Issue: 97
“Volunteerism in Turkey-A Snapshot” report was launched on 5 December, marking International Volunteer Day, at CerModern in Ankara.
The report explores how volunteer engagement promotes civic values and social cohesion; includes people who often are socially excluded, such as women, youth and people with disabilities.
The report shows that the values of volunteerism are relevant in strengthening communities, and volunteers are crucial to enhance physical, economic, spiritual and social well-being of Turkey.
Volunteerism is an increasingly dynamic field in Turkey: more individuals volunteer and both civil society and public sector institutions are looking at ways how to mobilize people for common efforts to create well-being in communities and society.
However, there are plenty of gaps in the field.
Awareness and understanding of volunteerism needs improvement, more data and research on it is needed, and prevailing misconceptions about volunteering needs to be broken.
“Volunteerism in Turkey – A Snapshot” contributes to all these challenges by painting a multifaceted picture of volunteerism in the country and the role it plays in different fields from youth to environment and from disaster management to social services.
It also highlights how the role of civil society sector, public institutions and private sector alike can all promote and benefit from volunteerism.
The publication calls, among other things, for a national strategy on volunteerism, policy discussions, civil society organization to be responsive to active citizens, and encourages for an efficient use of new technologies for volunteering.
The publication is co-owned by UNV programme and GSM Youth Services Centre, but also showcases articles by 15 other writers and organizations presenting good practices from the field.
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The event was organized in Ankara on 11 December following the International Volunteers Day which was marked on 5 December.
During the first part of the event which was called “Volunteerism and access to social services”, Gabriella Civico from Europe Volunteer Centre and Davide Di Pietro from Senior European Volunteers Exchange Network (SEVEN) participated to the event.
They talked about volunteerism setup in Europe and legal regulations on volunteerism.
In the second part of the event, a panel was held with participation of NGO’s and UN representatives.
During the panel which is moderated by Hakan Çelik, the relationship between social services and volunteerism was discussed.
Building more favourable environment for volunteers and opportunities for volunteers from different ages were among the topic discussed throughout the panel.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) launched the third volume of Empowering Lives, Building Resilience.
These stories which are compiled from UNDP’s work demonstrate how sound policies, capacities and financing lead to lasting change.
“For countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, energy challenges often include the inefficient use of energy, frequent power cuts, high energy costs, lack of reliable and affordable heating in winter, and the slow uptake of renewable energy,” said UNDP Administrator Helen Clark.
The report explains how UNDP uses grants for public and private financing, while scaling up investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy.
UNDP is supporting countries to promote energy access, expand renewable energy use and improve energy efficiency.
“UNDP’s work results in significant improvements in the lives of people and societies with far-reaching impacts on economic development, poverty reduction, health, education and the environment,” said the Director of UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States Cihan Sultanoglu.
Whether just one school, one village or one country, each story in this report shows how specific energy-related development challenges can be overcome, and solutions replicated and scaled up.
These stories provide an important insight into key human development issues and put a human face on the region’s energy challenges.
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“Integrated Management of High Conservation Value Mediterranean Forests” project aims to manage forests in an integrated approach by demonstrating the multiple environmental benefits of high conservation value forests in the Mediterranean forest region.
The project funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) is being implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) under the coordination of the General Directorate of Forestry.
In her opening speech, UNDP Environment and Sustainable Development Programme Manager Dr. Katalin Zaim explained the project’s preparation process, objective and implementation areas followed by the project’s benefits in terms of climate change, biodiversity and social impacts.
General Directorate of Forestry Head of Department of Foreign Affairs, Training and Research Dr. Ahmet İpek highlighted that the project will be setting an example worldwide.
He underlined the project’s contributions in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, conserving the forest ecosystem’s biodiversity and developing the social and economic wealth of forest villagers.
The technical inception workshop of the project was attended by 70 people. Under the group studies, sub-activities were identified for the given activities.
The official kick-off meeting of the project which will be a first in Turkey and an example for other Mediterranean countries is planned to be realized in early 2014.
