1

WelcomeBy Rosemary Arnott - Director Turkey amp Black Sea

Seventy years ago when we opened our office in Turkey our Charter defined our overall purpose as lsquopromoting abroad a wider appreciation of British culture and civilization by encouraging cultural educational and other interchanges between the United Kingdom and elsewherersquo

This essentially is still the mission of the British Council though there have of course been profound modernizing changes in our approach and partnerships as well as major alterations in the way that we work as an organization which now has 220 offices in 110 countries and 7400 employees

Put simply the British Council exists to build trust between the UK and other countries And Turkey is- needless to say- one of the most important countries in which we work Our core work is cultural relations What do we mean by

this We believe that cultural relations build international trust and understanding generate opportunities for individuals to fulfill their potential and foster the co-operation that contributes to a stable world

We believe that cultural relations are powerful- they promote co-exis tence co-operation mutual respect and understanding We also strongly believe that in the cultural bond between the UK and Turkey the UK has a great deal to learn from this relationship

Cultural relations work over the long term protect diversity and individual identity and bring the people of the world closer together Wersquore enormously proud of our seventy years working with Turkey

Our approach to cultural relations harnesses the power of education the arts and creativity sport science English and society to build relationships of

mutual benefit to the UK and Turkey and to address the global issues of our day

Our vision says the world needs more cultural relations Our purpose here in Turkey is to work with Turkish partners to respond to this challenge And in this vein we look forward enormously to embarking on our next seventy years working in Turkey

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First of all I think itrsquos important to say how proud we all feel that we are celebrating 70 years in Turkey This makes this one of the oldest British Council operations in the world ndash the organization celebrated its global 75th anniversary last year Naturally Turkey the UK and indeed the whole world have all changed a lot since then However we feel the need for cultural relations is as strong as ever Further evidence of this is the fact that Turkey now has its own cultural relations body the Yunus Emre Institute This seems to coincide with Turkeyrsquos own growing prominence in the wider region and beyond

I would like take this opportunity to thank all our stakeholders and underline that the British Council remains very much committed to growth and to helping the relationship between Turkey and the UK to blossom and thrive

As British Council Turkey we

have been conducting different projects on education governance science culture and arts for 70 years As the summer fades to autumn British Council Turkey has been hosting a series of successful events and continues to embrace its stakeholders and audience on its 70th year I would like to mention some of those events which achieved remarkable success and had impacts on developing intercultural dialogue

As part of the British Councilrsquos Challenge Europe programme The Climate Change Train departed from Greece and completed a two way journey between Turkey and Greece to raise awareness on climate Also as part of the Challenge Europe Programme our ldquoFrame Climate Changerdquo photo competition has been carried out in Turkey We brought Turkish celebrities together for the competition jury and partnered with Hurriyetcomtr the leading online news website in Turkey in order to increase the reach and the impact of the competition

The seventh Bosphorus Conference has been organized in cooperation with the EU Delegation to Turkey and the Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV) to facilitate a frank and honest debate on EU-Turkey relations

Another project that British Council Turkey has carried out in conjunction with the EU delegation is My City The My City project has been designed as part of the European

Commissionrsquos Cultural Bridges Programme The programmersquos aim is to establish partnerships between cultural actors in Turkey and Europe and to raise awareness of and encourage debate about public art The openings of the five artworks by European artists in five Turkish cities were attended by many prominent figures from Turkey and the rest of Europe

Looking ahead we know that the next year or so will be very busy for us It will see the final part of My City in 6 European cities We will be exploring and forging other links between Turkey and the UK in the arts including promotion of the burgeoning relationship in the creative industries

We look forward in 2011 to support ing once aga in the Independent Commission on Turkey with our partners the Open Society Foundation The Commission expects to publish its next report on the state of discussion and debate around Turkeyrsquos EU Accession bid during that year Our work in vocational education will also continue ndash in particular working to build links between the employer and educators as well as between our two countries And

the development of partnerships will be the key theme in our Higher Education work as we see strong interest in both countries to develop such links In addition our International Inspirations project run with a host of partners in Turkey and the UK will seek to develop vital life skills including leadership among young people in Turkey and the UK through the medium of sport

