Issue: 45
Who would have thought Eastern Anatolia would become a tourism hotspot when the spotlight is always on the Aegean or Mediterranean? Hiking in the breezy valley, riding on Turkey’s first biking track and rafting on the cool waters of the river might not be everyone’s idea of a holiday, yet they have brought over 1,400 tourists, including some all the way from China, to Eastern Anatolia in the past two years.
Although Eastern Anatolia is not one of the first places that spring to mind when looking for a break from the hustle and bustle of urban living; the Efes Pilsen Group, UNDP and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism have transformed the Çoruh region near the city of Erzurum into Eastern Anatolia’s eco-tourism gem in the scope of The Eastern Anatolia Tourism Development Project (TDEAP) providing exceptional employment opportunities to local residents.
Since 2007, the region has hosted bird, butterfly and bear watchers, bio-diversity enthusiasts and trekking and rafting fans who have contributed over $130,000 in revenue generated from tourism. In order to accommodate both local and foreign tourists, the residents have received various types of training on pension management, camping and trekking guidance.
In efforts to encourage entrepreneurship, pension management courses were provided to local residents by organizing field trips to more conventional tourism destinations in the Aegean and Mediterranean. In 2008, 38 people, of whom 21 were female, attended the Pension Capacity Development field trip. Following the training 18 new pensions have opened for business in the past year, most of these being managed by women. (For a list of suggested accomodations, please click here.)
In addition to pension management training, the project pioneered many firsts in Turkey. For instance, inventories mapping the region’s flora and fauna were developed and used in promotional campaigns which increased the number of tour groups visiting the area. Turkey’s first regional guide on birds called “The Birds of the Çoruh Valley” was published and a Bird Watch Festival was organised in 2007. Furthermore, Turkey’s first mountain bike track covering Uzundere – Bağbaşı – İspir – Yusufeli - Ayder was outlined and marked on the map. In the spring of 2009, the number of rafting groups preferring the Çoruh river increased by 200%, contributing to the World Rafting Federation to choose Turkey to host the 2010 Official European Championship.
The Eastern Anatolia Tourism Development project aims to build a demonstrative model for regional/rural development strategies. The Eastern Anatolia Region, more specifically Çoruh Valley is being revived to develop income generating sectors that will be an alternative to agriculture increasing the income of residents in the region. The development of tourism activities in Çoruh, will serve an example to other provinces in the often neglected Eastern Anatolia Region.
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Applied under the security forces’ Community Policing Unit, this initiative represents a move from a reactionary to a precautionary security model, exemplifying one of the fundamental goals of the Improvement of Civilian Oversight of Internal Security Sector project, launched in November 2007.
Run by the Ministry of Interior with technical assistance from UNDP and funded by the European Commission, the Improvement of Civilian Oversight of Internal Security Sector project aims to reconsider the existing structure of the security forces and develop recommendations to increase transparency and accountability in restructuring the relationship between citizens and security forces around a more democratic framework. UNDP Democratic Governance programme manager Leyla Şen defines civilian oversight as “the establishment of the necessary political, cultural, military and social processes suitable in order to have an environment necessary to ensure human dignity.” Put differently, civilian oversight is in terms of internal security is actively ensuring public safety and security in an institutional framework through national and local security forces while collaborating with the civil authorities (governors, sub-governors) and members of the civil society. Civilian oversight is also part of Turkey’s wider reform agenda aimed at improving the technical and institutional capacities of its public administrative system for enhanced democratization and modernization, and in full compliance with Turkey’s efforts to accede to the European Union (EU).
Research conducted in the scope of the project indicates governors and district governors responsible for overseeing policing and law enforcement lack the necessary institutional capacity, democratic governance mechanisms and technical knowledge and resources to perform their civilian oversight functions. In view of the existing challenges of civilian oversight and recognizing the need to further the reform of the internal security sector in Turkey, the project is designed to offer a sustainable working framework for facilitating the internalization and full implementation of accountability and transparency in the management of internal security affairs. The overall aim is to establish and ensure a citizen-centered democratic oversight function of internal security services and to promote the expanded and effective enjoyment of fundamental rights and freedoms of all citizens.
