governor of Erzurum made a speech on the importance of human capital and social capital in regional development. He also praised UNDP LEAP (Linking Eastern Anatolia to Progress) Programme for its contribution to the development of human capital in the region by stressing upon the "artificial insemination" campaign launched in 2005 in Erzurum and the
development of Oltu stone processing activities both supported by UNDP-LEAP.
Muammer Cindilli, the Chairman of Erzurum Chamber of Commerce and Industry, briefly informed the audience on the capacity enhancement activities jointly implemented with LEAP's entrepreneurship support component. He mainly focused on the "project cycle management" training programmes and other consultancy services submitted by UNDP-LEAP Programme in order to enhance project design, formulation and implementation capacities for EU Regional Development Grant Programme to be launched in 2006.
Journalists and specialists from the prestigious daily of the Turkish business world, Dunya, Osman Arolat, Prof. Dr. Mithat Melen and Ali Ekber Yildirim delivered speeches on various aspects of local economic development and emphasized the importance of human and social capital in the development process.
Dr. Erol Cakmak, the Programme Manager of LEAP, presented "Erzurum-Erzincan-Bayburt SME Field Survey Study", conducted by LEAP in 2005. The study revealed the fact that SMEs in the region are not as innovative as it is needed for being competitive in the globalizing markets. They are not able to use information and communication technologies in their activities. The level of social capital is also low among local SME owners. The need for enhancing human resources is huge. The study concludes that non-physical sources of capital, such as cognitive, human, social, cultural, institutional and civic capital is much more important than physical capital for the development of Eastern Anatolia Region.
The panel ended with a common understanding that coordination among local stakeholders, governor's office, municipality, local public institutions, local chambers and local NGOs has to be further improved with the support of Ataturk University and the UNDP LEAP Programme.
UNDP LEAP Programme
The programme aims to support the areas of rural development, local entrepreneurship and rural tourism by helping to set up Sustainable Human Development models. These models will help increase income and reduce socio-economic disparities in the area while improving gender balance and safeguarding the environment. The models being developed will be comprehensive, effective, repeatable, extendable, and participatory. Phase 1 of the LEAP program was launched in mid-2001, focusing on three main areas of activity: Participatory Rural Development, Business Development and Rural Tourism.
In cooperation with local administrative bodies and NGOs in the region, LEAP is also supporting a number of development initiatives in areas such as women's employment, setting up youth centres and use of natural gas and geothermal energy.
*Oltu stone is semi-precious, and it is unique to Erzurum. It is also called "jet" or "black amber". Oltu stone is carved to produce various ornaments including rings, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, prayer beads, key-chains, pipes and boxes.
The project's mission is to develop partnerships among youth for sustainable development and livable environment, to enable youth to establish partnerships with the governments, local authorities and the private sector and to follow up and increase the participation of youth in the international youth related events. One of the first activities of the association was to execute the youth component of the Turkey Local Agenda 21 Program, in partnership with International Union of Local Authorities and United Nations Development Programme. The association's success in executing activities geared towards establishment of local youth councils and youth centers in 73 provinces in Turkey, made it one of the most important partners of youth projects of both the UNDP and the European Commission. Sezai Hazir, President and Projects General Coordinator of the Association spoke to New Horizons about the projects they are implementing:
UNDP Turkey: Could you tell us more about the Youth Association for Habitat and Agenda 21?
Sezai Hazir (S.H.): The Youth Association for Habitat and Agenda 21 started its activities to be the voice of the youth during the Habitat II Summit held in Istanbul in 1996. It executes youth development projects in order for the youth to tackle their problems and to produce and implement solutions to overcome the problems.
UNDP Turkey: Which projects are you currently implementing?
S.H.: As of now, we are carrying out 8 programmes. We are in partnership with the UNDP in four of those programmes. As The Youth Association for Habitat and Agenda 21, we represent Turkey in the United Nations' youth forums as well as the European Union and the European Council.
UNDP Turkey: Could you tell us briefly the Turkey Local Agenda 21 Programme that the association firstly partook?
S.H.: Turkey Local Agenda 21 Programme was launched in 1997 and will last until 2008. The Youth Association for Habitat and Agenda 21 coordinates the youth activities in the context of the programme. Our objective is to establish youth centres in all provinces in Turkey. We set up Local Youth Councils in 73 provinces and Youth Centres in 35 provinces up to date. The Local Councils met in 2003 on a national level and founded the Local Agenda 21 National Youth Parliament. Article 76 of Law on Local Administrations dictates that setting up of Provincial Councils is mandatory. A new regulation was prepared as well to construct Women's and Youth Councils within the Provincial Councils.
