21/12/2012 | Writer: Kaos GL

Events, that took place between December 10 and 16, were followed by nearly 750 human rights defenders.

Symposium Against Discriminations Concluded Kaos GL - News Portal for LGBTI+
Symposium Against Discriminations that took place between December 10 and 16 was followed by nearly 750 human rights defenders.

Participants from 14 cities of Turkey
The Symposium Against Discriminations brought nearly 40 human rights defenders, educators and academicians from Batman, Mersin, Kars, Eskişehir, Diyarbakır, Balıkesir, Adana, Malatya, İzmir, Aydın, Kocaeli, Trabzon, Muğla and İstanbul together. Ankara Bar Association Education and Cultural Center opened its doors on December 15 and 16.
Experts, academicians and activists working on education, health, labour life, housing and fundamental human rights took the floor on their particular expertise fields.
 
Speakers of the Symposium were Selçuk Candansayar (Prof. Dr., Gazi University, Psychiatry), Melek Göregenli (Prof. Dr., Ege University, Social Psychology), Hakan Ataman (Human Rights Defender), Ecehan Balta (Ecology Collective Association), Levent Şentürk (Assist. Prof. Dr., Eskişehir Osmangazi University, Department of Architecture), Tanju Gündüzalp (Ankara’s Unofficial Newspaper Solfasol, Architect), Remzi Altunpolat (Kaos GL Education Coordinator), İlksen Dinçtürk (PhD Student, Ankara University Faculty of Education), Ayşe Devrim Çıngı Başterzi (Assoc. Prof. Dr., Mersin University Faculty of Medicine Psychiatry, and Executive Committee Membership in Psychiatric Association of Turkey), Osman Elbek (Assoc. Prof. Dr., Adnan Menderes University Faculty of Medicine), Tuğrul Erbaydar (Assoc. Prof. Dr., Ankara University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health).
 
NGO Supported the Symposium
Activists from LISTAG-Families of LGBTs in İstanbul, SPOD (Social Policies, Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Studies Association), İstanbul LGBT, Lambdaistanbul, Amnesty International, Helsinki Citizens Assembly, Psychiatric Association of Turkey, CETAD, the Civil Society in the Penal System Foundation, Educational Rights Association), İstanbul Eğitim-Sen Branch, Malatya Eğitim-Sen Branch, Batman Eğitim-Sen Branch, Ankara Eğitim-Sen Branch, Van Women’s Association, Black-Pink Triangle Organization, Hebun LGBT, Mülteci-Der Association, HDK, Balıkesir LGBT and Kocaeli LGBT, Pink Life Association, Öteki Bisiklet, Nüve.net, Gündem Çocuk Association, Students Against Homophobia and Transphobia from Hacettepe University, The Confederation of Public Workers’ Unions - KESK, Confederation of Revolutionary Trade Unions of Turkey - DİSK, and SES Union executives and feminist organizations participated in the Symposium.
 
Trade Union Supported the Symposium
Canan Çağlayan (The Confederation of Public Workers’ Unions - KESK), Kıvanç Eliaçık (Confederation of Revolutionary Trade Unions of Turkey - DİSK), Betül Korkut (Eğitim-Sen-Education) and Zülfikar Kartal Akçay (SES Union) attended and spoke as a part of the events.
 
Nine Parliamentarians Present in the Symposium
Sebahat Tuncel (Turkish Grand National Assembly Women-Men Equal Access to Opportunities Commission Member & BDP Istanbul Parliamentarian), Şafak Pavey (United Nations Human Rights Committee Member & CHP Deputy Chairperson, İstanbul Parliamentarian), Rıza Türmen (Turkish Grand National Assembly Constitution Commission Member & CHP İzmir Parliamentarian), Ertuğrul Kürkçü (Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly Member, Turkish Grand National Assembly Human Rights Monitoring Commission Member & BDP Mersin Parliamentarian), Binnaz Toprak (Turkish Grand National Assembly Women-Men Equal Access to Opportunities Commission Deputy & CHP Istanbul Parliamentarian), Melda Onur (Turkish Grand National Assembly Environment Commission Member & CHP Istanbul Parliamentarian), Aykan Erdemir (Turkish Grand National Assembly European Union Compliance Commission Member & CHP Bursa Parliamentarian), Özgür Özel (Turkish Grand National Assembly Health, Family, Labour and Social Affairs Commission Member & CHP Manisa Parliamentarian) made their speeches and presentations in the Symposium.
 