Football legends and UNDP Goodwill Ambassadors Ronaldo and Zinédine Zidane announced today that the 11th Match Against Poverty will take place on 4 March 2014 at the STADE DE SUISSE National Stadium in Bern, Switzerland. Proceeds raised will help recovery efforts in the Philippines in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan, one of the most devastating storms in history.
Ronaldo and Zinédine Zidane will mobilize their team of internationally renowned football players for a friendly match against the Bern professional football club, the BSC Young Boys and Friends.
First Match Against Poverty was held in 2003
“Through the 11th edition in Bern we hope to be able to raise both awareness and funds for the people in need in the Philippines” said Zinédine Zidane. “Working together in support of the victims of Typhoon Haiyan we will all be winners in the Match Against Poverty.”
Football legends Ronaldo and Zinédine Zidane have been the driving force behind the match since its inception in 2003.
“Last year we celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Match in Brazil and I am still very proud of its success. I am honoured that clubs such as BSC Young Boys have offered to host the event”, said Ronaldo, who is now a key member of the FIFA World Cup 2014 Organizing Committee. “This year we are concerned about the situation in the Philippines and we would like to help through the match to the global fundraising efforts for the country” added Ronaldo.
Match proceeds to Philippines
Two thirds of the match proceeds will be used to bolster recovery efforts in the Philippines, where more than 5,000 people lost their lives to Typhoon Haiyan, with almost 1 million people displaced and an estimated further 11.8 million affected. To bolster the local economy UNDP has already begun a cash-for-work project clearing debris in Tacloban, and will continue its efforts to help those who have lost homes, businesses and jobs as a result of the typhoon.
“Our goal is to dedicate the proceeds of this 11th Match Against Poverty to help survivors rebuild their lives and help the Philippines on a path to recovery” said UNDP Administrator Helen Clark. “As the Philippines works to recover from this terrible tragedy, UNDP is there in support and to help strengthen the nation’s resilience to future shocks.”
BSC Young Boys will donate the remaining third of the profits to the club’s partner charity, the Laureus Foundation Switzerland. The Foundation provides financial and practical support to sports-related projects at the national level, and is part of the global Laureus Sport For Good Foundation, which supports over 140 projects in 34 countries around the world.
Hanspeter Kienberger, President of the Board of STADE DE SUISSE, said BSC Young Boys and Berne were very honoured to be host and part of this important event. “We will do our very best for a successful evening in Berne in favour of people who are in difficult situations”, Kienberger added.
Switzerland to host the Match for the second time
The match in Bern marks the return of the event to Switzerland, with the first edition held in Basel in 2003. Since then the match has been held in Madrid, Dusseldorf, Marseille, Malaga, Fes, Lisbon, Athens, Hamburg and Porto Alegre. Each match has supported specific projects in different countries facing difficult challenges.
Ronaldo and Zidane are part of a distinguished group of UNDP Goodwill Ambassadors, which includes other football stars Didier Drogba, Iker Casillas and Marta Vieira de Silva, as well as Crown Prince Haakon Magnus of Norway, Japanese actress Misako Konno, Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova and Spanish actor Antonio Banderas.
The match, which will be televised globally, is supported by both football’s governing body, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA).
The 11th Annual Match Against Poverty in Bern will start at 20:00 local time on 4 March 2014. Ticket prices range from CHF 20.00 up to CHF 60.00 and will be available as of 19 December 2014 at: www.stadedesuisse.ch/tickets or www.ticketcorner.ch
“Future Lies in Tourism Sustainable Tourism Support Fund” is implemented in order to support the local development by creating sustainable tourism models with the cooperation of Anadolu Efes, Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and with the support of Mikado Sustainable Development Consultancy.
“CSR Solutions Marketplace” event supported by CSR Europe (The European Business Network for Corporate Social Responsibility) is organized every year by Corporate Social Responsibility Association Turkey.
“Future Lies in Tourism Sustainable Tourism Support Fund” won two awards at this year’s event.
With the evaluation of CSR Europe jury, “Sustainable Development Award” and with the votes of the business world, university students and representatives of the Civil Society Organizations, “Stakeholder Award” were granted to Future Lies in Tourism Sustainable Tourism Support Fund.
