16th Individual Disarmament Award Awareness of Citizenship and Prevention of Discrimination Scientific Research and Analysis Contest

September 28th Individual Disarmament Day
16th Individual Disarmament Award  Ceremony

Nazire Dedeman
Founding President of Umut Foundation

Dedeman Istanbul Hotel
28.09.2010

Dear Guests,
Welcome.
Today at 12.00 pm in Taksim Square we realized for the tenth time the Walk of The Silent Shoes to say no to the Individual Armament. 
Tonight, I would like to state that I am glad to be together with my precious friend in the 16th. Individual Disarmament Award Ceremony.
In a country if every day 8 people are murdered by individual armament, it means that there is a "right to live” problem.
If the cold death of the firearms, is reflected in wedding ceremonies, feasts, happiness, it means there is a “cultural” problem which threatens our “right to live”.
As from today, there are approximately 8 millions individual firearms, including 2.5 millions licensed arms, in Turkey. If we count the families of the gun holders, approximately 40 million people are available to access to the guns anytime. Every year, an average of 3,000 of our citizens lose their lives by means of firearms and 70 people are wounded. If we think about the ones who are left behind, every year at least 15 thousand people are victim of the individual armament. The victimhood is profound, for this reason the fight is the responsibility of ach citizen and the fight of the Umut foundation will continue…”
When we took under consideration the cultural motivations which form the sub-structure of the armament and the psychological matters, we can clearly see that our right to live is on thin ice. To create sensitivity to this matter in the society and to develop different approaches I believe that the 28 September Individual Disarmament Day is significant.
I would like to state that we continue our fight that we started 17 years ago with the same effort and we also realized significant improvements. Years ago when we talked about individual disarmament we were having troubles in explaining this concept. Today the reflections about the part of the gun in our daily life on media, which are mirrors of our social mentality and behaviors and the constant academic and scientific researches and the definitions that we made, provided the adoption of this concept.
On the other hand, our insist about filling the legal gaps and our works started to present their results. In the past year very serious improvements have been realized together with the Umut Foundation in TBMM Internal Affairs Committee.  We observed that in some articles most of the changes that we requested have been realized. Even if the results are still not efficient, even if the victimhood caused by the firearms which are the latest point of the violence and which sole function is to kill, is not decreased but has become more apparent. The appearance of the victimhood of the individual armament, will increase the sensitivity and will oblige and accelerate the taking of precautions.

Dear Guests,
The continuance of our foundation’s, other non governmental organizations’ and citizens’ efforts is surely really important. But, about individual disarmament, the contribution of the law maker and law enforcement authorities, politicians and local management are very effective. 
For this reason,
We state that, the 28 September Individual Disarmament day should be recognized officially and we found really important and necessary that the transformation social mentality on this matter and the change in the cultural perception about the individual armament should be realized.
We wish that the new draft law on guns which is still negotiated in Internal Affairs Committee will be presented to the assembly with an understanding which limits and complicates the individual armament.    
 
Undoubtedly, researches and reviews are important in realizing the disputes which will form our future. At the same time, the appearance of our problems is a base which facilitates to determine our problems. 
As a non governmental organization, Umut foundation, allocated the subject of his 28 September Individual Disarmament Day Traditional Prize Competition on scientific research and examinations to be a moderator in diagnosing our problems and for finding solution propositions. 
Our purpose was being a mediator for the prevention of discrimination principle and drawing attention to the real or potential conflicting qualities of the discrimination, prevention of violence, examination of the social life with a interdisciplinary approach about hate speech, racism, anger, fear of crime, prevention of fear, the part of the media and culture industry, gun and individual disarmament matters and for the presentation of solution propositions.  Discrimination is not always but mostly the source of the national and/or international conflicts and can reach to the dimensions which threatens the social peace and security. Umut Foundation that is carrying out activities in order to contribute to the growth of our youth as individuals who internalize the supremacy of law and trust in, who respect the environment and humanity who favor peaceful, non-violent means in resolving their conflicts and problems and are conscientious citizens, also handles the individual disarmament subject within this frame.  
I thank to the dear selective committee members of our competition, Dear Erdal Atabek, Dear Prof.Dr. Yasemin İnceoğlu, Dear Prof.Dr. Nilüfer Narlı, Dear Doç.Dr. Bülent Şam, Dear Prof. Dr. Durmuş Tezcan, Dear Ragıp Duran, Dear Prof.Dr. İsmail Tufan, Dear Dr.Ayhan Akcan and Dear Fikret İlkiz.
Also, I thank to all participants who participated to our competition, who presented their support to individual disarmament with their works and I congratulate each of the winners.
We fight and will continue to fight to bequeath a society where the peace culture is infiltrated.
To hopeful tomorrows,
Before beginning the award ceremony, I would like to invite into your presence, our Dear Deputy Governor of İstanbul, Ali Bakoğlu who presented the kindness of supporting the individual disarmament by participating to 28 September Individual Disarmament Day.