We Must Raise the Voice of Peace
As Israel’s attacks on Palestine mark their first year, what is happening in Palestine was discussed at the festival. Palestinian activist Esma N. Kashram, Can Irmak Özinanır from the Freedom for Palestine Platform, and Zafer Salimoğlu from the Palestine Hayriye Social Aid and Solidarity Association spoke about the crimes against humanity taking place in Palestine. On the panel, our board member Levent Korkut addressed the Palestinian issue from a legal perspective, while Nesrin Algan drew attention to environmental crimes committed in Palestine.
It was also stated during the session that civil society needs to raise the voice of peace even more in response to the crimes against humanity occurring in Palestine.
Civil Society for Democracy, Democracy for Civil Society
The festival’s opening session was held under the title “The Future of Democracy: Civil Society Experiences.” In the session, participants discussed how civil society organizations can contribute to democratization and what more can be done by civil society in building a shared future.
In a session featuring Özlem Şen from the Association for Women’s Human Rights, Hasan Oğuzhan Aykaç from the Youth Organizations Forum, and Ayşegül Yalçın Eriş from the Social Development and Solidarity Association, the future of democracy was debated with a focus on participation, cooperation, and representation.
It was noted that civil society is critically important in the democratization process, yet sufficient opportunities for cooperation, especially from the public sector, are not being provided. It was also emphasized that women and youth are not adequately represented in Parliament.
Solidarity Keeps Us Alive
Civil society organizations working in cities affected by the February 6 Earthquakes shared their experiences in disaster response at the festival. The stories of people from all over Turkey and their organizations, tested by various hardships, also found a place at the festival.
Power Stories Met the Audience
Power Stories, where we listened to the journeys of people from different parts of Turkey, each tested by distinct challenges and transforming these trials into a struggle for social healing, also took place at the festival this year. Eight different storytellers shared at the Civil Voices Festival what true strength means, through solidarity, empowerment, perseverance, and the different states of humanity we encounter in the face of adversity.
Mustafa Ülgen, an environmental activist, spoke about the struggle for ecology in the Kaz Mountains; Ayça Yaltı addressed the rarely discussed dark side of ADHD in adults; Gizem Öykü Başkaya recounted the never-ending case of a human rights lawyer; Eray Özgüner, who became an activist after the death of his son, shared the struggle for animal life; Mesut Çeki talked about the lives of couriers; and Nimet Sarıkaya narrated the stories of all special children who say “Mom, hear my voice!”
Street Animals Were Not Forgotten
An issue that has recently come to the public’s attention due to changes in the Animal Protection Law—violations of animal rights—was also discussed at the festival. In the event “The New Others: Animals Living on the Street,” the violations faced by street animals and their connections to other rights issues were discussed, along with an exploration of the map of marginalization.
A Festival Full of Activities, From Tandem Bike Rides to Photo Embroidery
Civil society organizations presented their work at booths during the festival and discussed proposed solutions for Turkey’s problems in various workshops.
In the “Journey of the Laz Language” workshop, the Laz language and culture were discussed; in the workshop titled “What is Antigypsyism? Does It Exist in Turkey?” the conceptual discrimination of “gypsy pink” was addressed; and in the “Children’s Work During Crisis Periods” workshop, the unique needs of children during crises and child-centered approaches to meet those needs were discussed.
The EsPedal Association, which organizes bike tours with two-person (tandem) bicycles to make inaccessible places accessible, also held a tandem ride at the festival. UN Women met with participants in the “Processing Memory” workshop, focusing on the lives, spaces, and people of past times.