For details please visit www.gelecekturizmde.com
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As the movement grew to a global scale this year with support from the UNDP, the event aimed to highlight the importance of giving not just funds, but also time, knowledge, volunteering and community work.
The day saw 10,000 entities come together to celebrate the power of giving to transform people’s lives, and to stress the importance of generosity over selfishness.
Public discussion powered by social media brought global engagement with the movement, as UNDP offices around the world held events that resonated with their local communities.
From Thailand to Zimbabwe, Croatia to Lao PDR, UNDP offices and staff marked the day by promoting philanthropy and organizing volunteer projects.
UNDP Jordan launched a campaign for cleaner and greener communities in the northern municipalities of the country, with 200 volunteers participating through different activities, from cleaning to planting trees.
In Zimbabwe UNDP worked with the Jairos Jiri School for children living with disabilities to provide much needed food and other provisions.
Overall, #GivingTuesday succeeded in raising donations, and more importantly awareness, of the power of giving.
The movement hopes to continue to grow and reach more communities around the world in future years.
Datça - Bozburun marine projects implemented by DACEV and Local History Society, “Wildlife and Farm Land Protection" project carried out by Bartın Culture and Solidarity Association in Küre Dağları and Yenice Forests project conducted by Foresters Association are featured in “Green Nature” programme.
Please click below links to watch the above mentioned programmes:
http://tv.cnnturk.com/video/2013/12/14/yesil-doga/2013-12-14T1405/index.html
http://tv.cnnturk.com/video/2013/12/09/yesil-doga/2013-12-07T1405/index.html
http://tv.cnnturk.com/video/2013/11/25/yesil-doga/2013-11-23T1410/index.html
http://tv.cnnturk.com/video/2013/12/02/yesil-doga/2013-11-30T1310/index.html
Training was delivered to fisherwomen within the context of the “Fisherwomen of Aegean: Datça-Bozburun Peninsula Project”, under the support of Strengthening the System of Marine and Coastal Protected Areas of Turkey Project -which is being supported by GEF SGP- COMDEKS, the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization, UNDP Turkey and Vehbi Koç Foundation.
70 fisherwomen participated
The training was delivered by the Mediterranean Conservation Society (AKD), in Bozburun town of Marmaris district of Muğla. 70 fisherwomen participated in the training.
Dr. Huriye Göncüoğlu from Ege University Faculty of Fisheries informed the attendees on the importance of getting organized, marine eco-system, fishing equipment and harmful sea species.
At the end of the training, the participants were presented life jackets and long-line gear.
The six no-fishing zones, which were determined under the project in Gökova SEPA, are being supervised by the marine rangers, who are selected among the fishers in the area.
The population of juvenile groupers increased 18 times in these areas.
Fishers’ income increased
According to the data by Akyaka Fisheries Cooperative, the monthly income per boat was 1.500 TL before no-fishing zones in Gökova SEPA.
This amount increased to 2.300 TL after 3 years of no-fishing zone, showing 1.5 times of progress.
It showed the international importance of the “Strengthening the System of Marine and Coastal Protected Areas of Turkey Project” once again that the conclusions of the Forum, which was supported by the project, were referred in the Declaration.
High international representation
Representatives from 21 Mediterranean countries and the EC participated in the meeting which was held on 3-6 December in İstanbul.
In the Istanbul Declaration, signed at the end of the meeting, the significance of the regional cooperation framework established through the Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) since 1975 was underlined.
Cooperation for the protection and sustainable management of marine and coastal resources in the Mediterranean was also agreed on.
Success of the project reaffirmed
The emphasis on the conclusions of Marine Protection Areas (MPA) Forum made in Antalya in 2012 drew attention in the İstanbul Declaration.
The forum was organized by the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization, UNEP-MAP/RAC-SPA, MedPAN, WWF and UNDP Turkey with the support of the “Strengthening the System of Marine and Coastal Protected Areas of Turkey Project”.
The emphasis on the outputs of the Forum showed the international success of the project once again.
Photo: UNFCCC
19th Conference of Parties (COP 19) to the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was organized Warsaw on November.
COP 19 was not expected to be a ‘star’ COP. Its mandate was mainly to accelerate preparations towards a universal new climate agreement, to be adopted at COP21 in Paris (December 2015) and come into effect and be implemented from 2020.
