Sosyal çalışma ve hukuki destek alanları arasında feminist yöntemle bağlar kurmak amacıyla hazırladığımız bu kitap birbirinden farklı formatlarda iki bölümden oluşuyor. İlk bölümde, şiddetle mücadelede hukuki destek verirken kadınlara yaklaşımlara dair pratik bilgiler yer alıyor. Burada avukatlara yönelik olarak, ilk görüşmeden itibaren, sürdürülebilir ve etkili hukuki destek için, şiddete, etkilerine ve şiddet yaşamış olan kadınlara yaklaşımlara dair temel bilgilere yer veriliyor. İkinci bölümde ise, şiddetle mücadelede kadınların sıklıkla ihtiyaç duydukları teknik hukuki bilgiler yer alıyor.

“Kadınların şiddetten uzaklaşma mücadelelerine katkıda bulunacak bu kapsamlı rehberin, sosyal çalışmacılar ve hukukçular için zenginleştirici bir kaynak olmasını umuyoruz.”

https://morcati.org.tr/kitaplar/sosyal-calismacilar-ve-avukatlar-icin-feminist-yontemle-hukuki-desteklere-dair-pratik-bilgiler/

The post Kadınlara Yönelik Şiddetle Mücadelede Feminist Sosyal Çalışma ve Hukuki Destek El Kitabı Yayında! appeared first on Sivil Sayfalar.

I believe that we are not sufficiently aware of the great positive impact on our lives of something as simple as walking, which we know by heart and do. In fact, this article is a gentle invitation to realize this.

While the effect of walking on our physical health is a much talked about and proved, its effect on our creativity and psychological well-being is not emphasized enough, and especially its multidimensional effect on sustainable transportation is almost never talked about.

Walking is a healthy action

According to the Health, Daily Physical Activities, Bicycle Perception Practices research conducted by ADHOC in 2022 within the scope of the ETİ Yellow Bicycle Project1, although walking is mostly preferred for socialization, the average time spent walking is usually due to obligations. On average, people walk 22 minutes a day for work and 20 minutes for transportation. The time spent walking for social activities and health is limited.

However, being active in daily life is a must for living a healthy life. If there is something that someone who is busy in their daily lives and “does not have time” – which is our “excuse” – can easily include in their life, it is walking.

You’ve probably heard the advice of 10 thousand steps a day. It was derived from a Japanese marketing strategy, according to a study conducted by the Journal of the American Medical Association. In 1965, a Japanese company started selling pedometers and named it, meaning “10 thousand steps meter” in Japanese. According to the research, the roots of the “10 thousand steps” recommendation are based on this story.

Some centers recommend doing at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity a day instead of 10 thousand steps a day and not being sedentary. To improve and protect your health in your daily life, “taking steps”, even if not 10 thousand steps at the beginning, and increasing over time to reach 10 thousand steps is a feasible goal that you can include in your daily life flow

“Above all, do not lose your desire to walk. Everyday, I walk myself into a state of well-being and walk away from every illness. I have walked myself into my best thoughts, and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it. But by sitting still, & the more one sits still, the closer one comes to feeling ill. Thus, if one just keeps on walking, everything will be all right.”

― Søren Kierkegaard

In addition, most of us feel psychologically good while and/or after walking. Moreover, there are even some stereotyped expressions about this that have been ingrained in our language since time immemorial; like “go for a walk and you’ll feel better”, “go get some fresh air, it’ll do you good”. If you really shake yourself up, get up, make that decision, and go walking, it will definitely do good to you. Or, while you are already walking, after a while you will witness that this is good, you will feel better.

In studies, it has been stated that walking has a great effect on reducing anxiety and depression, it has been observed that patients receiving treatment for mental disorders have a decrease in mental problems such as depression, and its positive effects on memory as well as its benefits for Alzheimer’s disease have been revealed2.

What about its effect on creativity?

“Sit as little as possible; do not believe any idea that was not born in the open air and of free movement — in which the muscles do not also revel…”

– Friedrich Nietzsche

When we go for a walk, our heart beats faster, blood and oxygen reach not only the muscles but also all organs, including the brain. Regular walking develops new connections between brain cells, delays the normal brain tissue shrinkage that comes with aging, expands the volume of the hippocampus, and increases the levels of molecules that both stimulate the development of new neurons and transmit messages between each other. 3

Marily Oppezzo and Daniel Schwartz of Stanford University have published what is likely the first study to directly measure the way walking affects creativity. They had already come up with the idea for the research during a walk.