Teacher training support for learners of English via the internet and collaboration with experts involved in the preparation of English materials and curricula will all continue to feature in the work we do to support the use of the English language as well as the provision of internationally-benchmarked examinations ndash including IELTS - to provide opportunities for students of all ages to prove their level of proficiency in the language

Shortage of space does not allow me to mention all of our forthcoming activities in Turkey but I hope this brief summary will give you the flavour of how we will begin the next 70 years in Turkey ndash building partnerships and collaborations with the UK which we hope will be of mutual and lasting benefit

WelcomeBy Jeff Streeter Director Operations British Council Turkey

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3

Our activities - in society arts science sports

English teaching climate change and education ndash create stronger relat ions greater trust and

understanding between Turkey and the UK

The connection through cultural relations builds the trust and understanding It supports the

international networks and joint cooperation needed to tackle some of the global challenges facing us all from

economic crises to climate change Cultural relations

can help us find ways of living together as global citizens for a better future for all

The British Council is the UKs main cultural relations agency which has been working in Turkey

continuously since 1940 Our work gives people - both

in Turkey and the UK - opportunities to learn share and connect worldwide

Many people each year learn English and go to

study in the UK through the British Council We connect many more through academic and cultural

links and through community-building activities in areas like school-linking climate change science and

entrepreneurship

Read all the projects on our 70th year anniversary

What we do

E-M

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LY N

ove

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er 2

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2

First of all I think itrsquos important to say how proud we all feel that we are celebrating 70 years in Turkey This makes this one of the oldest British Council operations in the world ndash the organization celebrated its global 75th anniversary last year Naturally Turkey the UK and indeed the whole world have all changed a lot since then However we feel the need for cultural relations is as strong as ever Further evidence of this is the fact that Turkey now has its own cultural relations body the Yunus Emre Institute This seems to coincide with Turkeyrsquos own growing prominence in the wider region and beyond

I would like take this opportunity to thank all our stakeholders and underline that the British Council remains very much committed to growth and to helping the relationship between Turkey and the UK to blossom and thrive

As British Council Turkey we

have been conducting different projects on education governance science culture and arts for 70 years As the summer fades to autumn British Council Turkey has been hosting a series of successful events and continues to embrace its stakeholders and audience on its 70th year I would like to mention some of those events which achieved remarkable success and had impacts on developing intercultural dialogue

As part of the British Councilrsquos Challenge Europe programme The Climate Change Train departed from Greece and completed a two way journey between Turkey and Greece to raise awareness on climate Also as part of the Challenge Europe Programme our ldquoFrame Climate Changerdquo photo competition has been carried out in Turkey We brought Turkish celebrities together for the competition jury and partnered with Hurriyetcomtr the leading online news website in Turkey in order to increase the reach and the impact of the competition

The seventh Bosphorus Conference has been organized in cooperation with the EU Delegation to Turkey and the Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV) to facilitate a frank and honest debate on EU-Turkey relations

Another project that British Council Turkey has carried out in conjunction with the EU delegation is My City The My City project has been designed as part of the European

Commissionrsquos Cultural Bridges Programme The programmersquos aim is to establish partnerships between cultural actors in Turkey and Europe and to raise awareness of and encourage debate about public art The openings of the five artworks by European artists in five Turkish cities were attended by many prominent figures from Turkey and the rest of Europe

Looking ahead we know that the next year or so will be very busy for us It will see the final part of My City in 6 European cities We will be exploring and forging other links between Turkey and the UK in the arts including promotion of the burgeoning relationship in the creative industries

We look forward in 2011 to support ing once aga in the Independent Commission on Turkey with our partners the Open Society Foundation The Commission expects to publish its next report on the state of discussion and debate around Turkeyrsquos EU Accession bid during that year Our work in vocational education will also continue ndash in particular working to build links between the employer and educators as well as between our two countries And

the development of partnerships will be the key theme in our Higher Education work as we see strong interest in both countries to develop such links In addition our International Inspirations project run with a host of partners in Turkey and the UK will seek to develop vital life skills including leadership among young people in Turkey and the UK through the medium of sport

