28 September Individual Disarmament Day Individual Disarmament: Give Chance to Life BrainStorm Competition Award Ceremony and Announcement of Result Declaration of Search Meeting

28 September Individual Disarmament Day “Individual Disarmament: Give Chance to Life” 
BrainStorm Competition Award Ceremony and Announcement of Result Declaration of Search Meeting

28 September 2005
Atatürk Culture Center / Taksim


 

Dear guests,

We carry out activities to draw attention of the public to individual disarmament issue every year on Individual Disarmament Day of 28 September. We believe that social problems can be solved by the increase of those who demand solution and display reaction and if they join their power.

With this belief, we wanted to carry out the activities in different fields simultaneously while planning Individual Disarmament Day activities. Our purpose is to form a public opinion and do concrete works and search for solutions. 

We wanted to reach the silent screams of those who died with firearms to the silent parts of the society through “March of Silent Shoes”. These silent shoes will have violence under their soles and walk on violence every year. Our voice will be stronger with every passing year.

Our young  publicists carried out a brainstorm session for “Individual Disarmament: Give Chance to Life” all day last Sunday and the campaigns, more impressive than each other,  emerged as a result of it, which say “No to Individual Armament” and “Give Chance to Life”.

Campaigns entitled for a prize were determined with the opinions of our esteemed jury members. The campaign that wins the first prize will be published in newspapers, magazines, radios and TV channels and billboards. It will draw attention to the matter that individual arms are fatal and it will invite our citizens to realize the importance of individual disarmament.

It is very important to form public opinion about a social problem.  Media should publicise the subject in a responsible and consciences way for the consensus of opinion of the citizens and they should keep the matter in agenda without giving a way.

There is unavoidable truth behind all of these, which is the importance of conducting scientific work regarding social problems and different approaches and solution recommendations which will be demanded from the experts. 

Believing in this, we held a search meeting titled “Individual Armament Problem in Turkey: Solution Recommendations” in cooperation with Istanbul Governorship. Experts from different disciplines and scientists who have works on and are interested in this subject searched an answer for the question of “how individual disarmament is ensured” as a result of very long and difficult works and presented their recommendations.

We will share the result declaration with the public today in this hall and we will convey it first to the Prime Ministry and the authorities. 

Our expectation is that our recommendations are taken seriously and necessary works are started. We are hopeful because of the notice on “Firing with Arms” that was sent to all governorships of provinces by Internal Affair Ministry.

The question resolutions and Bills prepared by some members of parliament indicate that there will be serious works on individual disarmament. Additionally, the Prime Minister highlighted the importance of individual disarmament for the first time in this year and he announced that necessary works will be done to take measures regarding the matter. Solution recommendations are public knowledge now...Keeping what was promised will result in important steps to be taken for this matter. 

I would like to express here that Umut Foundation will be a pursuer of the execution of the recommendations...

I would like to thank Istanbul Governorship by Mr. Muammer Güler, the Governor for its valued contribution and cooperation  within the frame of 28 September Individual Disarmament Day activities,  Beyoğlu Municipality, Netherlands Consulate General, Advertisement Creators Asssociation; Atatürk Culture Centre, Borsa Restaurant and Lütfi Kırdar  Convention and Exhibition Center before ending my words. 

Moreover, I immensely thank every expert and scientists who participated in the Search Meeting and reached solution recommendations with their energy and effort; jury members and contestants of Brain Storm competition and finally you who showed your sensitivity for the matter by being here.

I wish for hopeful days...