Research has shown that walking exponentially increases creative inspiration. They measured and compared the creativity levels of sitting people and walking people using Guilford’s Variable Use Test. It turns out that the creativity of a walking person is 60% higher than that of a sitting person.

In a series of four experiments, Oppezzo and Schwartz asked 176 college students to complete separate creative thinking tests while sitting, walking, on a treadmill, and while walking around campus. For example, in one test, volunteers had to suggest unusual uses for everyday objects like a button or a car tire. On average, students thought of four to six more different uses for objects, with students walking compared to students sitting. Another experiment required volunteers to think of a metaphor and produce an equivalent metaphor. 95% of those who walked and 50% of those who did not stand up at all passed the test. 4

We also have some concrete examples of this; It is known that the famous scientist Charles Darwin regularly walked on the track around his house called Downe House and thought while doing so. Similarly, Apple founder Steve Jobs is known for his “walking meetings.”

Don’t you have such moments from your own life?

Walking as a means of transportation

Let’s talk about the place(lessness) of walking, especially in the field of sustainable transportation. In sustainable transportation, pedestrian transportation and therefore walking, is not talked about as much as cycling, bicycle paths, public transportation, and their integration. 

We have recently witnessed firsthand how little space walking has as a mode of transportation in the field of sustainable transportation. The 7 Information Days and Workshop series we organized in 7 regions within the scope of the “Turkey Sustainable Urban Transportation Network (KAVŞAK)” Project of which we are a partner, allowed us to determine Turkey’s needs and problems and to see the deficiencies in the field of sustainable transportation. We witnessed in these meetings that, unfortunately, walking as a means of transportation has not yet found the place it deserves.

If we can look at walking as a “sustainable transportation module”, it is inevitable that it will be possible to develop both a perspective on sustainable transportation and more applicable solutions in the context of climate change.

Because every minute we choose to walk, we consume less fossil fuel. When we walk, we reduce carbon dioxide emissions and our carbon footprint, prevent air pollution and support sustainability. In this way, we also contribute to the fight against the climate crisis.

On the other hand, there are regions where transportation is only possible by private vehicle and walking. While planning sustainable transportation in these regions, considering pedestrian transportation also makes it necessary to offer a model where walking is encouraged. It would be appropriate to present this model as a holistic study, from physical practices suitable for walking to communication campaigns explaining the importance of it.

According to the Health, Daily Physical Activities, Bicycle Perception Practices research conducted by ADHOC in 2022 within the scope of the ETİ Yellow Bicycle project, 20% of the society thinks that the district/neighborhood they live in is suitable for walking. Therefore, it would be an important goal to create approaches that encourage walking for those who hold this opinion and to create the perception of “walkable” neighborhoods and districts for the remaining percentage.

When my 4-year-old daughter, who was with me for a part of writing this article, asked me what I was writing about and gave examples of the benefits of walking, it came out of my mouth that she could think of walking as a “superpower” and we both liked this idea. Considering that we all have such a superpower, it might be a good idea to use it for both personal, social and environmental benefits, what do you think?

I wish a new year, where it will be a year in which we will question why we are not doing enough of an action that is as simple as walking and has such a big and comprehensive impact, and we can “walk”on this issue.

Yasemen Güray Karataş

Active Living Association

1ETİ Yellow Bike Project Health, Daily Physical Activities, Bicycle Perception Practices Research, 2022

2https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/1475617

3https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/walking-helps-us-think

4https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/xlm-a0036577.pdf

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The KAVŞAK Network was established within the scope of the Turkey Urban Sustainable Transportation Network Project supported by the European Union within the scope of the Civil Society Networks and Platforms Support Program. It provides the opportunity to work collaboratively to all groups operating in different fields and sectors such as public administration, private sector, academia, media, and especially the civil society working to adopt the sustainable transportation approach and make its applications possible on a national scale. In this article, I would like to mention about the picture that emerged in the “gap analysis” study carried out by YADA Foundation in cooperation with WRI Türkiye, in order to be able to effectively design the project activities during the establishment of the KAVŞAK Network.

