Issue: 81
The discussions for the post-2015 development framework have already started in the Global Human Development Forum which was held last March in İstanbul and concluded with the İstanbul Declaration and the discussions were furthered in Rio+20 Summit with its outcome document, entitled “The Future We Want”.
In all these documents, it is stressed that the key aspects to the post-2015 development framework are to have an inclusive, open and transparent process with participation of multiple stakeholders.
In order to have this kind of a development framework, UN Secretary-General (UNSG) has appointed a High Level Panel. The Panel will be informed by the outcome of major processes, in particular the Rio+20 and the UNDG’s open and inclusive consultations.
By the second quarter of 2013, the Panel will deliver a report which will be submitted to the UNSG and which will kick off the post-2015 development framework after its submission to the General Assembly.
To this end, UNDG’s strategy for post-2015 is based on three pillars of work: inclusive national consultation processes, thematic consultations, web portal and social media.
Within this aspect, the members of the UN Development Group (UNDG) who is chaired by Helen Clark have developed a proposal to facilitate post-2015 national and thematic consultations in at least 50 countries, including Turkey.
UN Country Teams (UNCTs), under the leadership and guidance of the UN Resident Coordinator (UNRC), are well placed to support these national consultations.
In this sense, we, as the Resident Coordination Office in Turkey have started a process that is nourished with a bottom up approach defined by national and local priorities and stakeholders in order to stimulate a more open and inclusive discussion amongst national stakeholders, and to garner inputs and ideas for a shared global vision of “The Future We Want”.
We will provide the strategic guidance in order to ensure the participation and inputs of members of the UN System, UNCT and all different stakeholders.
Our main aim is to take the views of the vulnerable into consideration and to ensure global ownership of a beyond 2015 development framework.
It will be important that the post-2015 debate is contributed by inputs and ideas from a broad base of civil society, marginalized groups, and others previously left out of discussions on development priorities.
In other words, as it was also stressed in “Istanbul Declaration: Towards an Equitable and Sustainable Future for All”, we are going to ensure that the post-2015 development framework will be with and for the people.
* Shahid Najam, UNDP Resident Representative in Turkey and UN Resident Coordinator in Turkey
London Olympics has come to an end. It was yet another event for “a wonderful expression of international cooperation and an inspiration for the entire world”, as Wilfried Lemke, the UN Special Adviser on Sport for Development stated.
Besides bearing the Olympic torch, Ban Ki-Moon also attended the opening ceremony as a way of promoting sport and physical activity to further development and peace building efforts.
The UN Office on Sport for Development and Peace (UNOSDP) took part in a series of events, meetings and activities in the lead-up to the Games to encourage and facilitate dialogue and partnerships and promote awareness and observance of the Olympic Truce.
Other UN agencies were also present at the Games to raise awareness on a range of issues. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), for example, collected sports clothing to be sent to designated refugee camps around the world, and the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) held an advocacy event as part of the Africa Utopia Festival.
Turkey finished the London Olympic Games 2012 with a total of two gold, two silver medals and one bronze medal. The U.S. won 104 medals in all, more than any other country. People’s Republic of China followed the U.S. with 88 medals in all and Great Britain became the third country who got the most Olympic medals with 65 medals in total.
“For every dollar invested in minimizing risk, about seven dollars will be saved in economic losses from disasters,” Helen Clark stated. “I see our work in disaster risk reduction being about building fences at the top of cliffs, rather than being content to place ambulances at the bottom.”
In her speech, Helen Clark pointed out that the loss of life and property that is caused by natural disaster can easily be prevented with considerable amounts if significant investments in resilience are made, including through civil defense and emergency services preparedness, early warning systems, and investments in earthquake-resistant homes and other infrastructure.
“The tragic deaths of more than 220,000 people in Haiti tell us that it is not the magnitude of the disaster or natural hazard alone which determines its impact,” Helen said.
From drought prone regions of Africa, to regions prone to cyclones and flooding, to the impact of the January 2010 quake on Haiti’s densely populated capital and the major seismic disasters in New Zealand, Japan, Chile, Iran, and elsewhere, natural disasters are causing untold levels of human suffering and environmental and economic harm.
In 2011 alone, almost 30,000 people were killed in 302 disasters, and 206 million people affected by floods, droughts, cyclones and other natural shocks, according to the UN’s Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR).
These disasters have staggeringly high economic costs as well, hitting the most vulnerable the hardest. Global economic losses attributed to disasters caused by natural hazards last year reached US$380 billion, an increase of nearly two-thirds over 2005, the previous record year.
For the desperately poor, disasters disrupt hard-earned development progress and prevent people escaping poverty.
Those who escape with their lives, but are still affected by disaster, are often forced to sell assets and rely on subsistence-level activity, keeping them well below the international poverty line of $1.25 per day.
Within poor countries, it is the most marginalized, including women and girls, who suffer the greatest impact.
Both of the interviews revolved around the recent improvements in the process of achieving Millenium Development Goals (MDGs), especially in Turkey.
In this regard, Sultanoğlu and Najam emphasized that with the cooperation of UNDP, Turkey has achieved so many things in achieving the MDGs in the country and Turkey also made huge strides in helping other countries with their development goals.
Cihan Sultanoğlu said that in Central Asia and Europe, including Turkey, there has been a great improvement in MDGs.
She added that although there is a long way to go, it is also hopeful to see that there is a good commitment in the region to solve the problems ahead.
Sultanoğlu also talked about the situation of MDGs in Turkey: “The MDGs have received great support in Turkey on the part of the government. In Turkey, particularly in previous years, there has also been a very strong emphasis on energy efficiency and environmental concerns.”