UNDP Turkey: What are the other projects you implement jointly with the UNDP?
S.H.: The first is entitled "Life+" Youth Fund Programme. It will be implemented from 2005-2010. Its objective is to enable young people assume social responsibility for finding solutions regarding their local problems, provide an opportunity for them to gain experience in project preparation and management and to activate them in accordance with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). To this end, we set up a fund totalling 1.5 million dollars entitled "Life+ Fund" jointly with Coca-Cola, State Planning Organisation and the UNDP. This is the longest-standing and largest youth fund in the world. It is at the same time a perfect example for other countries in the implementation of the MDGs. The objective of the fund is also to act as an academy because we would like to train 10,000 young people in 5 years in project writing and management and in establishing a communication network amongst themselves. 10 projects that wanted to benefit from the fund were selected among several project applications in 2005 and a 100,000-dollar grant was allocated for their implementation. The second phase of project applications started on 6 December 2005. Youth groups may submit their applications to the Youth Association for Habitat and Agenda 21 latest by 24 March 2006.
The second project we are implementing in partnership with UNDP, Microsoft and State planning Organisation presently is entitled "Young trainers teach their peers basic computer skills". It was launched in 2005 and will be completed in 2007. It has a budget of 100,000 dollars and aims to provide training for young people who are computer illiterate and also to initially train computer-literate young people to later provide training for their peers. In the first phase of the project 40 volunteering young people received their trainers' certificates and taught basic computer skills to 1,600 young trainees in 20 provinces. The project will last 3 years and aims to become a national project that would enable 100,000 young people to receive basic computer skills training.
Another project we carry out jointly with the UNDP is "South-eastern Anatolia Social Development Programme for Youth". It will be implemented from 2001-2007, and our other partners are GAP RDA and the local governors of 9 provinces. Within the framework of the project, whose budget totals 600,000 dollars, Youth and Culture centres have been opened in 8 provinces; vocational training programmes have been launched and around 100 young people have been employed. The 'National Apprenticeship Programme', which is currently being executed in the context of the UNDP's GAP project, is also being implemented within the framework of this project. National Apprenticeship Programme provides training opportunities for the needy youth in different workplaces and also facilitates their employment in close cooperation with the local chambers of commerce.
The fourth project, which was launched in 2006 jointly with the UNDP and the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB), is "Young Entrepreneurs Council". In the context of this long-term programme, a "Young Entrepreneurs Council" was established within TOBB. The council focuses on youth entrepreneur training and aims to support successful entrepreneurship projects, to provide training opportunities in TOBB's national and overseas offices and establish Entrepreneurship Support Centres in all the chambers of commerce operating within TOBB.
UNDP Turkey: What are the remaining three projects the association is presently implementing?
S.H.: The first is "Sexual Health and Peer Training Programme" that we execute jointly with the Turkish Family Health and Planning Foundation. The European Commission supports this programme and will be implemented from 2005-2007. A peer training group is being set up within the framework of the project and gives sexual and reproductive health training to young people in Adana, Canakkale, Diyarbakir and Yalova. Each training session lasts four days.
Our second project, which started in 2006 and is expected to last seven months, is entitled "Overcoming Prejudices among Young People and Developing a European Awareness Programme". We are carrying out this programme jointly with the Beyoglu Municipality in Istanbul, Athens Municipality and the National Youth Council of Greece. Turkish and Greek youth will meet in Turkey in the context of this programme, participate in workshops, discuss the ways of overcoming prejudices between them and the meaning of "European".
And our last project, which we launched in 2006 and will be permanent, is the "European Youth Card", in short "Euro<26". The Euro<26 is available to all young people aged under 26 and provides discount opportunities. The card is currently issued in 36 European countries, is supported by 400,000 European firms and 8 million young people benefit from it. It is officially recognised by the European Council and the European Commission. Its objective is to establish a fund from the youth to the youth. It will be sold for 15 YTL via the National Youth Parliaments in all the Turkish provinces, and the income obtained from the sales will be used in founding Youth and Culture Houses in the 81 provinces of Turkey. The card owner gets a list of companies operating in several sectors such as transportation, culture, entertainment, shops, travel and services that offer advantages and discounts. Apart from Turkey, Euro<26 can be used in 36 European countries as well.
The Youth Association for Habitat and Agenda 21
Address: Fulya Mah. Mevlüt Pehlivan Sok. Ali Sami Yen Apt. 8A/2 Mecidiyeköy, İstanbul
Tel/Fax: (+90) 212 275 5519 - 275 7436 - 275 7498
E-mail: youthforhab@turk.net- info@youthforhab.org.tr
The project brings together Dogan Organic Products Company, Ataturk University and Gumushane Governor's Office, as well as Aydin Dogan Foundation and the UNDP who signed a partnership agreement in October 2005 for the next eighteen months.