In the first phase of the gap analysis, a desk study was conducted. Within the scope of the desk study, both a literature review and a review on the prominent topics of urban transportation, the components of sustainable urban transportation, and prominent studies carried out on a global and national scale, was made. In the light of the results of this preliminary research, the online survey and in-depth interviews, which are the second and third steps of the study, were structured. Within the scope of the research, the project partners also contributed; a stakeholder analysis was conducted on individuals, institutions, and organizations that may have the opportunity to work together, create cooperation and/or establish dialogue on the subject. In line with this analysis, in-depth interviews were held with stakeholders who are experts in various fields such as transportation, climate, city planning, and gender equality etc. In addition, an online survey was conducted with participants from civil society focusing on the issues identified through the data of the desk study and in-depth interviews. In this direction, the research framework consists of what comes to mind when it comes to sustainable transportation, gaps in the field, the main problems of urban transportation and the current situation, access, positions, actors, and obstacles in urban transportation.

When we look at the literature on sustainable transportation within the scope of the desk study, the topics discussed in relation to sustainable transportation are; limited carbon emissions, accessibility, pedestrian safety, public transportation, mobility, active transportation (especially bicycle transportation). Academics, private sector, local governments, informal groups, civil society organizations, activists and many different stakeholders produce information on this issue, discuss it and try to bring the issue to the agenda. Based on the studies, it is possible to collect the components of sustainable transportation under the headings of environment, health, access, and security. Under these main headings, it can be said that subjects such as air, water, soil, sound pollution, carbon emissions, climate crisis, physical movement, vulnerable groups, wages, pedestrian, bicycle and active transportation, mobility, pavement are discussed the most.

Most developing country cities struggle with accessible and affordable public transport, and there is no safe infrastructure for non-motorized transport. In these countries, traditional transportation planning mobility is increasing, and these plans are largely in the direction of expanding the infrastructure for private motor vehicles. However, there are also factors that can make sustainable transport attractive. For example, improving the condition of roads, making land planning, reducing public transportation fees, increasing the safety of pedestrian and bicycle paths, spreading of applications such as car sharing applications, digital applications that encourage walking can be seen as attractive for developing countries.

When we look at the situation in Türkiye, it is seen that the issue is owned only by people and institutions directly related to the field. The main subject is on the central agenda of academics, CSOs, activists, and groups that can be considered as the main stakeholders of the issue, and local governments working in the fields of transportation, energy, and environment. However, the agenda is generally talked about by compressing bicycle transportation. In the broadest sense, the subject comes to the public’s agenda with the promises of macro elections, where public transportation and sustainable transportation are evaluated in terms of accessibility, and a political discourse comes to the fore through the ability of “everyone” to move. Based on this picture, it is possible to say that sustainable transportation is not discussed comprehensively in all its dimensions in Türkiye. The inclusion of civil society structures working in thematic areas such as health, women, children, disability, and migration is also important. Experts underline components such as integration, accessibility, and low carbon emissions when it comes to sustainable urban transportation. However, there are some obstacles to approaching this sustainable transport model. When research participants talk about the most important problems in the field of urban transportation, they say that active transportation methods are not supported, existing infrastructure is motor vehicle-oriented, and transportation plans are inadequate in Türkiye.

The lack of support for active transportation methods such as pedestrian transportation and bicycle transportation is one of the main problem areas in Türkiye. In the in-depth interviews, when the participants were asked for their opinions on the main problems in urban transportation in Türkiye, it was underlined that the safety and continuity of bicycle and pedestrian roads were not ensured. Considering the fact that other transportation methods are not supported, it can be said that one of the top priority problems is that the existing infrastructure is motor vehicle oriented. However, we are faced with a situation where the ignoring of ecological and social dimensions in order to ensure mobility causes an increase in personal vehicle ownership, and the congestion increases with new roads opened instead of relieving traffic. At this point, the importance of turning to public transport is pointed out, but there is a need for an effective struggle in which decision makers, policy makers, civil society, and academia act together in Türkiye.

Public transport needs to be discussed around components such as inclusion, safety, hygiene, passenger capacity, integration, access, smart transport systems, and comfort. On the other hand, the most prominent obstacles to urban mobility in Türkiye are the lack of a suitable transport infrastructure and public transport service, especially for vulnerable groups. Moreover, for the development of sustainable urban transportation systems, there is a need to plan public transportation systems and vehicles such as e-scooters, which provide micro-mobility, in a way that can be integrated with each other, thus making sustainable mobility accessible. At this point, it can easily be said that the inaccessibility of such vehicles that provide micro-mobility in Türkiye is an important barrier in not bringing sustainable urban transportation to a sufficient level. So much so that, although it is predicted that the demand for public transportation will increase as alternative transportation systems increase, it is still an important gap that the systems that put public transportation at the center during urban planning are not sustainable. Likewise, it is very important that many stakeholders from different disciplines come together and monitor the developments in the field in order to fill all these gaps in the field of sustainable urban transportation. In this sense, the existence of multi-stakeholder structures such as the KAVŞAK Network is very valuable.