Shahid Najam, in his interview, has emphasized the changing structure and assumptions about the poverty in Turkey.
In that regard, he explained the concept of New Poverty: “New Poverty is a concept introduced at the international level to identify the new forms of poverty observed as a result of social transformations that come with globalization. This concept is also very relevant in Turkey, which is a country that has experienced high level of migration, urban transformation and a changing economic structure in the last decades.”
Cihan Sultanoğlu and Shahid Najam also talked about the projects that have been executed with the cooperation of Koç Holding.
“For my Country: Barrier free life” and “Vocational Schools: A National Issue” is two of the projects that is being executed with Koç Holding and they also underlined that Koç Holding is the leading group and the role model in Turkish economy with its strategic and visionary approach for social responsibility ingrained in the corporate culture.
Click here for the interviews in Turkish.
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and British Prime Minister David Cameron will co-chair the Panel.
Queen Rania of Jordan, Nobel Peace Laureate Yemeni Activist Tawakkol Karman, former Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan and Nelson Mandela’s wife Grace Machel are among the members.
In 2015, the current set of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which are of vital importance to ensure a better world, will expire.
The Panel was established by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon within the scope of carrying on with an ambitious post-2015 development agenda.
It will come up with a wide range of bold and practical recommendations on a global post-2015 agenda with shared responsibilities for all countries and with the fight against poverty and sustainable development at its core.
The Panel will hold its first meeting in New York at the end of September in the margins of the annual high-level debate of the UN General Assembly.
It is expected to submit a report to the Secretary General in the first half of 2013.
The “Life Plus” Youth Program is carried out in partnership with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the Coca-Cola Life Plus Foundation and the YADA Foundation.
The “Life Plus” Youth Program supports innovative, creative, participatory, sustainable “environmental” projects designed by young people for the benefit of society as well as providing financial support to youth groups to help realize their projects.
Main themes of the projects that the “Life Plus” Youth Program has been supporting are water resource protection, waste management, encouraging the use of renewable energy sources, and the sustainable use and protection of forestry resources.
These projects have brought together ten thousand civil society representatives, as well as representatives from the public, agricultural, industrial and commercial sectors.
More than 500 young people from various regions in Turkey have been involved in conducting the “Life Plus” projects. Cooperation has been forged with a total of 135 organizations including 55 non-government organizations, 38 public sector bodies, 22 local government authorities, 14 universities and 6 trade associations.
“Environment Friendly Earthworms” is one of the projects supported by the “Life Plus” Youth Program.
For this project, a group of young people got together with the aim of protecting the Gediz Basin’s water sources by presenting an alternative to chemical fertilizers.
Research conducted by Ege (Aegean) University Faculty of Agriculture students discovered that earthworm fertilizer would increase the organic content of the soil as well as increase its water retention capacity, enabling a 40-60% reduction in the amount of water required for irrigation.
The project team was elected winner of the “Life Plus Grand Prize” by Coca-Cola employees last month following their successful efforts last year.
Reaching 200 farmers in 2011, this year the team aims to introduce more farmers to earthworm fertilizer and encourage its more widespread use in the Gediz Basin.
The “Life Plus” Youth Program that has supported many successful youth-led projects like Environment Friendly Earthworms project also won the Golden Compass Grand Prize this year.
The annual economic value of the area was identified as USD 51,216,000 in the report. It is also underlined that some administrative and financial restorations should be made in order to implement the area management plan effectively.
Most of the income is generated by tourism and recreation
In the report, it is emphasized that the bio-diversity of Köyceğiz-Dalyan SEPA is a base for ecosystem services in a large scale in the region and these ecosystem services support many beneficiaries’ economic prosperity which, in the end, contributes to Turkey’s GNP.
In the report, in which the annual generated value of the area was identified as USD 51,216,000; it is underlined that about USD 48,500,000 of this amount is provided by tourism and recreation services.
Fish, waste treatment, erosion protection and carbon sequestration were counted as the other fields which contribute to the annual economic value of the area.
In the report, it is also underlined that some administrative and financial obstacles should be overcome in order to implement the area management plan effectively.
Volunteerism empowers communities, and when voluntary action is promoted and facilitated properly, people all over the world can envision and shape their own futures and find their own development solutions.
Saba tells her story, in her own words, as a volunteer:
“Volunteering at the Flying Broom Organization in Ankara, for me, was indeed an enlightening experience.
Working in the field of Gender and Children Rights was not only a significant opportunity for me to contribute towards an issue I feel so passionately about, but the experience also gave me a comprehensive understanding of the diverse problems and the underlying dynamics which women have to encounter: from child marriages and the tourist brides of the Middle East, to the gruesome incidents of acid attacks in South Asia, to the honor killings even in the developed countries of Europe and the USA.
The research and desk study I undertook was not limited however to comprehending the obstacles women face in the development endeavor, it also enabled me, on the positive side, to learn about their achievements in different walks of life.
The success stories of Kalpana Saroj, once a child bride from the untouchable cast of India and now a multimillionaire CEO, the inspiring life of Sally Ride who made history as the first US woman in space and the bravery of the hundreds of women who battle the inhumane effects of acid attacks each year were very revealing evidence of the resilient spirit and abounding resolve which the women were capable of demonstrating.
These accomplishments eloquently represented the heroism and courage rather than stereotype weakness or dependency labels too often ascribed to women.
Last but not the least, my interaction and engagement with the dedicated and determined staff of Flying Broom on issues of vital significance for the society in general, and women in particular, not only was professionally enriching but was also very inspiring and motivating.