The project has been launched in the three pilot provinces of İstanbul, Erzurum and Niğde. The population structure, registered crime and victimization rates and geographical locations of the provinces as well as staff infrastructure and effective civil society potential were taken into account in the process of their selection.
The three day meeting organized in Erzurum on 17-20 August, was attended by security forces, human rights boards members, media representatives, Erzurum deputy governor, academics and UNDP representatives.
During study groups organized in the first two days of the meeting, efforts to develop an action plan defining civilian oversight structures specific to the city of Erzurum were outlined. In addition, issues concerning the functioning of human rights boards, training on communication with various publics for board members, and establishing means of communication on civilian oversight between various sectors were addressed. Findings presented at the Steering Committee meeting pointed towards a need for research and analysis, policy, strategy and system developing mechanisms. Presenting at the meeting, police chief İrfan Demir claimed that the police force has gone through important changes in the past two years. Demir explained that in the process, the police became more open to criticisms from the local community establishing empathy which will lead to increased transparency. Despite Demir’s conception, İzzettin Genç from the Erzurum Bar Association who defined civilian oversight as “those who exert power to be held accountable by the public” said that although recent developments are promising, there are still shortcomings in the transparency of the security forces’ actions and in answering citizens’ needs. In the project which aims to strengthen communication between security forces and the community, Leyla Şen suggested that a transparent communication strategy be shared with the community to overcome the possible drawbacks resulting from the police in uniform and to instill the notion that the police are ordinary citizens doing their job.
During the August 19 Media Round Table meeting, the necessity of a healthy relationship between public institutions and the local media was laid on the table. In the two sessions that were held in parallel, a group of media participants discussed the media’s expectations from the public sector while another group of public servants and police forces discussed the public sector’s expectations from the media.
Journalist Mehmet Altan, who facilitated the public sector session, expressed the need for very intense information and communication while presenting the findings of the session. He summarized his speech with the following sentences: “If the basic concepts, legal norms and regulations that frame this operation are not widely shared between and deepened by the state, society, occupational organizations and the public sector, more time will be needed to overcome difficulties. I believe that the process will flow much faster if everybody opts for this efficient informative communication as their principle aim within their own domains.” Altan concluded that “adopting a citizen-centered state understanding, and creating a strong basis on which the relationship between the citizens and police forces should stand, is an obvious difficulty.”
At the end of the session, facilitator Assoc. Prof. Ruhdan Uzun from Gazi University, Faculty of Communication stated the results of her research titled Topics that Prevent the Healthy Procession of Journalist-News Resource Relationship. It was expressed that the research shows the relationship between public servants and the media not to be systematic, and that this relationship may vary according to the administrators’ initiatives and behavior towards the media. Additionally, some participants mentioned their hesitations about the sanctions that may spring from publishing news which may be claimed to be an intervention in legal processes or the police.
Operating in various regions in Erzurum, the Community Policing Unit is working With the Community For the Community to establish a strong dialog with citizens to come up with solutions to problems of all kinds. According to the unit chief Engin Özyurt, “the police know no boundaries” in Erzurum.
The Community Policing Unit initiative aims to increase citizen participation in the activities of the police force through mutual information exchange and overcome some of the existing stereotypes regarding the police in general by regularly visiting local businesses, victims and residences to provide security training, listen to their problems and follow up with reports. Among the many projects of the unit are organizing visits to youth centers to alert young women and men about security issues by using cartoons, organize blood donation campaigns with the Red Crescent and provide training to local residences at coffee houses through Responsibility Area Comfort Meetings. In expressing the police’s dedication, Özyurt says “we, the police go to the people and win their sympathy.”