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As Havle Women’s Association, it is our call for solidarity:

As Havle Women’s Association, we have been carrying out activities since October 2018, as we have stated in our charter, ‘to identify and combat the difficulties and obstacles that women, especially women who define themselves as Muslim, face in all areas of life.’ As the founding team of Muslim feminists and all members and volunteers who later became a part of the team, we try to add new things to feminist information at the best of our ability, to say what we know is right, and to be on the side of the oppressed. LGBTI+ rights are one of these issues.

We were subjected to intense lynching on social media after our content expressing our support for Muslim LGBTI+s on the occasion of the ‘Pride week’ events last June. Now, the statement we gave about the signature text that we published as 171 Women and LGBTI+ organizations last week has once again entered the radar of internet ‘trolls’, leaving us under an intense bombardment of insults and threats. These groups even went to a Google-registered address and ‘came knocking at our door’ and hung their own posters on the door at that address, resulting in a border violation. Although we, as Havle, took these (perhaps) into consideration while speaking our word due to the long-standing backlash, we would like to underline that this violence is also a threat to many women and people around the address.

Contrary to the claims of those who attempted to lynch us and deny anyone the right to live except for their own truth, we are Muslim subjects, and we embrace this struggle as a part of our beliefs, and we are not afraid to fight for our rights. We are not the only Muslims who say ‘LGBTI+ rights are human rights’ and ‘Muslim LGBTI+s exist’. We understand those who remain silent on this issue in Türkiye, especially those who are Muslims, and their fears. However, we do not consent to this silence and do not want to bear the consequences of this silence on our own. We feel the support of our feminist and LGBTI+ friends and many different institutions. We will continue to fight together. But the time has come to expand our solidarity.

We invite all individuals and institutions that show sensitivity on this issue to support Havle Women’s Association. We ask all individuals and institutions to spread this call and raise their voices. We will continue to fight for a democratic Türkiye where no one is dictated to the truth and where everyone can express themselves freely and without fear.

Long live our struggle!

Long live our solidarity!

The post Solidarity Call from Havle Women’s Association: <br> ‘We Will Continue Our Struggle Where No One is Dictated to a Truth’ appeared first on Sivil Sayfalar.

*This content has been prepared in collaboration with Daktilo1984 and the Future of Civil Society Project.

The post The Future of Civil Society, the Hope of the Deep Wave appeared first on Sivil Sayfalar.

*This content has been prepared in collaboration with Daktilo1984 and the Future of Civil Society Project.

The post The Future of Civil Society, Getting Motivated Against Pressures appeared first on Sivil Sayfalar.

In fact, all research on NGOs, both in other countries and in Turkey, contains some common findings. It is possible to collect the main problems encountered in the research under the following headlines:

1. The inadequacy of the regulations in the national legislation or the incompatibility of the implementation with the legal framework,
2. Regression on freedom of association, freedom of assembly and freedom of expression, which directly affect the effectiveness of NGOs in all aspects and determine the democratic standards in the relevant country,
3. Difficulties in accessing decision makers and incorporating their demands into law and policy making,
4. Barriers in accessing financial resources and ensuring the sustainability of activities.

It is possible to add a new problem area that we encounter more frequently today, including some European Union countries: Harassment of civil activists, including negative rhetoric to criminalize, de-legitimize and stigmatize NGOs. We can count Belarus, Hungary, Russia and Türkiye as examples of countries where this problem is currently experienced.

When we look at the Civil Society Needs and Motivation Survey, we see that the above 4 heads are reflected in the results of the research. In my opinion, the most striking result of the research is the one related to the evaluation of the impact of NGOs in the last 5 years. As stated in the research summary, there is a serious ‘confusion’ on this issue. The fact that the research was conducted with NGOs and that the results of the survey study are compatible with in-depth interviews require us to pay more attention to the ‘confusion’.