Selen and Ceren were always ready to extend a helping hand and assist me in gaining insights for writing the advocacy and issue papers as a part of my volunteering assignment.
Furthermore the office has an extremely vibrant and energetic feel about it and is centrally located.
FBO indeed presents an excellent amalgam of dealing with the substantive issues related to gender mainstreaming and the commitment and professionalism of its dedicated staff.
I would definitely recommend it to be the place for volunteering work in Ankara!”
The no-fishing zones, which were established upon the demand of the fishermen in the area in the context of the "Strengthening the System of Marine and Coastal Protected Areas of Turkey" project, will improve the productivity and quality of the fish stock.
The project supported, the fishermen united
The members of the Selimiye and Datça Fisheries Cooperatives of the region have come together with the Project Officials in the meetings held last December and March.
The problems related with the fishery activities in the region were evaluated at the meetings. After the meetings, the local fishermen applied in June to establish no-fishing zones in the region.
Published in the Official Gazette
The demand of the fishermen was put into practice with the regulation which came into force and published in the Official Gazette.
Four no-fishing zones were established in Hisarönü Bay within the scope of the regulation in question.
The no-fishing zones, which have many examples in Turkey and all around the world, improve the productivity and the quality of the fish stock which finds opportunity of reproduction and growth in the restricted areas.
The results of the “The Determination of the Sustainable and Environmentally-Friendly Activities in the Project Sites Workshop” that was held within the context of the Strengthening the System of Marine and Coastal Protected Areas of Turkey project in Foça came to light.
International certification and emphasis on public interest
Developing the international certification system towards improving the service quality in the region and re-organizing of the sea-side usage principles in line with the public interest became significant among the opinions and suggestions at the workshop.
Selection of places for diving, activating controlled diving schools, building sports facilities for public interest and using the thermal potential for tourism were also among the received demands.
“The seas and oceans host some of the most vulnerable and important ecosystems on Earth, but the diversity of life they host is under ever-increasing strain,” Mr. Ban said at an event in the city of Yeosu in the Republic of Korea (ROK), to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the opening for signature of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The Convention, also known as the “constitution of the oceans,” governs all aspects of ocean space, from delimitation of maritime boundaries, environmental regulations, scientific research, commerce and the settlement of international disputes involving marine issues.
The Convention was first opened for signature in 1982 and entered into force in 1994; there are 162 parties to it that is 161 States and the European Union.
Mr. Ban praised the achievements of the Convention in helping countries establish a legal framework to guide the management of the oceans, the settlement of disputes, and the administration of the international seabed.
He also emphasized the need to address multiple issues that threaten the marine environment. To do this, he announced the launch of the Oceans Compact, which will seek to support and strengthen the implementation of the Law of the Sea.
The Compact, Mr. Ban added, will provide a platform to help countries protect the ocean's natural resources, restore their full food production to help people's whose livelihoods depend on the sea, and increase awareness and knowledge about the management of the oceans.
To achieve the objectives of the Compact, Mr. Ban proposed a results-oriented Action Plan along with the creation of an Ocean Advisory Group made up of high-level policymakers, scientists and experts, as well as representatives of the private sector and civil society.
Global Environment Facility (GEF) supported “Enhancing Forest Management System in Turkey Project”, implemented in Küre Mountains National Park, which also represented the Republic of Turkey in the UN Sustainable Development Conference (Rio +20) 2012.
Project experiences have been presented in various international and national conferences, seminars, workshops, and published as case study in international and national books and journals.
One of the latest books in which Küre Mountains National Park’s experience took part is “The Ecosystem Promise”.
This book is the first popular book on ecosystem services with samples and case studies from all around the world.
The article written by Başak Avcıoğlu Çokçalışkan and Yıldıray Lise details on ecosystem services and economical valuation work in Küre Mountains National Park, importance of national park and project experiences of supported “Enhancing Forest Management System in Turkey Project”.
For more information on the book: http://www.ecosystempromise.net/
Mr. Ban stated in a message for the Day, which falls on 12 August that “today's generation of youth has unprecedented potential to advance the well-being of the entire human family.”
“The global economic crisis has hit youth the hardest and many are understandably discouraged by rising inequalities. A large number have no immediate prospects and are disenfranchised from the political, social and development processes in their countries. Without urgent measures, we risk creating a ‘lost generation’ of squandered talent and dreams,” he added.
Then, Mr. Ban pointed out that “from their pivotal role in efforts to achieve freedom, democracy and equality, to their global mobilization in support of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), youth have energetically demonstrated yet again their capacity and desire to turn the tide of history and tackle global challenges.”
“On International Youth Day, I call on Governments, the private sector, civil society and academia to open doors for young people and strengthen partnerships with youth-led organizations,” Mr. Ban said.
Ban Ki-moon concluded his speech by inviting everyone to give more support to the youth: “Youth can determine whether this era moves toward greater peril or more positive change. Let us support the young people of our world so they grow into adults who raise yet more generations of productive and powerful leaders.”
International Business Awards were distributed. After the evaluation process by 300 leading business administrators, Dreams Academy became to entitled to get three bronze Stevie awards in total.
Dreams Academy was awarded on “The Year’s Best Corporate Social Responsibility Programme in Europe”, “The Year’s Best Corporate Social Responsibility Programme in Middle East and Africa” and “The Best Public Service/Public Relations Activity” and therefore notched up another success in national and international arena.
Dreams Academy, which was developed by Alternative Life Association (AYDER) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in order to provide disadvantaged young people’s inclusion in social life and getting a job, was put into practice under the sponsorship of Vodafone Turkey Foundation.