Teacher training support for learners of English via the internet and collaboration with experts involved in the preparation of English materials and curricula will all continue to feature in the work we do to support the use of the English language as well as the provision of internationally-benchmarked examinations ndash including IELTS - to provide opportunities for students of all ages to prove their level of proficiency in the language

Shortage of space does not allow me to mention all of our forthcoming activities in Turkey but I hope this brief summary will give you the flavour of how we will begin the next 70 years in Turkey ndash building partnerships and collaborations with the UK which we hope will be of mutual and lasting benefit

WelcomeBy Jeff Streeter Director Operations British Council Turkey

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AGAZINEMONTH

LY N

ove

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er 2

010

3

Our activities - in society arts science sports

English teaching climate change and education ndash create stronger relat ions greater trust and

understanding between Turkey and the UK

The connection through cultural relations builds the trust and understanding It supports the

international networks and joint cooperation needed to tackle some of the global challenges facing us all from

economic crises to climate change Cultural relations

can help us find ways of living together as global citizens for a better future for all

The British Council is the UKs main cultural relations agency which has been working in Turkey

continuously since 1940 Our work gives people - both

in Turkey and the UK - opportunities to learn share and connect worldwide

Many people each year learn English and go to

study in the UK through the British Council We connect many more through academic and cultural

links and through community-building activities in areas like school-linking climate change science and

entrepreneurship

Read all the projects on our 70th year anniversary

What we do

E-M

AGAZINEMONTH

LY N

ove

mb

er 2

010

3

Our activities - in society arts science sports

English teaching climate change and education ndash create stronger relat ions greater trust and

understanding between Turkey and the UK

The connection through cultural relations builds the trust and understanding It supports the

international networks and joint cooperation needed to tackle some of the global challenges facing us all from

economic crises to climate change Cultural relations

can help us find ways of living together as global citizens for a better future for all

The British Council is the UKs main cultural relations agency which has been working in Turkey

continuously since 1940 Our work gives people - both

in Turkey and the UK - opportunities to learn share and connect worldwide

Many people each year learn English and go to

study in the UK through the British Council We connect many more through academic and cultural

links and through community-building activities in areas like school-linking climate change science and

entrepreneurship

Read all the projects on our 70th year anniversary

What we do

E-M

AGAZINEMONTH

LY N

ove

mb

er 2

010

4

ldquoThe spectacular growth of online teacher development courses for teachers of English across Turkey and the SEE regionrdquo

T h e l a u n ch o f i n n ova t i ve t e a ch e r development courses from 2009 is bringing teachers of English together across Turkey and the South East Europe for the first time in the British Councilrsquos history

Online teacher development courses started with Turkeyrsquos very own English Teacher Training Online (ETTO) course in 2008 in partnership with the Turkish Ministry of Education on the pilot course with 60 Turkish primary teachers of English Since then the demand from teachers for online teacher development courses has risen steadily across the Black Sea cluster countries of Armenia Azerbaijan Georgia and Ukraine together with Turkey on the very first multinational online primary teacher development courses in the region

Over the last two years the British Council Online Global Products for teachers of English have been rolled out and added to the online course portfolio on offer Led and supported by the ELT Team in Turkey Primary Essentials TKT and Learning Technologies for the Classroom were rolled out across the 18 countries in the SEE region in September 2010

It is the first of its kind for teachers of English in South East Europe and this online initiative is

already being recognized by ministries in several countries This is a significant initiative because it will add value to the decree of the president of Azerba i j an on prov id ing s choo l s w i th communication and information technologiesrsquo said Gulshan Huseynova Programmes Manager Azerbaijan Online teacher development courses have also received backing from the Ministry of Education and Science in Ukraine where the Minister has emphasized the need for qualified teachers who have the skills to help young people learn a foreign language

The online teacher development courses are moderated online by qualified e-moderators based in the region who guide the teachers taking part through the online courses