The joint project of UNDP and Aydin Dogan Foundation has three inter-related main objectives. The first focuses on social development of farmers. The farmers in selected villages of Kelkit will have an opportunity to develop their capacity to access to markets and improve their organizational skills. In addition, women will receive trainings on various areas such as reproductive health and sanitation. The joint project of UNDP and Aydin Dogan Foundation has three inter-related main objectives. The first focuses on social development of farmers. The farmers in selected villages of Kelkit will have an opportunity to develop their capacity to access to markets and improve their organizational skills. In addition, women will receive trainings on various areas such as reproductive health and sanitation. The second objective is economic growth, focusing on extension services to farmers with a view to increase agricultural efficiency and productivity. With the support of the project, approximately 100 farmers will increase their incomes and improve their socio-economic standards. Thirdly, this model will set a precedent to other rural development initiatives, since it envisages a sustainable partnership of the public and the private sectors, with both corporate social responsibility and profit motives. This model will be communicated to relevant partners and institutions.
The training programme has a two-pillar design, namely training of trainers and training of farmers. There are two main thematic areas in these trainings: Organic agriculture and organic plant production/animal husbandry. The first pillar provides trainings to public extension officers including Provincial/District Agricultural Office and students of the Kelkit Vocational Skills School to increase their extension capacity to target the farmers in the region. Trainings of trainers have already started in January 2006. Following this, the Provincial and District Agricultural Office staff as well as that of Aydin Dogan Vocational School and Dogan Organic Products Company conduct the farmer trainings. Governor's Office in Gumushane will also provide support to the project with machinery equipment and demonstration inputs. Ataturk University provides management support as well as technical assistance in agricultural production.
The trainings will also be supported by demonstrations, which provide an opportunity for the farmers to put theory into practice achieving real results. This in turn will have a demonstrative effect for the rest of the farmers to shift to organic farming. Training programme is conducted in ten selected villages of Kelkit, with which Dogan Organic Products Company has contractual relations.
They are at the top of their field, whether it's broadcasting, the literary world or the football stadium, with talents and achievements that have made them household names in their own, and in some cases, in many other countries. Despite their diverse claims to fame, however, they all share a deep concern for the world's poor and a commitment to making the planet a better place for all, ridding it of poverty, combating HIV/AIDS, ensuring environmental sustainability, protecting human rights, and empowering women.
UNDP, along with other UN agencies, has long enlisted the voluntary services and support of prominent individuals as Goodwill Ambassadors to highlight development and international cooperation, helping to accelerate achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). They articulate the UNDP development philosophy and programmes of self-reliant opportunities and motivate people to act in the interest of improving their own lives and those of their fellow citizens.
South African writer and winner of the 1991 Nobel Prize in Literature Nadine Gordimer, Japanese actress, author and TV personality Misako Konno, Crown Prince Haakon Magnus of Norway as well as two soccer stars, Ronaldo de Lima and Zinédine Zidane, are among UNDP's Global Goodwill Ambassadors.
Zidane: "There are things I would not give up for fame or success"
French soccer star Zinédine Zidane earned his reputation as one of the world's best players with his peerless, often impossible-looking displays of technique and control, but there are things that he would not "give up for any amount of fame or success." One of these is his commitment, since being appointed UNDP Goodwill Ambassador in March 2001, to help countries reduce poverty and achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDG).
"I've known hard times, too," he says. "I know what poverty is. I, too, lived in difficult places, where we didn't have everything. And today I want to help. There are things in this world that are more important than football." He describes his anti-poverty efforts as "the kind of thing my family, my upbringing and people I love have always encouraged. It's something that is part of you or isn't - but it's not something you embark upon or give up for any amount of fame or success."
Zidane first collaborated with UNDP in September 1999 when he and another soccer superstar, Ronaldo, launched the UNDP mobilization campaign "Teams to End Poverty". They appeared in an advertisement carried pro-bono by more than 150 media outlets throughout Europe, inviting people, businesses and institutions to get involved in anti-poverty actions locally or internationally. He himself chose to support an education project in Albania, one of Europe's poorest countries.
His other social and humanitarian activities include public appearances, such as a match in Marseille with the French team in early 2000, organized by "Secours Populaire Francais", to benefit 60,000 children whose families could not afford to send on vacation.
In December 2003, he and Ronaldo, also a UNDP Goodwill Ambassador, along with such stars as England's captain David Beckham and Brazilians
Rivaldo and Roberto Carlos, raised more than US$800,000 for anti-poverty projects in developing countries at the "Match Against Poverty" in Basel, Switzerland.