This week, we will be talking about the concept of corporate social responsibility and linked to this, talk about a project designed to make small and medium enterprises (SMEs) more competitive.
UNDP Turkey: Hello, this is the New Horizons Podcast of United Nations Development Programme Turkey. This week, we will be talking about the concept of corporate social responsibility and linked to this, talk about a project designed to make small and medium enterprises (SMEs) more competitive. Our contributor this week is Tülin Seçen, from the Marmara Rotary Club that is working with UNDP, she is the term president of the Marmara Rotary Club, the Committee President of the Sustainable Competition in Turkey Project and also the president of the Management Consultants Association. Tülin, we want to talk a bit about this project, what is the Sustainable Competition in Turkey Project and what are its aims?
Tülin Seçen (T.S.): Sustainable Competition in Turkey Project is aimed at the businesses in the economy: that small, medium and large businesses are in line with the principles of corporate social responsibility, that they become better at it and they practice sustainability and that what they produce has no negative impact on society.
UNDP Turkey: You lead the way for the Rotary Clubs to sign up to the UN Global Compact. We have to thank you for this. You didnt just sign up to it: you started a project, that you just mentioned, in order to promote the principles of it and the concept of corporate social responsibility in Anatolia. Can you tell us a bit about the activities that this project carries out? What are the specifics of this project?
T.S.: Our primary goal with this project is to promote understanding in small and medium enterprises of the principles of corporate social responsibility, and to lead the way in implementing these principles, using activities to make changes to the structure of their enterprise and make them more sustainable. Within this remit, we are working with the chambers of Commerce and Industry of all the regions of Turkey, we are giving our all to let their members reach their maximum output potential. We invite these members to us on certain days to meet with members of our committee who are educators, to help them to understand the concepts of corporate social responsibility and the UN Global Compact, to look into if there are appropriate businesses that could sign up the Global Compact, and then we help them to implement these principles into the actions that they take.
UNDP Turkey: We see this concept of corporate social responsibility more and more in our lives now. We could say that more is known about it nowadays. If we analyse the UN Global Compact a little more, it means that businesses and organisations, including universities and many other organisations, are making a commitment to adhere to the principles that are set out in the compact. Lets explore this. The Rotary Clubs in Turkey have entered into this competition and due to this project you have been doing, many SME’s in Anatolia have come to understand this concept and hopefully, have committed to taking on some of the principles themselves. Where have you been to so far and what kind of training have you been giving in Anatolia?
T.S.: Up to this moment, we have been promoting to the automotive subsidiary industry what the Global Compact is, what corporate social responsibility is and what businesses have to do in terms of these concepts. We have arranged seminars in Gaziantep, for the members of the Gaziantep Chamber of Commerce.
UNDP Turkey: The first one in the automotive subsidiary industry was in Gebze, then you went on to Gaziantep?
T.S.: Gaziantep, Eskişehir… We had a collaboration with the Eskişehir Chamber of Industry. Then we collaborated with the Chambers of Industry and Commerce in Antalya and Adana. We collaborated with the Chambers of Commerce and Industry in Kastamonu, Samsun and Edirne. Aside from this, we also made efforts to spread these activities into the tourism industry.
UNDP Turkey: This program of raising awareness of corporate social responsibility, ensuring sustainable development and looking to support achievements of communities, you give these training programs to businesses in Anatolia for free. Which regions and cities are next for your project?
T.S.: We are planning to put on 50 seminars by the end of 2012. OF we course we need to plan all of these seminars very well and we put all our efforts into this, because we put on the seminars on a voluntary basis, we have to coordinate these timetables with the plans of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry in different regions. Our plans will continue first at Mersin Chamber of Commerce and Industry, then Istanbul Chamber of Industry, Istanbul Chamber of Commerce, and then the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Konya and Kayseri, this is what is planned for the future.
UNDP Turkey: You are planning on continuing this project until April 2013, aren’t you?
T.S.: Yes, but it may carry on longer than that.
UNDP Turkey: So you have chosen a voluntary Committee for Corporate Social Responsibility from members of different Rotary Clubs, and the committee forms strategies on how to implement this principles. And we also know that the members of this committee also volunteer as educators, as you pointed out earlier. We know that these educators and members of the committee are senior, experienced people in the business world, academicians, entrepreneurs and professional administrators. As you know these individuals yourself, could you perhaps give us a few examples of who they are?
T.S.: I need to say that this project brings together perhaps the world’s two largest and most important civil society organizations; UNDP and the Rotary Clubs. Rotary Clubs are made up of the business world’s most outstanding and top level individuals. They are a group of people that use their funds for the benefit of society. This project overlaps with the mission of Rotary, our members adopted this project and wanted to be the pilot project in Turkey and set an example with it. We have a Committee for Education and Consultancy made up of 20 members, they have been trained and are carrying out this job successfully. Within this committee we have our dear friend Semra Baysan. I actually work and organize many projects, many training programs and do consultancy work as well. We have Özcan Albak, Osman Taşlıca and Ulya Selçuk. These people are very active in the training and consultancy projects, and also support the work of our committee.
UNDP Turkey: You mentioned that the mission of Rotary overlaps with UNDP programs. There may be some people who don’t know about Rotary. Let’s just give a few sentences of information about Rotary. What is its purpose? What is its mission? What is your motivation for being part of this project?
T.S.: We can describe our mission as wanting to give back to the society what we have taken from them. Like I mentioned, our membership consists of individuals who have reached the top levels of their fields, intellectuals and those who have made it their living to accumulate, and they wish to create projects that are sustainable and beneficial to the whole society. I actually want to raise awareness of corporate social responsibility in Turkey, and in the world to spread this kind of structure in business, this is the scope of our mission. International Rotary’s aims are all encompassed within the UN Millenium Development Goals.