We are reaching teachers across 18 countries through online courses that would never have been able to engage in teacher development courses unless they were face-to-face courses

Raymond Kerr Teacher Development Manager Turkey

Teacher TrainingBy Raymond Kerr Teacher Development Manager Turkey

E-M

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The photo on the left shows our teachers Raymond Kerr and Suzanne Mordue awarded by Turkish Ministry of Education

5

The universal language of science encourages mutual understandingBy Oumlzlem Goumlkalp Science and Climate Change Projects Manager

The British Councilrsquos vision for s c i e n c e f o r e s e e s ldquo w i d e s p r e a d recognition of the role of science and technology in helping to extend our understanding of the world and develop imaginative solutions to shared problemsrdquo

Science provides a common platform for the collaboration and discussion that brings people together across cultural divides The universal language of science encourages the mutual understanding essential for a more secure peaceful and economically prosperous world

Within this context last year BC Turkey Science programme launched its ldquoChallenge Europerdquo project aspiring to have a definite and lasting impact on the Climate Change debate last year and hopefully accelerating change towards a low carbon future Challenge Europe involves 15 countries across Europe including Turkey In each of the participating countries around 15 young people from all walks of life are selected to become Climate Advocates who work together to identify key areas in which they think that they can make a real difference Turkish Climate Advocates designed projects to raise the awareness and understanding of the general public

ldquoCapture Climate Changerdquo Photo CompetitionExhibition and Climate Train a joint project with Greek

Cl imate Advocates came from Thessalonica to Istanbul

Climate Arena an exciting discussion platform by climate experts In secondary schools ndash Youth Climate Talks and In the business sector ndash A website wwwcevreyihesabakatcom

We work together with partners in academic media and civil society ndash such as UNDP ITU World Bank Institute European Commission Hurriyetcomtr Bahccedileşehir University METU - to maximise the coverage and the reach of all these projects which will continue in 2011 We are also c o m m i t t e d t o l e a d i n g n e w environmental work in the areas of energy (as national policy energy protection etc as well as sustainable and renewable energy) in the coming months ldquoDarwin Nowrdquo exhibition was

prepared by the British Council as a part of series of activities organized to commemorate the bicentenary of Darwinrsquos b i r th and the 150 th anniversary of the first appearance of his book ldquoOn the Origin of Speciesrdquo was also in our portfolio of activities in 2010

In Turkey the exhibition toured cities and displayed in 14 centres ranging from science centres to universities and schools reaching an audience of 17000 and attracting spectacular media coverage Moreover an educational activity pack was introduced to teachers of science at a workshop which ran in partnership with university teacher training departments where local prominent speakers in the field shared their experience with a larger group around the teaching of evolution

DISCOVER THE WORLD AROUND YOU THROUGH SCIENCE

ldquoCapture Climate Changerdquo Photo CompetitionExhibition

Climate Train a joint project with Greek Climate Advocates came from Thessalonika to Istanbul

Climate Arena an exciting discussion platform by climate experts

E-M

AGAZINEMONTH

LY N

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010

We work in partnership with scientists engineers and research managers We also promote awareness of science

innovation with exhibitions debates and seminarsLearn about our projects in the field of Science amp Climate

5

The universal language of science encourages mutual understandingBy Oumlzlem Goumlkalp Science and Climate Change Projects Manager

The British Councilrsquos vision for s c i e n c e f o r e s e e s ldquo w i d e s p r e a d recognition of the role of science and technology in helping to extend our understanding of the world and develop imaginative solutions to shared problemsrdquo

Science provides a common platform for the collaboration and discussion that brings people together across cultural divides The universal language of science encourages the mutual understanding essential for a more secure peaceful and economically prosperous world

Within this context last year BC Turkey Science programme launched its ldquoChallenge Europerdquo project aspiring to have a definite and lasting impact on the Climate Change debate last year and hopefully accelerating change towards a low carbon future Challenge Europe involves 15 countries across Europe including Turkey In each of the participating countries around 15 young people from all walks of life are selected to become Climate Advocates who work together to identify key areas in which they think that they can make a real difference Turkish Climate Advocates designed projects to raise the awareness and understanding of the general public

ldquoCapture Climate Changerdquo Photo CompetitionExhibition and Climate Train a joint project with Greek