Such qualities indicate that the Community Policing Unit in Erzurum has adopted the precautionary security model which takes measures to prevent incidents, therefore, setting an example to a more democratic and citizen-centered approach in the internal security sector in Turkey. Erzurum deputy governor Gürkan Polat, who supports the transformation of services provided by the police, said that the Community Policing Unit has recently elevated to a higher standing within the police force and that the initiative is being strengthened in the scope of the Improvement of Civilian Oversight of Internal Security Sector project as a result of studies conducted in Spain. He further added that it is expected for the initiative to also be adopted in other provinces.
This new line has been received with enthusiasm and appreciation by women from all over Turkey and is on its way to becoming a favorite among women in Istanbul selling 280 pieces to date.
Beginning in August, the brand took its place on the racks of 7 Mudo stores in Istanbul. Priced between 39TL to 129TL the clothes and accessories are now being showcased in designated corners inside the stores at Istinye Park, Akmerkez, Maslak, İçerenköy and the Profilo Mall. In addition, the Mudo stores in locations with considerable pedestrian traffic such as Bağdat Caddesi and Nişantaşı, have designed special display windows hoping to generate more buzz for Argande. The line will also be displayed in Ankara from September.
Taking its name from Kommagene Kingdom’s only goddess, the Argande brand was produced with voluntary support from one of Turkey’s biggest and most innovative retail companies MUDO. The line of clothes and accessories was created with the coordination of notable fashion designer Hatice Gökçe along with other leaders in the Turkish fashion industry such as Ezra Çetin, Tuba Çetin, Rana Canok, Berna Canok Özay, Deniz Yeğin, Simay Bülbül, Gamze Saraçoğlu and Mehtap Elaidi to fabricate one-of-a-kind designs inspired by Anatolian motives under the 9 fashion designers to 9 cities initiative. Each design comes with a story of its own from myths to spring festival ceremonies, wedding traditions to nature and the earth. The regional and historical character of all the materials used in the production of the items further adds to their originality. The designs were then produced in to fashion items in ateliers set up in multi-purpose community centers (ÇATOM) in Batman and Mardin Ömerli providing employment to 145 women in South East Anatolia.
Implemented jointly by the GAP Regional Development Administration (GAP RDA) and the UNDP with financing from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) the Innovations for Women’s Empowerment in the GAP Region project aims to socially and economically empower women by increasing their participation in labour markets, re-branding Southeast Anatolia, and creating innovative sales and marketing opportunities. In this context, Turkey’s leading fashion designers in partnership with the women of the region have created the Argande brand with the support of Mudo.. The Argande line will be sold in 17 stores in İstanbul, Ankara, İzmir, Antalya, Bursa and Mersin and will then take its place in international markets.
Profits accumulating from Argande will go directly to the project beneficiary women in South East Anatolia.
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The most recent report published by Yeşim Tekstil, shares its activities in the fields of human rights, labour standards, environment and anti-corruption.
Yeşim Tekstil was recently invited to the VII Annual Local Networks Forum (ALNF) held in Istanbul in July to present its exemplary practices and its Communication on Progress (COP). The company has internalised Corporate Social Responsibility by investing in people to increase employee satisfaction, implementing a Self&Supplier Employment scorecard and adopting a Compliance Ownership Management System approach. This approach involves providing standard living wage for employees, controlling suppliers and sub-contractors, enabling freedom of association and collective bargaining, and perfoming effective internal audits.
55 companies have published Commnunication on Progress reports within the Global Compact Turkey network to date. Among them are local conglomerates such as Eczacıbaşı and Koç Holding as well as multinationals like the Coca-Cola Company. Eczacıbaşı for instance, has outlined how it incorporates the 10 principles into its daily operations and long term projects. Regarding the principle of Human Rights, the company has provided an example from its project educating primary school students on personal hygiene has reached close to five million students at more than 5800 schools in 32 cities around Turkey as of April 2008. As for principles covering the environment, the company has agreed to develop an action plan for 3 years beginning in 2007, to enhance sustainable awareness within the company and calculate the energy use and carbon emissions’ performance of six of the Eczacıbaşı Group’slargest energy-consuming operations. Similar ways of energy conservation have been adopted by the Coca-Cola company and ARGE Consulting.