UNDP Turkey: Rotary continues to participate in this project with a strong motivation for its aims and continues to give training all over Turkey. In partnership with the UN and the regional Chambers, it hopes to be a model for the rest of the world with this project. This project will put on 100 seminars on corporate social responsibility in Turkey’s 81 regions until 2013, and will encourage SME’s to include corporate social responsibility ideals into their structures and sign up to the UN Global Compact. Our contributor today joined us by telephone from Istanbul. Tülin Seçen is the President of the Sustainable Competition in Turkey Committee of the 2420. Rotary Club and the term President of the Rotary Marmara Club. This program has been recorded at the studio of Radyo İlef of Ankara University Communications Department. You can follow our program on Açık Radyo (Open Radio) on FM frequency, on university radios in our broadcasting network, on iTunes under podcasts and on undp.org.tr. Our username for social media is undpturkiye. Hope to see you next week, good bye!
In this part we talk about the planned cooperation between UNV (United Nations Volunteers) and the Flying Broom Women Communication and Research Association.
UNDP Turkey: Hello, this is the New Horizons Podcast of United Nations Development Programme Turkey. In this episode, we will talk about the activities being carried out by United Nations Volunteers (UNV) and the Flying Broom Women Communication and Research Association. The Flying Broom Womens Communication and Research Association carries out a lot of projects in a wide range of areas including women’s image in the media. Today, we have two different contributors from this association: Selen Doğan, the Flying Broom’s Editor and Coordinator of Local Volunteer Women Reporters Network, welcome!
Selen Doğan (S.D.): Hello.
UNDP Turkey: And Ceren Kocaman, the Flying Broom’s Coordinator of Volunteers, is here with us. Welcome.
Ceren Kocaman (C.K.): Hello.
UNDP Turkey: First of all, before talking about what you have planned with United Nations Volunteers (UNV) let’s talk about you, if you like. We might have heard about the Flying Broom Association, but how many of us are aware of what you are doing, this is open to discussion. If you wish, you can tell us about the association starting with its upcoming events. It is April now, and the Flying Broom is organizing a notable festival in May. Could you please give us some information about this festival?
C.K.: Of course. The Flying Broom has been organizing International Women’s Film Festivals for the last 15 years. This year, the Flying Broom International Women’s Film Festival will celebrate its 15th anniversary. This is very important for us. Carrying this film festival on in Ankara, where cultural and art activities are very limited, plus it being a women’s film festival, make this a very important thing for us.
UNDP Turkey: So, it has been organized for 15 years running.
C.K.: Yes, for 15 years in a row. So, what do we do in this festival? We hold film screenings of full-length films, short films, documentaries and animated films shot by female directors. As a matter of principle, we don’t hold any competition among women, but there is this Fipresci Prize awarded by international film critics. This is the only women’s film festival in the world where the Fipresci prize is awarded.
UNDP Turkey: It sounds great; let me underline this once again. The Fipresci Prize is awarded at this women’s film festival organized by you. The festival will take place in May, in Ankara. By the way, when we say women’s films, we are not only talking about women-themed films, but that the films shot by women directors.
C.K.: Yes, the interesting thing in the festival is to see everyday life through the eyes of women. Here, the main objective is to make women’s work visible in the cinema industry.
UNDP Turkey: At this very moment, you do not have a finalised programme but we do know that some important films will be screened at this festival. For those who are interested in this festival, your website is ucansupurge.org, isn’t it?
C.K.: Yes.
UNDP Turkey: They can obtain information about the festival from that website. Now, let’s talk about volunteerism. What is the role of volunteers in the Flying Broom Women Communication and Research Association?
S.D.: This is a very important role because we, as a womens communication and research association, have limited time and resources. Our staff is also made up of a limited number of people. Therefore it is impossible for our staff to get through it all. At this point, volunteers step in and they take the load off our shoulders. We do not only refer to their contribution to daily functioning and some physical activities. We also get volunteer support from academicians. They offer consultancy services for us. We have a consultative committee during the festival and they enrich us with their precious views and ideas. They open up our horizons with their ideas. There are also high school students, university students and female and male grown-ups. They support us voluntarily, too. All these people are very important because they have a complementary role with their contributions. Because when you are working in a certain field, you cannot do everything in that field. There may be inconveniences; your time, energy and pace can be insufficient. At this point, volunteers are very important. Furthermore, they bring in new vision. Because when you are working on the same project all the time, you do not recognize your faults or you start drawing circles around the same topic. Getting an outside opinion is quite valuable.
UNDP Turkey: It is a great contribution. Now, let me get back to Ceren Kocaman, the Flying Broom’s Coordinator of Volunteers. As we all know, the most important fields of activity, or the most challenging areas for associations are finding a source of financing and secondly, human resources. Namely, forming volunteer teams… Because professional staff run the business with a very limited budget. So, is it hard to coordinate the volunteers? What kind of work is this?
C.K.: It is quite hard to coordinate volunteers. As Selen mentioned before, we have very limited resources in the office, our staff are made up of a limited number of people and there is always a lot to do. Thus, volunteers play a key role for us. Coordinating them is hard because everybody in the office wants to devote their time to each and every one of them and to express their gratitude. To make it possible, we should get organized and proceed with a good plan. That was how we got to know UNV. They began supporting us and we created our first connection in this way. We started out with the thought of how to ensure better volunteer coordination. We shared our ideas. Then we discussed how to conduct this business more professionally. Thus, this is a difficult field but the result is satisfying. I know it too since I am a volunteer as well. Selen may explain it better.