Cl imate Advocates came from Thessalonica to Istanbul

Climate Arena an exciting discussion platform by climate experts In secondary schools ndash Youth Climate Talks and In the business sector ndash A website wwwcevreyihesabakatcom

We work together with partners in academic media and civil society ndash such as UNDP ITU World Bank Institute European Commission Hurriyetcomtr Bahccedileşehir University METU - to maximise the coverage and the reach of all these projects which will continue in 2011 We are also c o m m i t t e d t o l e a d i n g n e w environmental work in the areas of energy (as national policy energy protection etc as well as sustainable and renewable energy) in the coming months ldquoDarwin Nowrdquo exhibition was

prepared by the British Council as a part of series of activities organized to commemorate the bicentenary of Darwinrsquos b i r th and the 150 th anniversary of the first appearance of his book ldquoOn the Origin of Speciesrdquo was also in our portfolio of activities in 2010

In Turkey the exhibition toured cities and displayed in 14 centres ranging from science centres to universities and schools reaching an audience of 17000 and attracting spectacular media coverage Moreover an educational activity pack was introduced to teachers of science at a workshop which ran in partnership with university teacher training departments where local prominent speakers in the field shared their experience with a larger group around the teaching of evolution

DISCOVER THE WORLD AROUND YOU THROUGH SCIENCE

ldquoCapture Climate Changerdquo Photo CompetitionExhibition

Climate Train a joint project with Greek Climate Advocates came from Thessalonika to Istanbul

Climate Arena an exciting discussion platform by climate experts

E-M

AGAZINEMONTH

LY N

ove

mb

er 2

010

We work in partnership with scientists engineers and research managers We also promote awareness of science

innovation with exhibitions debates and seminarsLearn about our projects in the field of Science amp Climate

6

It took the childrenrsquos voice from a small urban primary school in Istanbul to spark a debate about establishing a brand new annual festival in Istanbul using the Bosphorus as its inspiration to host art exhibitions on the ferries that criss-cross the waterway and to build long standing connections with UK lsquoriver schoolsrsquo

The six schools in Istanbul chosen to take part in the British Councilrsquos Rivers of the World project as part of the Thames festival this year can hardly be said to exude affluence and largesse ndash nor had they expected to ever have the chance to connect internationally with counterparts in London

But what they lack in basic resources more than make up for in imagination ideas and enthusiasm

They built an expression of their pride in their city and its lsquoriverrsquo from the humblest of origins through the crafts and skills of their country in oils tiles and fabrics to displays on the Thames embankment

Not content with presenting stunning art work they insisted that this should lsquonot end herersquo and it should lsquonot be just usrsquo ndash and they had plenty to tell us about what we should do

Far beyond the projectrsquos own ideas about curriculum links and classroom connections the children wanted this to be the beginning of something more substantial and with a clear legacy in Istanbul

Their voices were heard in the corridors of power in Istanbul and the Ministry of Education are now working with the British Council in Turkey to respond

The ministry has allocated a team of 5 staff to support this development key members of the echelons of power are involved and there is a weight of activity now that will take the charge forward

If these ideas bear fruit and I truly hope they will there will be an opportunity to build a depth of experience and excitement in Istanbul

New schools every year will be added to the connection school curricula will be enhanced not just in art but in a full range of subject areas and whole communities will be involved and engaged

In a complex and socially challenging environment like Istanbul it is no mean feat to unite to a common purpose The children might just have given us a key to one very important doorway

We may pride ourselves on our convening abilities and the skills we proffer in management and organisation but we must never forget the importance of listening ndash especially to the smallest of voices

In 2011 we will bring the exhibition back to Istanbul ndash and yes by hook or by crook we will display their work through the ferries I hope too that these young lsquoambassadors of visionrsquo can take pride of place at the new Bosphorous festival in the city ndash they deserve nothing less

