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July 16th 1999
Nazire Dedeman
Founder President of Umut Foundation
The Umut Foundation for the Education of Honorable Leaders is established in the year 1993. The Foundation is growing rapidly toward its aims. Various training programs and activities are continuing in our Foundation which aims, in plain expression, to nurture young people who are aware of their responsibilities, who are respectful to the society and to themselves, who are conscious of being a Citizen, who believe in the rule of Law, implement the rule of Law and play a part in the implementing of the rule of Law.
From its establishment until now, a series of studies on National and International level are made and are still on progress in order to contribute to peace. The Foundation leads to the introduction, the training and the implementation of the Peaceful Reconciliation Methods not only in Turkey but also in Europe and Middle East. We can list some of the Umut Foundations activities in Europe which started on the year 1992 and which treat those subjects:
? The First European Conference on the science and art of Peace and Reconciliation,
? The Second European Conference on the science and art of Peace and Reconciliation,
? The Third European Conference on the science and art of Peace and Reconciliation,
? Conference on National, Regional and International Trends of Re-Adaptation in the Balkans,
? 1st Balkan Conference on the science and art of Peace and Reconciliation,
? 1st Balkan Conference on the Education Related with Law,
? The Other Images of the Balkans Project.
The other studies the Foundation is emphasizing are our relationships with our neighborhoods. The studies made in this context are aiming to strengthen the relationships with our neighborhoods situated in the South-East Europe. These studies started in the year 1996 and are still continuing. The Foundation, which organizes meetings dealing with the Middle East peace process on behalf of strengthening again the neighborhood relationships, undertakes important tasks in this process.
? Umut Foundation is realizing various studies within the scope of Turkey activities.
? The Conference on the Removal of Environmental Disputes,
? 1st Reconciliation and Democracy Education Seminar,
? 2nd Reconciliation and Democracy Education Seminar,
? Education Seminar Related With Law on Establishment and Strengthening of Existence Conditions of the State of Law,
? Education Projects Researches,
? Umut Foundation Expert and Student Exchange Project,
? Todays Youth, Todays Leader Leadership Education Seminar Series, are the other part of our activities.
Our book To Be a Citizen
, which is prepared and published by an expert staff within the frame of our Education Project and which is approved to be educated as a subsidiary schoolbook in our schools by the Council of Education and Morality connected to the Ministry of National Education, is very important as a book specialized in its subject because of its features such as involving contemporary subjects, applying an inquiry-based learning style, being a guide book for the Educator. Published in the beginning of the 1998-1999 study years, our featured book being followed closely by our valuable educators and then recommended to their students is making us very happy also.
Within the frame of the same program, it is planned to organize in various towns of our country Education Seminars to the elementary schools teachers who give the Citizenship Knowledge lesson and the implementation of those seminar will start in the next days.
We moved the headquarters of Umut Foundation from Ankara to Istanbul; from now on the Foundation will serve in Istanbul. Moreover, we opened a branch in Biga, Çanakkale. Within the scope of this branch, we will organize various seminars in the Gürkaynak Institute of Citizenship.
Our research and evaluation studies about Individual Armament are continuing. We are working on the tendency of possessing a weapon, the wrong use of the weapon in our society and the consequences of those actions. In this subject, we are organizing common campaigns with Sport Clubs, Federations and lot of Non-Governmental Organizations. The other important studies we made in this subject are Contests.
? 1994-1995 A research and observation contest themed The Reason of Individual Disarmament in Turkey,
? 1995-1996 A composition contest themed Violence and Weapon in Schools,
? 1996-1997 A caricature contest themed Weapon is Not Joking.
We declared September 28th the day of INDIVIDUAL DISARMAMENT and every year on September 28th we are realizing an activity about this subject. This year, we realized a search conference themed The Role of the Media in Individual Disarmament. In all those studies done, we are working to prevent the development of the brute force and violence, and by this way, we are aiming to reinforce the existence of the state of law.
In the next days, we are starting our NO to Individual Armament campaign. With the signature campaign that will start in our web site, with Sport Clubs which were the best supporters of our previous campaign and with the support of our press members who shows extreme sensitivity to this subject and with our valuable citizens, we are aiming to attract the attention of the public opinion, to inform them and to raise their awareness concerning this subject. In order the sufferings occurs less from now on.
I also want to mention about the Umut Forests.
Antalya environment platform
Area on Ankara-Konya Road 35th km
Area on Ankara-Konya Road 45th km forestation has been made.
Istanbul Silivri, within the forest 12 hectares,
Istanbul Kilyos Uskumru Village Forestation has been made. Like all responsible people, we also place emphasis on the recovery of the nature. Those who want to support us in this subject can buy an Umut Forest Certificate.
The published books of Umut Foudnation and the books ready to be published are: "Who is Who in Europe in the Science and Art of Peace and Reconciliation", "Terror and Struggle Agains Organized Crime in the State of Law", "Caricatures of "The Guns Dont Make Jokes" Contest, and To Be a Citizen
Student Book and Teachers Hand Manuel.
I am happy to be involved in all of these studies.
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