S.D.: Yes, I have such a background in the association, too. Both of us were volunteers and then we started to work in the permanent staff. Of course, everyone has different capabilities, needs and expectations. There may be hundreds of people around you and you have to arrive at a consensus with them all. This is quite difficult.
UNDP Turkey: The Flying Broom is a womens association. Are women more likely to volunteer than men?
S.D.: There are men as well. But yes, there are more women.
UNDP Turkey: What are their motivations? You can also give your own examples from your life.
C.K.: Mostly, they are interested in women’s rights. They may have disturbing problems in their lives and they hear about us. Both for festivals and other projects, they come to us and tell us about their willingness to make a contribution. This is priceless because it diversifies our work.
S.D.: Well, there is a song: “We gotta do something.” That is our motivation, we should do something.
UNDP Turkey: For instance, I would like to join your association. How can I apply? All the relevant information is on your website, right?
C.K.: Yes, there is. Apart from that, we send you a volunteerism form when you apply. We have a network where we inform volunteers regularly. We are trying to maintain it and when we need their help, we want them to get back to us. So, there is a system of mutual benefit.
UNDP Turkey: A reciprocation… Once again, your website is ucansupurge.org. United Nations Volunteers (UNV) mobilized many volunteers for gender-oriented projects in 8 UN institutions in 26 different countries. We should highlight that this United Nations institution is quite new and it would like to work with you because they have a lot of common goals. Though you have been working on some projects, you haven’t issued any together. I suppose that we will see more concrete steps taken by these two institutions in the following years. We have two more minutes. Let’s talk about Local Women Reporters Network. You are also carrying about some projects on improving women’s visibility and the image of women in the media. Ms. Selen, I know that you work on this subject. You are a communicator, journalist and editor in the association. What kind of an analysis do you do?
S.D.: Yes, I have been a witness, an employee and editor of Local Women Reporters Network since 2003. I have been through the whole process. This was one of the best organizational activities within The Flying Broom. This network still continues. We call for women on our website. We inform them about the fact that they can also make their own news. Because we know that we, as women, are not equally represented in the mainstream media. There are a lot of violations, violence and discrimination cases. Therefore, this network exists as a womens media. Everything can be a part of news, everything about women’s lives. We receive applications from everywhere in Turkey and we have over 500 voluntary women reporters.
UNDP Turkey: Great! They don’t have to be professional journalists.
S.D.: None of them has to be so. We don’t have any criterion for this work. They don’t have to be students or sector employees. They should be literate and should see things through a woman’s perspective. Among our reporters, there are retired bank employees, high school students and activists. A various profile. They become active slowly. Unfortunately, not all of them can produce news easily but they do so gradually. We are preparing some online courses to mobilize them. So we will equalize the information available for everyone, strengthen this network by keeping in touch with all of our reporters.
UNDP Turkey: Then, let us call for everyone who is interested in journalism and women’s problems, and who feels uncomfortable with women’s problems and would like to talk about them. They have an opportunity: Local Women Reporters Network. They can apply on the website, ucansupurge.org. Thank you very much, Selen Doğan and Ceren Kocaman from The Flying Broom Association.
S.D.: Thanks a lot.
C.K.: Thanks!
UNDP Turkey: We have come to the end of this episode of the New Horizons Podcast of United Nations Development Programme Turkey. This program has been recorded at the studios of Radyo İlef of Ankara University Communications Department. You can follow our program on Açık Radyo (Open Radio) on FM frequency, on university radios in our broadcasting network, on iTunes under podcasts and on undp.org.tr. Our username for social media is undpturkiye. Hope to see you next week, goodbye!
In this episode, our topic is UN Volunteers Program (UNV).
UNDP Turkey: In this episode, our topic is UN Volunteers Program (UNV). We will talk about a new and extensive report about the State of the World’s Volunteerism, published by the UNV Program, with our guest speaker Mr. Aygen Aytaç who is the project manager of this report. We are doing this interview with Mr. Aytaç through a tele-conference. Welcome, Ms. Aytaç.
Aygen Aytaç (A.A.): Hello.
UNDP Turkey: Before talking about this final report, I would like to ask you a question about UN Volunteers Program. Probably UNV is not known by a broader audience, in this respect can you inform us about the UNV and its work process?
A.A.: Of course. United Nations Volunteers, in other words, United Nations Volunteer Program (UNV) is one of the agencies in UN that is working collectively with UNDP to sustain global development and global peace. Its centre is situated in Bonn. The basic working principle of UNV regarding global development and peace is based on its belief that neither global development nor peace can be sustained without the support of people. In this respect, the main goal of this organization is enhancing the notion of volunteerism around the world through gathering volunteers from each part of the world. We send five thousand volunteers to 132 countries in order to participate in development programs. There is no country restriction to be a UN Volunteer. But some countries develop collective programmes with UNV and make agreements to allow their volunteers to work in international development projects. However, in general the application process is made through unv.org website. There is an age restriction to be UN Volunteer, but people who are a minimum of 25 years old and who have 2 or 3 years experience in specific subjects can apply and work internationally for UNV. In recent years, volunteerism has become a very widespread notion especially among developing and developed countries.
UNDP Turkey: I think that being a UN Volunteer has to be very exciting opportunity for younger generations. It is clear that UNV is an important organization to both enter into the United Nations system and to make contributions to the solutions to some of the most deep-rooted problems of the world. UNV is currently establishing its organization in Turkey. Let us spread the word to young people out there. 2001 was celebrated as the year of United Nations Volunteers and this year is the 10th anniversary of this celebration. During this past year, UNV Program has organized lots of activities and I would like to talk about those activities. What is the meaning of International Year of Volunteers+10 and what are its purposes?