Semra Yalcin - writing on behalf of the ch i ldren o f A ş a ğ ı Dudul lu Pr imary School Cengelkoy 4 Murat Primary School Eyuumlp Rami Primary School Muumlnevver Şefiacutek Fergar Primary School Recaizade Ekrem Primary School Uumlskuumldar Altunizade and Hafize Oumlzal Primary Education School

Rivers and LegacyBy John Bramwell Director Education and Skills

ldquoSometimes the smallest voices make the loudest noiserdquo

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7

Wo r t hy o f m e n t i o n a re ldquo S t r a t e g y Development to Increase Employment of Womenrdquo ldquoStrategic Planning and Management in Public Administration Reformrdquo ldquoImproving Inter-agency Cooperation and Coordination within the Child Protection Systemrdquo ldquoMedia and Diversityrdquo ldquoEuroskillsrdquo ldquoPrevention of Honour Crimesrdquo ldquoTraining for Judges and Prosecutorsrdquo and ldquoPrison Reformrdquo

Below is an account of our current portfolio of projects

We have recently started a project on ldquoSocial Entrepreneurshiprdquo in order to introduce the concept and models of social entrepreneurship practiced in the UK so as to contribute to positive social change and economic development in Turkey Our aim is to raise awareness of government officials CSOs and the private sector We have set an agenda in this area with all the seminars that we have delivered and smaller meetings that we have held Our other partner

TUSEV is committed to continue working in this area and continues lobbying for the development of this field in Turkey We have also established a Social Entrepreneurship Academy in Kadir Has University in partnership with Youth Services Centre This was crowned by a protocol signed with the Governorship of Bolu where the British Council will provide training to Bolu NGOs to establish their own SEs and the Governorship of Bolu will provide funding for this purpose

The growing mutual mistrust between Muslim communities and the wider European society is one of the major cultural challenges facing Europe today and we are responding to that challenge by a project called ldquoOur Shared Europerdquo The project seeks to find common ground and build shared values perspectives and behaviors based on mutual respect and trust

Within the scope of this project we plan to run university debates affiliated with the ldquoExhibition of Evliya Celebi Seyahatnamerdquo in different parts of Anatolia We will also focus on youth with a sub-project initiative called ldquoMy Imaginative Journeyrdquo

We are also planning a global project called ldquoInternational Inspirationrdquo which aims to create a model of schools and community environment in Turkey where sports physical activity and play will be effectively used by all parts of the community to empower and socially include children and young people This project represents the social legacy of the London 2012 Olympic Games and will be implemented in 3 pilot cities

We are supporting the new report of the ldquoIndependent Commission on Turkey (ICT)rdquo which was formed in 2004 by a group of former prominent EU statesmen and stateswomen The ICT was established with the support of the Open Society Foundation and the British Council in

order to examine arguments and to explore the potential benefits and challenges of Turkeyrsquos membership to the EU thereby stimulating a more balanced objective and informed debate in Europe about Turkish accession

Closely linked to the ICT initiative and in line with our objective of creating opportunities for open and informed debate about Turkeyrsquos EU accession process we also host the annual ldquoBosphorus Conferencerdquo This is the seventh annual conference and aims to discuss issues relevant to Turkeyrsquos EU accession in a frank and off-the-record platform with the participation of senior politicians academics think tank members media professionals bureaucrats business people and NGO representatives both from Turkey and Europe and to develop recommendations for progress in this process

About Our Society ProjectsBy Seda Mumcu Head of Governance amp Society

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8

B u o y a n c y C o n t r o l Device - BCBy Rouzben GERGERİ Vice Chair of Istanbul Catering Industrialist and Chairman of Education Committee

One of my favorite hobbies is Turkish Folk Dances followed by free diving Diving equipment consists of a tube a regulator flippers a snorkel and BCD the Buoyancy Control Device Among divers BCD is shortly referred to as ldquoBCrdquo and helps the diver keep balance underwater Coincidentally the ldquoBCrdquo which is a must for any diving took on a whole new meaning when British Council Turkey took over the same functions as the buoyancy control device as a serious element of balance in our lives

