Same City But A World Apart
By Cansu Acar (IE/III)
Konuşan Halk'a Project, which was created in 2008 by Genç Aydınlanma Club, aims to take the participants beyond the boundaries of Bilkent to discover how people live in undeveloped areas of Ankara.
On March 26 and April 2, Konuşan Halka Project went into action again in its third year. Thirty members of Genç Aydınlanma Club visited district 50. yıl in Ankara with the help of Çankaya Municipality. The project participants talked with people who were living in district 50. yıl about their living conditions, future expectations, political and cultural ideologies, local authorities, public services, etc.
Project participant Seçil Sözüer (IE/III) said, "at the end of this project, we felt as if the people in 50. yıl were living in another world. Their ideas, perspectives, and feelings were so different than ours. In fact, the major reason for this difference is a low educational level in the district. It was very hard for us to find somebody who had graduated from a university. Besides, we realized that the youth in the district were not interested in the current economic, political, and cultural issues of Turkey. Usually, elders tried to talk about these issues."
İrfan Gökçe Özer (MBG/I) and Duru Kurt (CAD/II) added: "Besides educational level, we focus on man-woman relationships and neighborhood relations. This makes easier to see the world from their perspective."
These two visits enabled Genç Aydınlanma Club to define the current problems of distinct 50. yıl. Now, they are trying to find solutions to these problems. After they find effective solutions, they will present their ideas to the related governing bodies.
For more information, contact konusanhalka@gencaydinlanma.com or visit their website: www.gencaydinlanma.com.