The UN Global Compact’s Communication on Progress (COP) report is one way to standardize corporate social responsibility by instilling accountability, driving improvement and contributing to the development of an archive for best corporate responsibility practices. The COP report is a statement of transparency which shows a company’s commitment to the Global Compact principles as well as to the achievement of the Millenium Development Goals and a way of communicating these commitments with a multitude of stakeholders.
As of July 1, 2009 participants are required to submit a COP after 1 year of signing. Although there is no specific format to the COP, all reports should focus on 2 specific areas, have an executive statement of continued support for the Global Compact, a description of activities taken toward implementing the Global Compact into company operations and policies and a measurement of outcomes using indicators such as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) G3 Sustainability Reporting Guidelines. The COP report is expected to present a balanced perspective of both the negative and positive aspects of a company’s performance, include specific descriptions instead of general statements and ensure that their measurements on social, economic and environmental performance are are accurate and reliable.
With the COP, companies are able to define a sustainability strategy, enhance corporate governance and leadership practices, encourage openess in internal communications, assess progress and evaluate improvement. The COP also provides benefits in terms of stakeholder relations by improving corporate reputation and brand value, demonstrating active participation in the Global Compact and providing greater opportunities for colloboration.
A new private sector initiative premiered at the end of July in Mersin, Turkey under IBM’s voluntary service programme Corporate Service Corps where 7 IBM leaders from 6 different countries came together to develop economic opportunities, provide extended accessibility to educational resources and work to find sustainable solutions to environmental and social problems.
For the first term of the Corporate Service Corps (CSC) programme, which began in June, the CSC team together with NGOs in Mersin worked on 3 sub-projects to improve the priority economic sectors of Mersin, identified by local partners, namely, Mersin Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mersin Technopark* Technoscope, Mersin University, Mersin Chamber of Maritime Trade, Tourism Platform and Mersin Logstics Platform.
Working with Technoscope, a technology park located in the University of Mersin, the first sub-team created an Academic-Business-Community network to encourage collaboration between university researchers and industry to cultivate to economic development in the area. This network and portal will serve as a platform for connecting the business with specific Research and Development (R&D) needs through academics and researchers with relevant skills, and will also connect students and job seekers with potential employment opportunities. The first sub-team also worked for the creation of a Business Angel Network together with the Mersin Chamber of Commerce and Industry which aims at facilitating investment towards innovative entrepreneurs and businesses such as an online marketplace for projects that will enable financiers to meet and possibly recruit fresh business pioneers. The second subteam worked with Mersin Chamber of Shipping and focused on providing a web capabilility report for the Mersin Logistics Platform web portal and delivered a Logistics Strategy document for the future Mersin Logistics Park. The tourism-oriented third sub-team worked with the Mersin Chamber of Commerce and the Torusim Platform to develop strategies encouraging tourism in the Mersin area. The team created a report with strategic recommendations regarding the growth and promotion of Mersin regional tourism, as well as a web capabilility report with suggestions for a Mersin Toursim web portal.
The outcomes of the programme were shared at a press conference on 21 July 2009. Speaking at the press conference, Yüksek explained: “Having completed their activities in Mersin, the team will transfer the project to the new group coming to Turkey in October, thus achieving programme sustainability. I sincerely believe our efforts to implement the programme the 'Corporate Service Corps' which provides multi-directional advantages will add value to all parties, and especially to Turkey.”