A.A.: 10 years ago, the year 2001 was designated as the year of volunteerism and the UN General Assembly had passed a resolution with the support of every country, to support, to make widespread and to introduce the notion of volunteerism through civil society organizations. It issued a call to make known the volunteers’ contribution to development and peace by the whole world. 10 years have passed since then and many things have been achieved in the world. International volunteerism is more widespread than ever. However there are still many things left to be accomplished to fully recognize UNV’s contribution among people and that’s why UNV has decided to write a report about global volunteerism this year. This report is the first published report of UN about global volunteerism. During these past two years, we have tried to complete this report. We have worked collectively with academicians, civil society organizations, government authorities and the volunteers themselves from all around the world and we have presented this report on December 5 to the General Assembly and in more than 80 countries in all over the world. In this respect, today is the 10th anniversary of UNV program and UNV wanted to celebrate its 10th anniversary by publishing a report about the notion global volunteerism in order to bring volunteers forward much more effectively into the global agenda. On the other hand, several meetings have been held with NGOs in all over the world under the leadership of UNV in order to hear some advices about the development of the notion of volunteerism throughout the world and how the 10th anniversary of UNV can be celebrated.
UNDP Turkey: It is obviously clear that this year was a very busy calendar and UNV is closing it up with a very intensive program, publishing the State of the World's Volunteerism report under your leadership. Let’s talk about the report itself. I know that you are working very hard and for a very long time to prepare this report. What are your basic findings in this report? What are the main purposes of this report?
A.A.: The most important finding of this report is that volunteerism is global. Therefore, people volunteer with this knowledge. Our report simply got people talking about this fact and provided a definition of volunteerism. We argued that everybody, women, young and old people, are working as volunteers in all districts, provincial and national levels. What we mean by volunteerism is regularly helping and sparing time for people other than one’s family. I’m not talking about financial support here. As I said, for approximately 2 years we have made lots of researches and organized lots of meetings and we saw that there is no community, not even a very small one, which doesn’t possess the notion of volunteerism. That’s why the most important finding of this report is that notion of volunteerism is directly related with the notion of confidence. According to a study by John Hopkins University, the number of volunteers who work for organizations are capable of forming the 9th biggest country of the world. They would form a country as big as Russia with a population near Russia’s.
UNDP Turkey: So there is great potential because you are telling that if all the volunteers of the world came together, they would in fact form a huge country.
A.A.: Yes, it is true.
UNDP Turkey: Do you really think that the notion of volunteerism can create a difference in the process of reaching Global Development Goals? And, even most of the people are asking if volunteerism can solve the economic crisis? How much can volunteerism achieve against such great problems?
A.A.: We cannot see that it can be a solution to the economic crisis but it is true that it has very big contribution for the economy. The notion of volunteerism can never replace public services and there is no suggestion in that direction in the report. However volunteers are really very effective in development and peace issues and there are lots of examples that support this argument in the report. And I really recommend everybody to read it. You can find it on unv.org. For example, by contributing to the polio vaccine, thousands of volunteers saved the lives of 2.5 million children. 50 thousand female volunteers in Nepal travelled from district to district to help and offer consultation to pregnant women after taking a short training period. These women were so poor, they didn’t even have shoes. As a result, the mortality rate of pregnant women in Nepal decreased 40% in 17 years and this is one of the most important Millennium Development Goals for such countries.
UNDP Turkey: It can be understood that globally, volunteers have great potential and power. Perhaps member states and major organizations should have a responsibility to support the organization of volunteers much more seriously and help them work towards their goals. Thank you so much for joining us Ms. Aygen Aytaç.
A.A.: You are welcome.
UNDP Turkey: Our contributor was UNV employee Ms. Aygen Aytaç, project manager of the State of the World's Volunteerism report. She participated in our program through teleconference. You can download and read the report that we talked about on unv.org. And, we would like to highlight that you can find a lot of information on UNV in social media by typing United Nations Volunteers, UNV or UN Volunteers. We have come to the end of this episode of the New Horizons Podcast of United Nations Development Programme Turkey. This program has been recorded at the studio of Radyo İlef of Ankara University Communications Department. You can follow our program on Açık Radyo (Open Radio) on FM frequency, on university radios in our broadcasting network, on iTunes under podcasts and on undp.org.tr. Our username for social media is undpturkiye. Hope to see you next week, good-bye!
In this part, our topic is a dream-like academy from Istanbul; Dreams Academy
UNDP Turkey: Hello, this is the New Horizons Podcast of United Nations Development Programme Turkey. UNDP, which works for a more productive, healthier, more educated and greener future, has stories to tell you. In every part of the podcasts, we share selected stories of these works of UNDP. In this part, our topic is a dream-like academy from Istanbul; Dreams Academy... We will discuss with our contributor about this academy. President of Alternative Life Association and Project Coordinator of Dreams Academy, Mr. Ercan Tutal, welcome!
Ercan Tutal (E.T.): Thank you.
UNDP Turkey: First of all, let us start by asking how this idea for an academy came about and why this academy was founded.