The conference convened just days after the destruction of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, and in the shadow of a parallel ‘Coal and Climate Change’ summit that Poland was also hosting in Warsaw.
At the same time, Japan made an announcement during the first week of the meeting that they are lowering their mitigation ambition from their current pledge to cut greenhouse gas emissions 25 percent below 1990 levels to a reduced target of 3.8 percent below 2005 levels by 2020.
This news coupled with recent Australian domestic policy changes which also lower mitigation ambition, set a negative tone amongst negotiators.
At the same time, the ratification of the Second Commitment Period of the Kyoto Protocol agreed last year in Doha is not on track.
Of the needed 144 countries only 3 have ratified to date. Further, on the development of New Market based Mechanisms (NMM), a moratorium has been placed by Bolivia, supported by China, leading to no progress in this area.
Under such circumstances it was an achievement in itself that two plus weeks of negotiations stayed on track and COP 19, albeit well after its closing time, reached agreement on a range of important outcomes that ensure the UNFCCC process lives to fight another day.
The lack of ambition and political will was particularly evident as Parties continued their work towards (1) developing an universal climate agreement, to be adopted in 2015 and taking effect in2020, and (2) working to close the pre-2020 mitigation ambition gap (towards the 2 degree goal).
However, elements of three components limit the progress made:
(A) The timeline to submit contributions remains flexible and quite weak, incorporating caveats such as those Parties “ready to do so” and not providing a clear and timely basis for international discussions on adequacy of commitments to reach the 2 degree goal.
(B) While the incorporation of “all” countries in the decision text is a step forward, the use of the word “contribution” instead of “commitment,” and the flexible deadlines articulated in the timeline are steps backwards.
(C) Furthermore, the indicative list of elements to be included in the 2015 agreement draw on previous ADP work related to the basic headings of mitigation, adaptation, finance, technology, capacity building and transparency of action and support.
The most important outcomes of COP19 helped to advance the technical aspects of implementation of climate-related actions on the ground.
Several decisions are of direct relevance to UNDP’s work on the ground, supporting countries to address the climate change challenge, develop integrated low emission, climate resilient development strategies and be ready for climate change financing in a manner that also promotes poverty eradication and reduction of inequalities.
There was also explicit recognition of the importance of developing countries to establish Low-Emission Development Strategies (LEDS), Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) and Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) systems, which UNDP is already supporting countries to develop.
National Adaptation Planning (NAP) processes, which UNDP is supporting, were also recognized as a critical component of ensuring developing countries are resilient to impending climate impacts, and called on countries to scale up this work.
One of the most significant outcomes of the COP was a package for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks (REDD+).
Significantly, REDD+ continued to be an area of substantial progress in the UNFCCC with agreement on the Warsaw Framework for REDD+ Action which puts in place a comprehensive technical package to enable scaling up of REDD+.
And lastly the Warsaw International Mechanism for loss and damage opens the door for a new mechanism to address the losses and damages caused by climate impacts, to which Parties are unable to adapt.
For UNDP, the establishment of this mechanism provides a valuable opportunity to continue to engage and enhance work to address “loss and damage,” drawing on existing portfolios in adaptation, disaster risk reduction, early recovery, insurance, natural resource management, social safety nets, migration, and other areas.
The film was produced with the technical and financial support of UNDP, the Global Environment Facility, and the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning.
The documentary portrays four women, aged between forty and eighty, who work as farmers in the country.
The women are from diverse backgrounds—Macedonian, Turkish and Albanian—and each has a very different attitude towards their work on the land.
At seventy-two years old, Gjurgja Rizova sees the fields as her ‘medicine’ and she farms the land with love.
“We can barely feed ourselves these days,” she says, many of her crops are dying, and the hybrid seeds she now has to buy are causing unprecedented problems with weeds.
“We’ve been through everything,” she says, but never has she known it rain so much nor seen so many crops fail.
The only solution, she feels, is to switch to farming only corn and keeping bees.
For Sacie Aliova, meanwhile, farming seems like a prison sentence and she dreams of escape and going to school.
