Yavas Gamats 2014-2015

“Do not abandon past to historians, today to politicians.” (It’s from plenary session of summer school…)

Yavaş-Gamats Summer School Program what organized by teachers and students from Education Department and led by Helsinki Citizens Association (hYd) and Vanadzor Office of Helsinki Citizens Assembly (hCa) on 11-17 August 2014 in Kocaeli-Derbent is done. 21 participants from Turkey and 18 educator from Armenia attended to Summer School which is the aim of support to reconciliation process and confidence building between two society. The half of the participants were from different field of study ( history, geography, primary school teacher, social studies, guidance teacher etc.) educators and the other half of participants were Education Department students who prepare to being teacher.

Yavaş-Gamats Summer School aims that support the effort of confidence building and peace settlement, improve the Professional skills of teachers and give chance for sharing experiences of conferences from Turkey and Armenia. As part of six days Summer School, everyday academicians, educators, writers, journalists, researchers and movie-makers made thematic presentations. Also there were workshops, roundtable discussions, movie screening and group actions for improving the knowledge about conflict solution of participants in the program. In the first day of Summer School, prepared to group actions after talked about methodology of program with expectations and meetings in the opening sitting. In the second day, participants discussed about globalization, information, formation and redefinition of knowledge, formation will be important in the future instead of information and children do not need a teacher anymore in the session of “ New Perspectives to Formal Education System in the Modern Days of Globalized World” presented by Prof. Aydın Uğur who is lecturer at Istanbul Bilgi University Sociology Department. Then, the speech of Ken Robinson’s headed as “ Change the Education Paradigm” is watched and talked about base lines and dominant issues of Turkey’s and Armenian’s education system with the roundtable discussion. The presentation of Architecture Zakarya Mildanoğlu headed as “Marks of Armenian Culture in Anatolia” which supported with visuals had been cause of emotional times. In the same day, movies named as “Öteki Kasaba” and “Komşular” which created by Armenia Turkey Cinema Platform were watched.

In beginning hours of third day, Prof. Dr. Murat Belge who is lecturer at Istanbul Bilgi University Comparative Literature Department told that ; How Armenians got a situation in the transferor literary legacy from Ottoman Empire to Turkish Republic and when Armenians were seen as an “enemy”. Also Belge told that; Armenian issue is slowly digesting in the Turkish society and this situation absolutely will be reflected to the literature. Zakarya Mildanoğlu’s presentation “ History of Armenian Press and Periodicals” was revealed the there was a wealthy and intellectual publication ambiance in the country until 1915. In the afternoon, participants were looked for an answer to the question of “ How sensitive issues handle for developing the social peace” in Manager of Istanbul Bilgi University SEÇBİR Centre Doç. Dr. Kenan Çayır’s group action which discussed about “How Armenians take part in the textbooks” .

In the first session of fourth day, looked for an answer to “ Can history be objective ?” with President of History Foundation Doç. Dr. Bülent Bilmez. Then, Director Gülengül Altıntaş told that how can we use the cinema for remembering and confrontation and he said that; “ The interruption that occured cause of Genocide Trauma will finish with common experiences. We are far away from confrontation and cinema is a tool for greeting each other and common experiences. In the fourth day, History teacher Mutlu Öztürk made think to participants about assimilation and discrimination on the workshop about “ Ethnic and Religious-Based Discrimination” and Öztürk focused on with examples and movies; how can teachers teach the difficult subjects on the class with which type of attitude. The fourth day closed with a movie of Gülengül Altıntaş named as “Kaybolmayın Çocuklar” which bases on Tuzla Armenian Orphanage. Also, the subject of the movie comes from with the same name of Hrant Dink’s column which established on Agos Newspaper .