Ayşe Eser Danışoğlu (Turkish Grand National Assembly European Union Compliance Commission Member & CHP İstanbul Parliamentarian) sent a support letter through Şafak Pavey. Veli Aybaba, Malatya Deputy of CHP, watched the Symposium.
 
Kaos GL Advisory Committee members Melek Göregenli, Selçuk Candansayar, Tuğrul Erbaydar, Osman Elbek, Şevki Sözen, Ayşe Devrim Çıngı, Şahika Yüksel, Devrim Sezer, Sema Buz and Levent Şentürk also participated in the Symposium.
 
International Solidarity Against Discriminations
Academicians, trade unionists and human rights defenders from Ireland, the Netherlands, the UK, Canada, Belgium and Sweden attended the events. Participants of these events were Tess Vo (Griffin Center, Canada), Onyii Udegbe (Griffin Center, Canada), Juul Van Hoof (MOVISIE, the Netherlands), Martyn Higgins (London South Bank University, the UK), Hans Knutagard (Uppsala University Faculty of Health and Society, Sweden), Gillian Brien (BelongTo, Ireland), Rebeca Sevilla (Education International, Belgium), Marten van den Berge (TIE Netherlands, the Netherlands), Miekie Awater (AbvaKabo FNV, the Netherlands), Lili Brouwer (Women’s Trade Union, the Netherlands), Jan Molenaar (AbvaKabo FNV, the Netherlands).
 
“Entertain yourself against discriminations!”
Esmeray performed her new play, Yırtık Bohça (Torn Bundle), on 10 December 2012. ENTU, a band from Black Sea Region, played Black Sea songs on 12 December 2012. ENTU concert and the “Torn Bundle” brought more than 150 people together. Kuir Bar hosted a karaoke party on 14 December 2012.
 
Two football matches were organized as part of the Symposium. Teams of the first match were consisted players of Gençler Birliği Fans, Solfasol, Öteki Bisiklet and Kaos GL. The score was 5-5. Halil İbrahim Dinçdağ, a referee who was fired by the Turkish Football Federation due to his sexual orientation, refereed the match. The second match was played by the civil society members. Journalist İrfan Aktan, Tanıl Bora from Birikim Magazine, Kerem Altıparmak from Ankara University Faculty of Political Science Center for Human Rights, Emrah Kırımsoy from Gündem Çocuk Association, Simten Coşar from Hacettepe University Faculty of Communication, Evren Özer from the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey, Volkan Görendağ from Human Rights Association, Bulut Öncü from Community Volunteers Foundation, Ergün Kayabaş and Mehmet Kütküt from Civil Society Development Center and Murat Köylü from Amnesty International took the field.
 
“Long live faggot referee!” and “There is a lesbian forward player on the field!” were the slogans during the matches.
 
Acknowledgements          
Kaos GL thanks Hacettepe University Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Başkent University Department of Social Service, Ankara Bar Association, Nefes and Kuir Bar for the hosting of the events and to the British Embassy, Canadian Embassy, Norwegian Embassy, The Dutch Embassy, TIE-Netherlands, STGM, Global Dialogue, RFSL, Olof Palme Center, Global Fund for Women, Griffin Center and IDAHO Committee for their support of the Symposium Against Discrimination.
 
Translation: Engin Bayram

Tags: human rights
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