According to the results of the answers given to the question asked in the survey about whether the impact of civil society has increased in the last five years, approximately 68% of the participants think that its impact has increased or remained the same. Moreover, although the interviewees from Professional and Sector organizations and Politically Oriented NGOs stated that the impact decreased at a very high level (45.5% and 42.9%, respectively), this rate is 68%. The results, adjusted for the influence of these two groups, show that more than 70% of respondents felt that the impact of civil society remained the same or increased.

However, the last 5 years of Türkiye coincide with a period in which the transition from the parliamentary system to the presidential system, the state of emergency was implemented for 2 years, the influence of independent institutions including the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye, ministries and the Central Bank decreased, and the independence of the judiciary was discussed even before the society. Other studies in this area also reveal results regarding the shrinkage of the civil sphere. Political analysts, on the other hand, make evaluations regarding the increase in authoritarianism.

In a sense, this result also shows that NGOs do not have a more or less common analysis on issues that directly affect their conditions of existence. But this confusion in the analysis of the country’s general conditions is inconsistent with the results in other parts of the study. For example, participants think differently when evaluating the organizations, they are involved in, and they state that the influence of their organizations has decreased, their activity and social interaction have reduced.

In conclusion, this research shows that NGOs should talk more about the political, economic and social conditions surrounding them, generate ideas and make structural changes. Of course, all of this underlines that NGOs have the ability to contribute to change only if there is a democratic and transparent political system, everyone, including non-citizens, can make demands without any political or legal restrictions and their participation is not hindered. This research reveals that the above actions should be taken without ignoring the decisiveness of the democratic standards and political conditions in the given conditions regarding the effectiveness or the high collective motivation of NGOs, which are the tools of organized participation.

Photo: Rita Vicari 

Writer: Nejat Taştan

*This content has been prepared in collaboration with Daktilo1984 and the Future of Civil Society Project.

The post What Does the Civil Society Needs and Motivation Survey Say? appeared first on Sivil Sayfalar.

Civil society in Turkey has always remained in the shadow of the state. From the end of the 70s and the beginning of the 80s, with the rapid urbanization and increasing communication opportunities, with the contribution of the EU process, it was observed that civil society came to the fore as the third sector in parallel with the entire world. In recent years, it can be said that civil society has stalled with an optimistic view. Osman Kavala, one of the symbols of civil society, was arrested on 1 November 2017. Kavala has been in prison since the day he was arrested. The pressure symbolized by the name Kavala, who was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment despite the decisions of the ECHR, is felt on the entire civil society. With the Gezi Park protests, the end of the Solution Process and the July 15 coup attempt, the pressure on civil society increased. Pandemic and economic crisis conditions were added to these pressures. With the blockage of the EU process, this regression became more concrete.

In the ‘Future of Civil Society’ report, the needs and motivations of different non-governmental organizations were investigated using quantitative and qualitative methods. During the research, non-governmental organizations were divided according to the fields they were involved in, as well as categorized in terms of where they stood in the secular-religious polarization.

Organizations in research have been categorized as patronage associations, self-organizations, profession/sector-oriented associations, expert associations, philanthropist associations, fellow citizen associations, and advocacy associations.

When the results of the research are followed in the context of categories, it will be seen that the motivation of the members of civil society is high. It is observed that the anxiety levels of civil society supporters increase as their political distance from the government increases. While high motivation was observed in general, issues such as the organizations not being active enough and the society not showing enough interest were also identified at the end of the research. Likewise, civil society activists who see their own reputation as high do not see their reputation as high in the eyes of the society and the state. In addition, religious structures in general see their prestige in the state high, while secular structures find their prestige low in the state, as expected. Although civil society activists find the capacity, effectiveness, and activity of civil society low, they find the motivation high. However, it will be seen that young people are significantly less satisfied with this motivation than the older people. As for the effect of civil society, when the results are examined, it may be seen that there is a significant optimism, although there is an increasing pessimism as the political position of civil society activists becomes oppositional, as civil society activists become younger and their education level increases.

As a result of the research, it was observed that groups with high ideological or religious motivation are more optimistic about the impact of civil society activities on society.

Although it has been observed that groups close to the government are more optimistic about the situation and future position of civil society compared to 5 years ago, it can be said that optimistic and pessimistic views are generally balanced.

When it comes to the problems of civil society, it is seen that financial constraints come to the fore outside of professional organizations. In addition to all these, it can be said that the confusion in the legislation after the transition to the Presidential Government system also created a communication problem.