The second "Match Against Poverty" took place in Madrid in 2004, and UNDP Goodwill Ambassadors Ronaldo and Zidane were again among famed international players who were on the pitch for the third match on 22 December 2005 in Düsseldorf.
Ronaldo: Soccer superstar fulfils poor boy's promise
"I suffered a lot during my childhood and I have not forgotten my origins." Growing up poor in Brazil prompted Ronaldo to become a UNDP Goodwill Ambassador in 2000 to help move the world against poverty in the new millennium.
"When I was a child I vowed that one day I would become rich so that I could help my family," he recalls. He began playing soccer barefoot in the streets of a poor Rio de Janeiro neighbourhood where he was born in 1976, and signed up with his first club when he was 14 years old.
"In football I learned that with motivation and determination I could achieve my dreams - even if they seemed impossible at times. If the whole world unites against poverty and hunger, we can beat it and become champions."
Ronaldo has personally committed to developing new partnerships, to spread the word to help sensitize people to bring about real and tangible change in the struggle against poverty. "No one should be doomed to a life of poverty, whether by birth or as a consequence of war," he declares.
In the years since his appointment, Ronaldo has shone the light of his soccer superstardom on what needs to be done. "I am particularly concerned that everyone should be able to have an education to be equipped for life," he says. "The goal of ending poverty is within reach and everyone can contribute to it by getting involved or supporting organizations that are already working to give the poor a better life."
Despite his optimism, Ronaldo has no illusions of the immensity of the task. "There are many challenges ahead of us," he points out. "Today millions of people still go to bed hungry every night, a women dies of pregnancy or childbirth every minute, HIV/AIDS continues to spread and destroy families and communities, and a child dies every three seconds from preventable diseases."
When the call came from UNDP, Ronaldo recalls, "I could not think of a better way to start the season in 2001 than in a single event that brings together two great motivations - football, which is my passion and my responsibilities as UNDP Goodwill Ambassador, in the service of the fight against poverty."
A highlight of his career as Goodwill Ambassador was an appearance in the Match Against Poverty in Basel, Switzerland, in December 2003. "It was a real thrill to have my friends join me to raise awareness and take a stand against the deprivation that plagues one-fifth of the world population," he remembers.
As with his soccer, Ronaldo's anti-poverty efforts began among the poor children of Brazil, funding projects to help those living in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro. He supported the inter-agency efforts of UNAIDS as special representative in its 1998 and 1999 awareness-raising campaigns against HIV/AIDS. In 1999, Ronaldo launched the UNDP global mobilization campaign called Teams to End Poverty, donating a cheque for the rehabilitation of a school in Kosovo.
"Employing the Roma: Insights from Business", published by UNDP Regional Bureau for Europe and the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States)* with Ernst & Young, is based on in-depth interviews with companies in Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic conducted between May and September 2005. The report aims to spark dialogue in the business community on Roma employment, and offers suggestions for how companies can begin to address this challenge.
"Businesses are the real drivers of employment, and private sector engagement is critical if we are to integrate Roma into the labour market," said Ben Slay, director of UNDP Bratislava Regional Centre.
Roma are one of Europe's most vulnerable and marginalized groups, with poverty and unemployment rates that far outstrip national averages. Roma unemployment is an estimated 64 per cent in Slovakia, 51 per cent in Bulgaria, 32 per cent in the Czech Republic and 25 per cent in Hungary and Romania.
While Roma employment issues have to date been primarily a concern of social workers and civil society, demographic trends are increasing the importance of young Roma workers for continued growth in some of Central Europe's most dynamic economies. With this report, UNDP aims to bring companies into the development dialogue.
"Business can complement government and civil society efforts to combat discrimination and help find innovative solutions to Roma unemployment," said Mr. Slay. "Better recruitment and retention of Roma employees is also better business. Roma integration can raise growth through higher productivity, increased consumption and investment."
However, the report found that practical guidance for companies seeking to implement diversity policies is lacking, and more support was needed to help companies boost Roma employment and maximize the associated business benefits. "This report tries to address the gap," said Mr. Slay.
"Employing the Roma: Insights from Business" was presented in Brussels on 28-29 November 2005 at the European Commission conference, entitled "Business Case for Diversity: Good Practices in the Workplace".
UNDP's work with business in promoting Roma employment is part of UNDP's broader engagement with the private sector in the framework of the UN Global Compact, a Corporate Social Responsibility initiative that calls businesses to endorse 10 principles on human rights, labour and environmental standards.
*CIS countries are Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.