[#Meydan Meetings]
Effective Civil Society for Participatory Democracy
In 2022, under the title of “Effective Civil Society for Participatory Democracy”; we met face-to-face with nearly 100 civil society representatives working in democracy and different fields in 4 different provinces: İstanbul on 17 October, Diyarbakır on 5 November, Ankara on 24 November and İzmir on 23 December. Structural problems that need to be changed in order for the society to be more effective were discussed.
Meydan meetings started with the introduction of the participants by stating their names and institutions. After the introduction session, the highlights of the research“The Relationship of Civil Society with Politics and Decision Mechanisms”conducted by YADA Foundation and which forms the basis of these meetings were shared with the participants. Following the presentation of the highlights of the research, Journalist, Writer, Civil Society and Social Policy Expert Emine Uçak shared the current situation and her experiences in line with the question what to do for "Civil society for participatory democracy?". She started her speech with this question: "Why do we have to put participation forward by saying participatory democracy?". At the forum held after the opening speeches, all participants, based on their own experiences, answered these questions: “What are our dead ends for participatory democracy? What would be our possible roadmaps?”. After the Civil Society Forum for Participatory Democracy session, the participants were divided into groups around certain topics-themes and discussed the problems and solutions for the problems.
Whose issue is the youth issue?
Meydan was held online on 12 March 2021, with a title of “Whose issue is the youth issue?”. Meydan meeting was held online to talk about young people who are not involved in education and employment, youth from many provinces of Türkiye, civil society representatives working in the fields of unemployment, civil society, dialogue, gender and education, and experts working in local administrations came together and discussed the youth theme. The event started with a brief introduction after the participants stated their names and institutions. After the introduction session, a panel session was held. Within the panel, current data and the findings of the current research on young people in Türkiye were presented. Participants divided into groups after the panel and discussed "Whose issue is the youth issue?".
When the Climate Crisis Knocks on the Door
Meydan meeting was held online on 28 January 2021, with a title of “When the Climate Crisis Knocked on the Door”. The theme was climate crisis, in which many CSO representatives from different working fields such as environment, ecology, nature, consumption, social service, local government, gender, sustainability, refugee, youth, industry, health, education, and culture attended from different cities of Türkiye. Under the title of “When the Climate Crisis Knocked on the Door”, the future of the climate crisis, its effects on different vulnerable groups and solutions for these problems were discussed. In the online event to explore together what can be done for adaptation and measures to the climate crisis; civil society representatives working in the fields of environment, ecology, nature, consumption, social work, local government, gender, sustainability, refugee, youth, industry, health, education and culture from many provinces of Türkiye came together.
The event started with a brief introduction after the participants stated their names and institutions. After the introduction session, the question of "What comes to mind when you think of climate?" was asked to the participants to set the scene and foster the discussions. Following the main session, the panel session was started. The second session started with the participants being divided into groups and they sought answers to the following questions: Has the climate crisis knocked on your door? Are you ready for the climate crisis? How will vulnerable groups be affected by the climate crisis? What can be done together?
Intersecting Paths and Roles in Disaster
Meydan event was held online on 23 December 2020. The title was “At Meydan, we are discussing the roles and roads that are intersecting in disasters!”. The event was held to discuss the role of civil society in different phases of disasters, and civil society dialogue within itself and with stakeholders in pre, during and post periods of disasters. The event started with a brief introduction after the participants stated their names and institutions. After the introduction session, 'How prepared is the civil society for disasters?', 'Does civil society have the necessary mechanisms to produce a post-disaster response?' and 'Is there a dialogue ground between civil society - public and different stakeholders for disaster processes?' questions were answered anonymously by the participants via menti.com. Following the main session, the panel session started.
Afterwards, the participants were divided into groups with the theme "flood, epidemic, drought and earthquake" in line with their own choices, and answered to the following questions: “What mission can civil society have on these themes? (Before, during and after the disaster), What kind of policy recommendations are needed? What kind of mechanisms / networks / collaborations are needed?”.
To talk about New Dialogue, Negotiation and Cooperation Models
Meydan meeting was held online due to the pandemic on 28 September 2020. The title was “Let’s Meet at Meydan to talk about New Dialogue, Negotiation and Cooperation Models”. This event was the first after the pandemic started. Therefore, the theme was chosen as dialogue in this new world.
The general discussions were around these questions: "How was the period of the pandemic for institutions and individuals in terms of dialogue & cooperation? “Will there be any differences in dialogue and cooperation after this period? If so, how will it be? What kind of methods were used during the pandemic process? What worked and what did not work? What methods are abandoned?". The meeting started with the introduction after the participants stated their names and institutions. After this session, participants were asked a series of questions on menti.com to understand their experiences during the pandemic period. Participants answered the questions anonymously. The participants' responses to the question "How was the period of the pandemic when precautions were the most stringent?". The answers given by the participants were generally that the pandemic period was lonely but active online. Different answers were given to the question of “How do you evaluate your dialogue and cooperation with those around you as a person since the pandemic started?”. Although there are those who say that they are more active and busy among the participants, it was shared that they went through a distant and introverted period in general. While evaluating the period on a personal level, the participants stated that they had difficulty in reaching people and civic life individually, but being effective in corporate life. The discussions carried out by the participants at the meeting, which continued with group work, pointed out that the pandemic period was experienced quite differently both at the individual and institutional level.