In addition to external problems, civil society in general is pessimistic about economic opportunities, productivity, institutional capacity. While a pessimistic view on freedom stands out in structures with high political motivation, professional organizations and charitable organizations have fewer concerns in this area.

In general, there is a differentiation between philanthropy-themed structures and rights defenders, which are seen as more traditional in the interest of the society. The fact that the habit of transferring resources to civil society has not developed except for philanthropy in Turkey has come to the fore in the research as a phenomenon felt by all NGOs that have a resource problem.

It should also be investigated whether there is a dire situation that exceeds the answers to the questions that measure the law and public pressure. Because in the last 10 years, it should be kept in mind that relatively less motivated and less politically engaged civil society activists who would be worried about such pressures may have already withdrawn from civil society. More than 50% of the answers to questions about arrest, trial, ban on events or the closure of the association should be read like this. The high motivation felt by the participants throughout the study is naturally reflected in the answers.

Conclusion

This and similar studies may have meanings beyond what they show at first glance. It can be thought that those who remained in civil society after 10 years of decline were relatively highly motivated, idealistic individuals. When we look at the research, we see people with high motivation, religious or social concerns, who set out for philanthropic purposes. It can be seen that the motivation rate of civil society, which seems positive in terms of human resources, actually shows the narrowness of the human resources pool of civil society. If the rates that seem optimistic are considered together with the decreasing capacity and financial opportunities, it will be seen that the civil society is withdrawing in the face of the pressures. It is understood that civil society is trying to survive by gradually delaying its claim to transform society in the face of oppression. In both traditional and new media, non-governmental organizations constantly have to defend themselves against the allegation of being the bearer of a claim.

In addition to the material and legal needs of civil society, the basis for its development should also be considered. A culture that demands only the state against social problems prevails in Turkey. The function of many non-governmental organizations, like fellow citizens’ associations, is to make the demands from the state systematic. To overcome all this, civil society must have equitable access to public resources, civil society professionals must be able to progress as a career in civil society, and volunteers and donors must be both better represented and broadly rewarded. Civil society should gain access to the whole society beyond being the domain of a group of faithful and motivated individuals.

Photo: Meriç Dağlı

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In our research within the scope of the Future of Civil Society project, we tried to see the needs and motivations of civil society. In this framework, we followed both quantitative and qualitative methods. On the quantitative side, we interviewed a total of 552 participants from 79 provinces. We divided 552 different non-governmental organizations into seven groups, according to their founding purposes and member activities, as citizens, patrons, philanthropists, advocates, self-organizers, specialists and professional sector-oriented institutions. In addition, the ideological identity that these groups express themselves is an important factor for us. There are 110 conservative organizations, 160 secular organizations, and mixed organizations with both secular and religious people. These are 282 organizations. In addition, we tried to put forward a causal story by conducting in-depth interviews with 55 people. In these interviews, we asked the participants 27 questions under 3 main headings. These titles are civil society, democratic rights, political participation, freedom of expression, freedom of association and civil society capacity. In this way, we conducted a wide and in-depth research. There has been extensive research to see the need and motivation in civil society.

On the one hand, we are getting out of the 2016 state of emergency atmosphere. Because the state of emergency is over. However, together with the Presidential Government System, authoritarian practices continue.

Are non-governmental organizations promising today? What about the trust in non-governmental organizations?

There is confusion in all groups regarding NGOs in general. Because, in the field of civil society in Turkey, a crisis of confidence arose in the remaining non-governmental organizations, especially due to the fact that many non-governmental organizations were closed within the scope of the State of Emergency practices implemented after the coup attempt on 15 July 2016. There was a climate of fear, and the gradual deepening of the economic crisis was a factor that could have a negative impact on resources and motivation, but we observe that we are getting out of the 2016 state of emergency atmosphere. Because the state of emergency is over. However, with the Presidential Government System, authoritarian practices continue. Therefore, we presented a fragmented image. In the picture we encountered in this study, there are those who agree that the influence of civil society has decreased in all groups, there are those who say it has remained the same, and there are those who say that its influence has increased. In general, those who are less politically oriented, such as charitable organizations, private organizations, or fellow citizens’ organizations, have a more heterogeneous image, while those who say that their influence has decreased among those with a political orientation and those with a professional-sector axis stand out a little more, but still do not exceed 50%. At the end of the day there is a partly cloudy image.

