Moral World Periodical (Action) Interview

June 2004

Nazire Dedeman
Founder President of Umut Foundation
Speech Text

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1-        How common do usage of arms among the youth?

Total number of children who were taken to gendarmerie and police is 39,443 (33,443 boys, 6004 girls) in 2003. When this total number was categorised according to the cause, “incrimination” is the fore runner by far.

 

 

When looked at the types of crimes for which the children brought to detention with incrimination, one feels bad. 

According to the type of alleged crime for which the children brought to detention:

 

 

When considering those who are opposed to 6136 numbered Firearms Law, murderers and those who inflict injury to other people all together (in total 8,018 children), in these crimes certainly gun was involved, it is understood that children commit these crimes most following theft.

It was determined that 524 of 613 children who are opposed to 6136 numbered Firearms Law live witj their birth mother, father and siblings and under their control. It was determined that 230 children who commit the same crime are graduated from primary school and the youngest is 8 years old. Also, these 48 children was taken to more than one police station for the same crime.

2-        Do TV series such as Wolves Valley (Kutlar Vadisi) have an effect on gun use?

Violence messages in this kind of serials or even in adverts and news are given so oblivious. Violence is made legitimate in the eyes of society and encouraged. In particular, children and youth, whose identity has not matured yet, take the characters that exercise violence and are respected as a model.

 

3-Can you tell us about your latest work?

Umut Foundation has carried out its works with strong belief for 10 years. We will carry out traditional 28 September Individual Disarmament Day activities such as “March of Silence Shoes” and Award ceremony for painting competition with the topic of “Individual Disarmament: Give Chance to Life” in Şanlıurfa this year.

We will carry out animation and short film street shows with the cooperation of Short Film Producers Association in Beyoğlu in the first week of August. 

We cooperated with Theatre Art within the scope of Purifying Children from Toy Guns project (PCTG) that has been continued for 2 years this year. We reached to 15000 primary school children in the schools in various districts of Istanbul through “Do you play with us?” play that was performed by dear actors of Theatre Art. We gave brouchures which inform about the dangers of toy guns with caricatures, to the students and their parents.

We formed a studying commission of 6136 numbered Law on Firearms and Knives and Other Weapons and Toy Regulation and studying sub-commission of Toy Regulation last year. Valuable lawyers and experts member of the commission as a result of series of meetings and after studying the Toy Regulation prepared a new Bill for Toy Regulation. The report prepared as a result of incorporating the comments of experts were submitted to concerned authorities. We are still waiting for a result.

 

We started to work on Bill for Firearms Law. We will be completing our work and submitting it to the concerned authorities’ review in the forthcoming two months.

Also, a team led by our trustee Prof. Dr. İpek Gürkaynak continue to give trainings of “To be a Citizen” in Umut Foundation Citizenship Institute in Biga. Around 2000 tariners who received these trainings pass on their knowledge to other people in differents parts of Turkey.

Nowadays, we are excited about implementing a new project. Unfortunately, our fellow countrymen made it tradition to celebrate their excitement and happiness with firearms. We encounter death or injury incidents in media, celebrations for signing up for military service, wedding or circumcision celebrations almost everyday. We will start a campaing of “No to Gun during Celebrations” to raise awareness within the public.  

 

4-Do war environment and tensions have an effect on the use of arm?

 

Wars can now be followed live via media that creates fear in people and they take up arms. It is already known that before and after war are the periods when individual armament is high. Aphganistan and Iraq wars are example of this. It was observed that toy gun purchases incerased among children during Iraq war and military uniform style was adopted in dress sense. Children unfortunately grow up by playing war games.