In addition, UNDP Private Sector Partnership Programme Manager Hansin Doğan said “UNDP recognizes that achieving the Millennium Development Goals depends on vibrant economic growth, driven by private enterprises that create jobs and provide goods and services for the poor. … We are very pleased to take part in the IBM Corporate Service Corps Programme in collaboration with Digital Opportunity Trust, the State Planning Organisation, Private Sector Volunteers Association as well as our local partners in Mersin: Mersin Chamber of Trade and Industry, Technoscope, Mersin Chamber of Shipping and Mersin University. The project has been an excellent demonstration of a solid partnership that benefits from the potentials of the private sector for advancing in the achievement of development goals.”
Jane Jamieson the Vice president of the Digital Opportunity Trust (DOT), project partner and IBM’s global implementation partner for the CSC Programme, continued "Our organizations share a common perspective on the pivotal role of technology as an enabler of economic and social development. The first CSC team to Mersin, Turkey has demonstrated that not only does the program develop global leadership skills and cross-cultural experiences of IBM's CSC participants -- participating countries also benefit from leading edge IT and business experience of some of IBM's brightest employees: a true win-win scenario."
Corporate Service Corps (CSC) is a global employee leadership initiative of IBM. The CSC initiative gathers teams of IBM volunteer executives, drawn from different countries and business units and places them in priority emerging markets to tackle important social and economic issues in collaboration with NGOs, national and local partners around the world. The programme in Turkey, was launched by IBM in partnership with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), State Planning Organization (DPT), Corporate Volunteer Association (OSGD) and Digital Opportunity Trust (DOT).
In the scope of the CSC programme, IBM leaders are able to tap into their “global citizen” side having the opportunity to understand the social dynamics and business conduct of a foreign country. The programme in Mersin aimed to engage local partners, SMEs, and the youth to benefit from the knowledge and expertise of IBM leaders.
[*] In Turkey the term Technopark is used to define Technology development zones located in universities where member companies could undertake Research and Development activities.
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Each year on September 21st, events take place all around the world for the International Day of Peace. Every Peace Day event provides an opportunity to inspire individuals and empower communities to celebrate victories for peace that have been won throughout the year, and to rededicate commitments to work for a more peaceful, just and sustainable world all year long. For 2009, the UN has launched a new website enabling users to find and promote Peace Day events anywhere in the world. By clicking on the "Participate!" tab, users can locate an event or post their own learning more about Peace Day and how to get involved.
A Peace Day event can be as simple as lighting a candle or as complex as organizing a Peace Concert for thousands of people. The event can fall under one of 8 categories including arts & culture, media, education, sports & health and petitions/government. Suggestions for celebrating peace include encouraging the local media to cover peace events organized in various communities, writing a blog for peace day, submitting a film to the “Global Peace Film Festival” or making a pinwheel for peace.
In Okinawa, Japan, the 6 month Celebration Earth Campaign which will end on Peace Day is a festival for peace that welcomes global cooperation and participation by providing a network where participants can share their event on Peace Day. Similarly, Kenya will host a poetry event at the Hope Center in Nairobi. For a full list of events, please click here.
The United Nations' International Day of Peace - marked every year on September 21 - is a global holiday when individuals, communities, nations and governments gather to highlight efforts to end conflict and promote peace. Peace Day provides an opportunity for individuals, organizations and nations to create practical acts of peace on a shared date. Established by U.N. resolution in 1982, "Peace Day" has grown to include millions of people around the world.
During the 100 days of the campaign, the United Nations will raise awareness of the dangers and costs of nuclear weapons by issuing a reason a day on why nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation are so crucial, via Twitter and the social networking sites Facebook and MySpace. The Secretary-General has been joined in the campaign by United Nations Messenger of Peace Michael Douglas, who has championed the cause of disarmament for the United Nations since 1998, and American actor Rainn Wilson, featured in the TV series The Office.
Everyone can take action by signing a Declaration to support the Secretary-General’s drive to rid the world of nuclear weapons, and by submitting their own reasons why We Must Disarm by clicking on the declaration link.
Ban Ki-moon proposes the following 5 points on the road to disarmement:
I. All parties to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty especially the nuclear-weapon States, should fulfill its requirement to enter into negotiations on nuclear disarmament, which could focus on either a convention or framework of agreements banning nuclear-weapons.