Fifth day of the Summer School started with “Past, Confrontation, Reconciliation and Future” session. Dr. Meline Anumyan from Western Armenian Research Center told that ; how Armenian Genocide got a place with which form in the document of court which Unionist judged (1919-1921). Author Ümit Kurt pointed out that derelict laws related to ostracized Armenians desolated goods were about regulations for removing the all tangible assets of Armenians and it was based on getting reach of rural bourgeoisie with the transfer of properties which are remained from Armenians. In the same session, journalist Yetvart Danzikyan mentioned that genocide is an engineering project, there is an aim about ethnic balance and nationalization of capital and even left ideology did not reckon with formal ideology about Armenian Genocide until quite recently. Also he attached that; civil society should increase the “stumble points”. In conclusion, Mardin Artuklu University Sociology Department Lecturer Doç. Dr. Hidayet Tuksal summarized the viewpoint of religious section to Armenian issue. Session ended with the question and contributions of participants. In the afternoon, Boğaziçi University Education Politics Application and Research Center Coordinator Dr. Meral Apak organized activities about get reacquainted and transform the conflict to awareness with separated the participants as groups. After this active and enjoyable session, fifth day was ended.

In the sixth day of program, in the session headed as “Citizenship, Civil Society and New Social Movements” ,President of Eurasia Cooperation Foundation Gevorg Ter Gabriyelyan told the last 50 years of Armenia, urban renewal in the country and opposition movements to the urban renewal and Researcher Fırat Genç told the Gezi Resistance with new social movements of Turkey. In the same day, Armenian journalist and author Mesrop Harutyunyan and journalist Mustafa Dağıstanlı were speaker at the “ How Mainstream Media Venenate” session. Getting knowledge about how conflicts of Turkey got a place in the Armenian press issue was interesting especially for Turkish participants. “ In the Armenian media, urban renewal in the Mashots park can not get a place but police violation in the Gezi Park get a big place in the Armenian media.”

The program ended after consideration session with sharing the good of working teams with other participants which groups were prepared on a thematic subject whole week. First of working groups what are formed by 7-8 person made a drama show bases on a marriage with a Turkish and Armenian young person. The second one showed a short movie bases on the common food of two culture and they offered meatballs cooked by group. The third one made a presentation about the common words and idioms in the Turkish and Armenian language. The fourth group performed a folk songs concert what formed with the participants languages ( Turkish, Armenian, Kurmanci, Arabian , Laz Language).

During the Summer School, a team is formed by 9 of participants established a daily bulletin in Turkish and Armenian language with the support of Özlem Dalkıran. The bulletin of Summer School distributed to the participants every night. Second Summer School which is the aim of make a productive and friendly ambiance in the participants, promoting the cooperation in the mixed groups and improving the Professional and personal communication skills what are make mutual understanding and building up trust will be on summer of 2015 in the Armenia.

Summer School programs organized within the scope of “Armenia-Turkey Normalization Process Support Program” actualized by instrument for stability of European Union and eight non governmental organization from Turkey and Armenia.

Support to the Armenia-Turkey Normalisation Process is a programme implemented by a Consortium of eight civil society organisations from both countries with the financial assistance of the European Union under the Instrument for Stability

The overall objective of the programme is to promote civil society efforts towards the normalisation of relations between Turkey and Armenia and towards an open border by enhancing people-to-people contacts, expanding economic and business links, promoting cultural and educational activities and facilitating access to balanced information in both societies. 

The Consortium partners include Civilitas Foundation (CF), Eurasia Partnership Foundation (EPF), Public Journalism Club (PJC), Regional Studies Center (RSC) from Armenia; and Anadolu Kültür, the Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey (TEPAV), Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly (hCa), and Hrant Dink Foundation from Turkey.  The programme will include a series of activities such as media support, TV talk shows and citizen reporting to contribute to better mutual understanding.

The programme will also include travelling discussions; workshops and trainings for youth and teachers; exchange of artists, architects, and entrepreneurs; fellowship opportunities and travel support to enhance encounters and cooperation across the border. Research on business and economic opportunities; celebrity discussions about the past; and opinion exchanges of high-level former officials will also be a part of the programme. 

One of the main pillars of the Programme is inclusiveness – to engage and support new actors in the dialogue process. To this end, the Consortium created a Grant Scheme to invite individuals and civil society organisations from Armenia and Turkey - other than the Consortium members - to propose and implement their own project ideas, which will contribute to the overall objective of the Programme and multiply the shared outcomes. 

The results of all activities will be shared with the public through the trilingual website, which will serve as a networking tool featuring the overall picture of the past, current, and future developments in Armenia-Turkey dialogue initiatives. 

For further information, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.