Asie Pairi has been working the tobacco fields since she was only ten years old. “We didn’t have schools back then” she says, “Now I’d prefer not to work in the fields – I’d go to school instead.”
But while more frequent hailstorms of late have ruined her tobacco crops and left her family destitute, she still experiments with different crops in a desperate attempt to adapt to the changing conditions.
Biology teacher, Biljana Ilieva, refuses to be defeated by climate change. “I’m interested in all plants,” she tells us, “It’s beautiful to watch them grow from seedlings to the moment they bear fruit.”
She is highly aware of climate change and strives to use alternative sources of energy and water to help the environment.
And in the face of hailstorms, she has invested in effective ways of protecting her crops. But her ‘hobby’, as she calls it, is trying out different breeds of tomato.
“We hope we’re on our way to success with this hobby of ours” she says.
Despite their many differences in attitude, the four women all share the same sky and all of them are experiencing the same fears and challenges that come with climate change.
Agriculture is the sector most vulnerable to climate change. The future will bring warmer summers and ever less rain and sudden storms and hail will be more frequent.
Traditional ideas about the kinds of weather typical of each season will need to be revised.
Rain is a key motif throughout the film and creates a particular dramatic tension as we witness for ourselves the problems these farmers face on a daily basis—destroyed roots, sick leaves and plants, dried-up fruits.
The overriding message of this innovative documentary, however, comes through from the determination of these women to overcome the challenges they face.
And that message, from the mouths of those who know the issues of climate change from the very root, is that those who survive climate change are those who are capable of adaptation.
The CSO40 award recognizes organizations for information security initiatives that demonstrate outstanding business value and thought leadership.
Last year's winners of CSO40, one of the highest awards in the information security profession, included major corporations such as Citibank, Intel, Coca Cola, Met Life, Mitre, Procter & Gamble, FedEx, Comcast and Master Card. "For the second year in a row, outstanding organizations demonstrating innovation, creativity and understanding of business value in security were chosen from a large pool of submissions,” said Joan Goodchild, editor of CSO.
This award comes just two weeks after Shirin Hamid, UNDP's Chief Technology Officer and Director of the Office of Information Systems and Technology (OIST), was honored by Computerworld as a Premier 100 ICT Leader for 2014.
UNDP also received a World Good Computerworld Honors Program Award in 2013, together with Dell, Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation, Infosys. Ltd, and others.
The Honors Program Award recognized UNDP’s achievements for Information Security Assurance with certification in ISO 9001 for quality assurance and ISO 27001 for data protection, representing its commitment to information security and quality management best practices.
Together these notable awards attest to the nimble and effective reach of UNDP’s ICT programme.
“These awards clearly show the important contribution of our ICT strategy on development results,” said UNDP Administrator Helen Clark.
They reflect ICT’s role in a number of areas, including supporting electronic monitoring of elections in Sierra Leone and Tunisia, securing mobile cash transfers in the Democratic Republic of Congo, communicating development challenges and UNDP results in Egypt and Turkey through social media, using geo-mapping for conflicts in Sudan, providing ICT support for the Guatemala Ministry of Interior, and providing crisis support and business continuity in Syria, Yemen, the Philippines, and Afghanistan.
Eligible participants include those enrolled in one of the cash-for-work projects operated by the Philippine Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), civil society or United Nations agencies in the areas affected by the typhoon.
Many of the beneficiaries are helping to clear rubble and municipal waste from roads, public buildings, schools, and hospitals.
This pilot mobile phone payment system is a partnership between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Land Bank of the Philippines (Land Bank), and mobile phone operator Smart Communications. The first phase will reach 5,000 beneficiaries; the target group is of 50,000 people.
“This is a cash transfer system through cell phones that will make cash-for-work payments safer and faster,” said UNDP Associate Administrator Rebeca Grynspan,. “It will help us better assist the families affected by Typhoon Haiyan.”
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Editor: Faik Uyanık
Assistant: Nazife Ece
Intern: Gülşah Balak
Contributors: Lorem Ipsum, Lorem Ipsum, Lorem Ipsum, Lorem Ipsum, Lorem Ipsum, Lorem Ipsum, Lorem Ipsum, Lorem Ipsum
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