E.T.: The idea of Dreams Academy, actually... there have been projects run in parallel with each other by the Alternative Life Association for 8-9 years, related to equal and active participation of disabled people in social life – projects such as Diving is Freedom, Alternative Camp and Istanbul Without Obstacles, gave an opportunity for disabled participants, whose total number reaches thousands, to discuss, share and showcase their lives, wishes, demands and dreams. And we at that time, while hosting disabled young people within the concept of integration into education and sports, observed that they have incredible talents to enrich daily life and can do many things in music and performance if they are given the chance. From this point, and of course in the world, there are many people who have set a very high bar in these fields of art although they are disabled. We founded Dreams Academy with thoughts of “why don’t we have our own stars?”, or “why don’t we reach young disabled people we lock up in their houses and do not allow to go out into the streets?”.
UNDP Turkey: Alternative Life Association, as evident from its name, is a nongovernmental organization, focusing on disabled young people to some extent. When you came to the Dreams Academy phase, you turned a dream into reality by establishing many partnerships, and UNDP is involved as one of the main partners. It is already clear from its name: Dreams Academy... Can you describe a little bit what Dreams Academy is?
E.T.: We can describe Dreams Academy as covering a wide range of activities. It is an alternative arts academy which introduces performing arts, plastic arts and visual arts free of charge to people who are socially disadvantaged due to their disabilities, chronic diseases and temporary situations, and is supported and carried out by an existing international volunteer network. That is, it is no different from education programmes of conservatories or arts universities; it is planned to let these people, who were kept out of a way due to an elitist approach, complete their education. This is a kind of factory where young people – participating students and candidates, having various talents in arts, dance, drama, photography, filming, DJing or animation, feel free and for the first time meet arts materials, information and have the opportunity to perform.
UNDP Turkey: It began in Beşiktaş, Istanbul; then continued onto the Anatolian side in association with Ataşehir Municipality. We touched upon socially-disadvantaged young people. Can you make this clearer? What kind of young people are involved in Dreams Academy? There are, for instance, blind people, the mentally disabled. How can their talents be realized?
E.T.: We can categorize disabled people into four groups: the blind, the physically disabled, the deaf and the mentally disabled. In Dreams Academy, we take action regarding these disability categories without any selection processes, any elitist approaches and any exams; but with an approach of highlighting their CANs instead of their CANTs. Thus, we welcome everybody who says “I have never had the opportunity for an education like this” or “I was kept outside of this process in some way”. We have an affluent programme. There are many tutors who voluntarily work and there are artists.
UNDP Turkey: Actually, regarding this dimension of the project, it is seen as an important example of social inclusion, both in Turkey and abroad. It was recently awarded with many prizes, wasn’t it?
E.T.: The biggest reason for the quick success of Dreams Academy is its strong partnership structure. I think it is a successful role model or model practice for maintenance of cross sectorial relations. As you have mentioned, United Nations Development Programme is on one side and State Planning Organization is on the other, representing the Government. There is the Vodafone Turkey Foundation involved, representing the private sector side. On the opposite side, there are local governments which provide us with appropriate places to work from and in the middle of this structure there is a non governmental organization. These projects are frames which enable social enterprises and social responsibility to turn into sustainable social investment and development.
UNDP Turkey: This project is an example regarding both its partnership structure and its aims, targets and methods.
E.T.: Yes, its structure is strong, since it was not planned as a sponsorship system. This enables the project to be sustainable and reduces risks. When something is looked at both internationally and locally, it becomes evident that the project can be a model for other non governmental organizations, carrying out all of these activities. Dreams Academy works like a factory which enables people to express themselves as artists and to perform, and creates opportunities regarding labour, for example a social inclusion band member, earning an income - the same is valid for musical students and artists of Dreams Group. There are “production studios” which can be used by students who are interested in photography, painting; this is why I used the word “factory”. This model certainly captured interest in Europe as well. After being awarded with the Golden Compass, it became an issue debated in workshops and seminars in Europe. Eventually this project was ranked among the first top ten out of 150 projects from 23 countries in the European Social Innovation competition run by Euclid Network,and the Six Young Foundation in cooperation with the European Commission. We, representatives of the UNDP, Ayder and Vodafone Turkey Foundation made presentations in Bilbao which is the Silicon Valley of social enterprise. Our presentation was the favorite one among the entire projects.
UNDP Turkey: Actually there are various successes and awards, when Dreams Academy is mentioned. How can a person reach you to get information?
E.T.: They can reach us on duslarakademisi.org.
UNDP Turkey: People who are willing to participate as volunteer tutors can also reach you through the same web address as well, can't they?
E.T.: Everybody can reach us on the same web address.
UNDP Turkey: One last question...What is your own personal link with this project?
E.T.: If there is an existing social problem, there is certainly a solution; this can be a step taken by one person. I, as a citizen and an intellectual with a logic of why I should not be that man, being sensitive to his country and era, could not be indifferent to the existing problems that I know about.
UNDP Turkey: And you then took action and found yourself in this project. Thank you very much Mr. Ercan Tutal, President of Alternative Life Association (Ayder) and Project Coordinator of Dreams Academy for joining us. We have come to the end of the New Horizons Podcast of United Nations Development Programme Turkey. This podcast has been recorded at the studios of Açık Radyo (Open Radio) in Istanbul. You can follow our podcasts on Açık Radyo (Open Radio) on FM frequency or on the internet on undp.org.tr, on iTunes as podcast format, as well as on YouTube in video format. Our username on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Flickr is undpturkiye. Hope to see you next week, goodbye!
Editor: Faik Uyanık
Assistant: Nazife Ece
Intern: Gizem Tezyürek
Contributors to this issue: Deniz Tapan, Yıldıray Lise
© 2012 UNDP Turkey
All rights of New Horizons are reserved to UNDP Turkey. Any use of information should be accompanied by an acknowledgment of New Horizons as the source citing the URL of the article.