Pannel at Istanbul College
Nazire Dedeman discussed “Individual Disarmament and the Right to life” with children
The Founder President of Umut Foundation, Nazire Dedeman, discussed “Individual Disarmament and the Right to life” with the students of Private Istanbul College (Özel Istanbul Koleji). In company with one minute animated cartoons and caricatures drawn by children, Nazire Dedeman emphasized the importance of citizen consciousness and the concepts of the rule of law and the culture of peace and she explained the damage caused by violence and individual armament and particularly explained that toy guns are tools that teach violence.
“As young and children citizens, learn your rights and be aware of how valuable your right to life is. Therefore, don’t forget that violence starts firstly between two people. Don’t do things to other people that you wouldn’t want done to you. Protect your own right to life and respect the right to life of other people” said Dedeman by emphasizing the importance of empathy.
“Particularly, our toys are tools that represent the “reality” between us and the real life. Therefore, toy guns are effective in learning violence. Let’s not forget: weapon only kills. It can’t be used for other things. For this reason, the gun, which functions only to kill people, shouldn’t have a toy version. Give back to your parents this kind of toys you have and say that a gun can’t be a toy” said Nazire Dedeman who pointed out the toy guns subject.
Moreover, she demanded children to teach their parents the following:
•Primarily, to unload the gun kept at home, to disassemble it and to keep it locked somewhere they can’t reach to it.
•To pay make sure that guns are not carried in playing fields or in places they go to play. To control and to be sure that guns are not carried before entering in playing fields.
And she demanded children;
•To always remember that guns only kill or injure people,
•To absolutely not touch a gun if they see or find one and to immediately inform their parents or the adults who are close to them.
In the last part of the discourse, the questions asked by the children, after watching with interest the animated cartoons, revealed that we should consult frequently to the opinions of the children. Some of the most striking questions were as follows: “Why a tool which kills people is produced? The people who use it are punished but the producers aren’t punished. Why?
I hope that children’s opinions are consulted and benefited, instead of implanting violence and individual armament in their minds...