Access of the Disabled to the City, Place, Education, Health and Culture & Arts
Meydan meeting, which was held face-to-face on December 29, 2019 in Istanbul, was held to see the issues of “access of the disabled to the city, place, education, health and culture and arts” from different perspectives and to try to discover the needs in this direction together. There were many people with disabilities, therefore the venue was selected according to the needs of disabled people for their access. Also, two volunteer sign language speakers gave support to translate all the discussions during the event. This Meydan was held to discuss the dialogue between CSOs working in the field of disability, with other CSOs and stakeholders, and to discuss the role of all stakeholders and local governments in the access of persons with disabilities to their rights. In addition, the perspectives of rights-based and aid-based CSOs working on disability and what stakeholders can do together in solutions to the issue of access were also discussed.
Meydan, where the disabled people's access to the city, place, education, health and culture and art was discussed, started with an introduction session. “Is it possible to introduce a method that will cover all disability groups?” The pros and cons of sitting or standing dating methods were discussed. As a result of the discussions and voting, it was decided to meet by sitting down. With the introduction, the participants had the opportunity to negotiate on differences and needs. Participants sat around the circle and introduced themselves by answering the questions that change from time to time, including their names and institutions, their dreams and hopes. The event continued with experience transfer and group work sessions. In group work, the participants contributed to the discussion they wanted by visiting the tables where predetermined themes were discussed, through the Open Meydan method.
What is the Role of Local Administration in Education?
On the 13th of July 2019, Meydan was held in Istanbul to discuss the question, “What is the Role of Local Administration in Education?”, in regard to the relationship between local administration, children and education. In the event, the studies carried out in the field of education and children, the relationship of these studies with local governments, the needs in these fields, prominent and open-to-development themes were discussed in depth, and discussions were carried out to see different issues from different perspectives.
After the icebreaking activity, the technique of role cards was used to bring the matters related to education in the main session. By using the role cards, participants voiced the concerns of the actors of the education ecosystem in regard to the needs as seen by the participants. Participants were asked to answer the questions of “What are the problems you face in relation to education? What are the things that you want other people to know about in this topic area? What are your needs? What do you expect, from whom?”as the education ecosystem actors as statements identified prior and during the session. In the group works carried out after the main session, the participants gathered under the themes determined by themselves through the Open Meydan method and conducted solutions-oriented discussions.
Whose Issue is the Refugee Issue?
Meydan, which was held in Ankara on 13 November 2018, under the title of “Whose issue is the refugee issue?”, was organized to talk about the experience of civil society living together around the question. After the opening speeches, an introductory session was held. In the main session held after the participants met, experts working in different fields on the refugee issue shared their experiences. After sharing their experiences, the participants shared the topics they suggested to be discussed in the Open Meydan session. In the group work, existing needs were discussed under the themes of “Social cohesion, hate speech, vulnerable groups, employment, cooperation and joint work” and solution proposals were developed for these needs.
There were two main objectives in this Meydan: The first one is to invite CSOs, which may have made a connection with the refugee issue, but have not or could not establish this connection yet, to think and exchange information; the second was to take the perspective of the studies carried out in the field from the micro perspective to the macro dimension, to question together the existing practices on rights violations, hate speech, cooperation and most importantly living together. In the meeting where these questions were on the table, CSOs established by different refugee groups such as Syrians and CSOs from Türkiye were provided to meet and negotiate.
To Talk About the Cities We Live Together
The first Meydan, which met to implement a new model of dialogue and negotiation as CSOs, was held on 20 June 2018 in Istanbul to talk about cities where differences can coexist. In the first event of the Meydan meeting series, where we come together to talk, listen, negotiate and collect on Türkiye's issues, CSOs from different backgrounds and working in different fields came together with the call to "to talk about the cities that belong to all of us". Discussions were held around the concept of the city, urbanization and sustainability on how cities can “belong to all of us”. These discussions were deepened on the points on which they shared and diverged about living together. Spaces were created for the participants to meet each other, the imaginations and realities of the city were discussed, and how it would be possible to live together in the city was discussed.
In the main session held after the introduction, experts working on coexistence made speeches. After the main session, in which the participants were also included in the discussions, group discussions were conducted by visiting the theme they wanted under the predetermined themes of "Transportation, Common Space in the City, Production/Access to Food and Water, Governance, Shelter, Health/Social Services & Education".