More than 67% of the participants felt moderate or high levels of anxiety, while their stress level reached 72%.

What are the aspects that organizations have in common and differ from each other?

We tried to measure the emotional and motivational status of non-governmental organizations. While more than 67% of the participants feel moderate or high level of anxiety, the stress level reaches 72%. In this case, it is obvious that the activity rate has also decreased. In the table I just described, those who say that the level of activity remained low due to the shrinkage of the civil society area after 2006 and the decrease in its resources due to the economic crisis reaches 79%. These stand out as the common point of access. Apart from negative issues, the image is much more positive in terms of motivation. Despite all these negative factors, civil society actors say that their motivation is high. The rate of those who feel moderate or high level of motivation reaches 92%. Despite everything, we see that the participating actors still maintain their motivation. There are also points of divergence. There is a partly cloudy atmosphere that institutional capacity in civil society is changing. Although those who say that it decreased are in the majority, it still does not exceed 50% and this time it remains at 49%. There is a 50% split in dialogue and cooperation. In terms of effectiveness, there is a low rate of finding activity, which remains at 47%. Medium and high ones are close to about 54%. In short, there is a divergence in the impact of non-governmental organizations on these topics. Here, I can say that institutions that are more political and more engaged in economic life are a little more pessimistic about these issues. Because political and economic changes are directly affecting their sphere of influence. However, there is a slightly more positive atmosphere in areas that are indirectly affected by the political and economic sphere, be it fellow-citizen associations, environmental organizations or self-advocacy movements, institutions, and where participation is less likely to face any legal sanction.

The younger age group does not see a viable vision as they socialize in an already oppressive environment.

What is the source of motivation of non-governmental organization employees?

Emotional satisfaction and self-actualization stand out as factors affecting all segments in general, but we observe that as age decreases, the motivation for the impact of civil society on society decreases. This may be due to: First, the socialization we are in according to age is important. For example, voters over 30 or participants over 50, civil society was more active in the 2000s or 1990s, when Turkey was relatively free from the current situation. As they played an active role at that time, they were aware of the potential of civil society and thought it could be realized, but the younger age group does not see a viable vision as they are already socializing in an oppressive environment. In our study, we also saw that relatively more utilitarian and more rational motivations came to the fore. We also noticed this in face-to-face in-depth interviews. The motivation to benefit comes to the fore. Rather than just big goals like changing society, that is, activism; short-term, self-related motivations such as the feeling of togetherness come to the fore. Spirituality and religious motivations are one step behind, especially rights advocacy. Here, we see that the participants are motivated to do something good, and a philanthropic behavior has taken place, replacing the traditional philanthropists.

When asked about their experience of being overwhelmed, 63% say that it never happens, that is, the rate of those who are overwhelmed by civil society activities is very low, but the rate of anxiety and stress is very high. This shows that people who can handle the psychological conditions of the country can participate in civil society activities.

How do you see the future of NGOs?

People in NGOs generally participate in these activities with their motivation. For example, when asked about their experience of being overwhelmed, 63% say that it never happens, that is, the rate of those who are overwhelmed by civil society activities is very low, but the rate of anxiety and stress is very high. This shows that people who can handle the psychological conditions of the country can participate in civil society activities. There is a difference here between the general picture of society and the profile of the participants. In order to expand participation, the improvement of legal, political and economic conditions in the society and the removal of obstacles are prerequisites. In addition, if we focus on the internal problems of civil society, the resource problem in general is at the forefront. Solving the resource problem again depends on economic conditions. The economic crisis is very effective here. At the same time, the prevalence of civil society awareness depends on the conditions of the country, as well as the fact that people provide financial resources to these institutions and that they are also resources as active participants. Frankly, I take a slightly broader view. At the same time, we can say this: Turkey has a very high level of polarization. When we look at the general population samples, that is, when we leave the civil society samples and return to the general population, we see that political participation is one step ahead. It is as if there is a struggle for existence in society. Because of this deep polarization, we had to separate secular and Islamic while we were examining it. If polarization decreases, individuals can participate in civil society with more pragmatic motivations in areas that touch the problem areas in their own environment or in their own lives. At the same time, since the risks of non-political ties will be less, I think that progress can be made in cooperation and joint action, but I think it largely depends on Turkey’s political and economic conditions.

Photograph: Shalom de León

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*This content has been prepared in collaboration with Daktilo1984 and the Future of Civil Society Project.

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