II. The nuclear-weapon States could assure non-nuclear-weapon States that they will not be the subject of the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons.
III. Existing nuclear arrangements and agreements (e.g. a ban on testing, nuclear-weapon-free zones, and strengthened safeguards) need to be accepted by States and brought into force.
IV. The nuclear Powers could also expand the amount of information they publish about the size of their arsenals, stocks of fissile material, and specific disarmament achievements.
V. Complementary measures are needed such as the elimination of other types of WMD; new efforts against WMD terrorism; limits on conventional arms; and new weapons bans, including of missiles and space weapons.
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The first World Humanitarian Day was celebrated to reflect on how far the world has come towards the ideal that everyone seeking and in need should be helped - regardless of their religion, race, nationality or politics. As the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes stated; “It is a remarkable achievement that when crisis strikes today, it is taken for granted that aid workers will be on the scene within hours.” In the last 20 years, the humanitarian community’s ability to respond rapidly and effectively to natural or man made crises has improved significantly, and this improvement is due to the dedication of the thousands of aid workers who have devoted themselves to their work. It is because of their selfless and non-political endeavors that those needy of assistance are provided with it impartially and neutrally.
Despite good intentions of giving hope to and helping millions of people, aid workers are increasingly under fire creating grave implications for their survival. Expressing his distress, Holmes said; “While humanitarians have always recognized the difficulties and dangers of what they do – the risk of being caught up in events, or being in the wrong place at the wrong time – the attacks on them are increasingly targeted.”
Humanitarian aid kows no borders
Even though there has been a reduction in the number of conflicts around the world in the past 20 years, the humanitarian fallout of conflict is still relatively high, and the internal conflicts existing nowadays are devastating for civilian lives and livelihoods. The improvements in Sri Lanka and Pakistan during the first six months of the year have strained the global humanitarian aid system to the limit. Approximately, two million people have been displaced in Pakistan during the first few months, and nearly 300,000 people continue to live in camps with little or no freedom of movement and in need of assistance in Sri Lanka.
In addition, long-running conflicts in Darfur, Somalia, Democratic Republic of Congo and the Palestinian territory continue affect millions. The humanitarian operation in Darfur, which has reached its fifth year, continues to provide assistance to 4.75 million civilians. Similarly, in Somalia, three and a quarter million people are in desperate need of help.
Natural hazards, resulting from climate change, have terrifying consequences for the poorest people, especially in Asia. 140,000 people have died and 2 million people have been left in need of humanitarian relief in Myanmar last year because of Cyclone Nargis. Similar events take place in South America, and “it is the poorest people in the poorest, least prepared countries who suffer the most” as stated by John Holmes. Added to the already existing problems, new threats such as chronic poverty, food and financial crises, water and energy scarcity, migration, population growth, urbanization and pandemics continue to increase the need for humanitarian needs. The last two years have been successively the most deadly for aid workers on record. UN and NGO flags and emblems have too often come to be no longer protections but provocations.” Even though much has been achieved, people around the world are continuing to face challenges that require more assistance.
This inaugural World Humanitarian Day was partially dedicated to the memory of all the aid workers who lost their lives while helping others. Among those dedicated professionals is a man called Sergio Vieira de Mello, who died on August 19 2003, along with 21 other colleagues in the Canal Hotel bombing in Baghdad. The participants of the celebration said; “His memory should serve as an inspiration to all of us who carry out humanitarian work today, even as our assistance efforts in many places continue to be limited by increasingly violent frequent and targeted attacks on humanitarian staff.”
On a final note, John Holmes concluded his speech on August 19 by saying; “while we celebrate all that has been achieved, let us also remember the huge challenges in front of us from rising needs, do more to ensure that the basic humanitarian principles of independence, impartiality and neutrality are respected; and act to keep humanitarian workers safe.”
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