O u r fi r s t m e e t i n g with British Council was i n t h e December o f 2 0 0 8 Since then

it has provided the balance and acted as a catalyst in all our activities between YESİDEF and MONE

What impressed me most with regard to British Council was the connection between its employees While carrying out our projects we had the opportunity to meet with officials in Ankara Istanbul and London and we saw that they had a very strong connection and very good relationships among each other When there are such strong ties between the employees of an institution it is impossible for that institution to fail regardless of what challenges and adversities it may face in its projects They took care of even the smallest detail during our project implementation and they always had a positive approach which really motivated us It even made us feel at home during the study trips abroad

I would like to take this opportunity to share a memory which has left a deep impression on me from our joint project In 2010 we went on a study visit to London with British Council MONE and YESİDEF During our stay we found the opportunity to study on-site the vocational training and qualifications system in the UK What impressed me most was our visit to the

Westminster College The dean was very hospitable and friendly He gave us lots of information on the school and the system It was most interesting to learn that the schoolrsquos annual budget was 10000000 Pounds half of which was covered by the state and the remaining half from their own activities The school had two cafeterias in both of which students worked The annual revenues of the cafeterias amounted to 600000 Pounds It was an incredible figure The school was operating like a company making enormous contributions to the schoolrsquos annual budget and doing all these together with its students

Acknowledging that it was an example worth further exploration I think that we should work more hand in hand as industrialists and educators At a time when vocational training is gaining momentum in our country I believe achieving this will not be too hard

With sincere wishes for the continuation of our projects with British Council I extend my thanks to everyone involved

Wednesday WorkshopsBy Simon Mumford Teacher Trainer

I took over the running of the ELT Wednesday Workshops in 2000 and organized them until last year The programme was entirely voluntary and we depended on people giving their

time and expertise for free Presenters were British Council trainers heads of department young first time speakers anyone we could persuade

Memorable workshops for me were a session on speaking activities presented by a blind teacher and a workshop on using toys with adults and we have had many presentations over the years-conventional and not so conventional The success of the workshops can be simply stated we

never had a speaker not show up a technical problem that was not be overcome and we had between 5 and 50 participants for every session

A h a r d t o b e l i e v e dream the Chevening ScholarshipBy Fuumlsun Tavus Soumlnmez (1996-1997 U n i v e r s i t y o f S u r r e y M s c i n Management) General Coordinator TIM Show Center

W h e n studying at the Faculty of P o l i t i c a l Sciences of A n k a r a U n i ve r s i t y taking part in a masterrsquos programme in the UK was a far-fetched dream until a friend of mine told me about British Councilrsquos Chevening Scholarship programme It was 14 years ago yet I remember it as if it were yesterday how I thought it would be very difficult for me to qualify for this scholarship ldquothat covered all educational costs and even gave you your pocket moneyrdquo And then I made it In 1996-1997 I completed my masters programme in management at the University of Surrey with the Chevening scholarship

ldquoStudying in the UK is not only an academic experience but also an experience of liferdquo

Studying in the UK was an experience that vastly added not only to my academic knowledge but also to my life experiences I made a lot of friends from all around the world who had also come thanks to the Chevening scholarship They were all bright students in their fields After returning to my country my masterrsquos degree and my background of having studied in the UK in a h i gh l y cu l tu red environment gave me many advantages in my professional life

Our ties with British Council Tu r k e y a n d o t h e r C h e v e n i n g Scholarship students were never severed At the alumni reunions we organize at least four times a year we meet new scholarship students and we exchange memories with the old ones And my friend who had first told me about the Chevening Schlarship has become one of my best friends

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010

How I met British CouncilBy Ali Ercan Oumlzguumlr Executive Director American Business Forum in Turkey (ABFT)

My first introduction to British Council was during my secondary school years We participated in their English tests such as KET-PET In later years we met again when I was at university Youth projects social work and of course scholarship opportunities held an important place in the future plans we made during our university years My first close contact with British Council came when I was elected as the youth representative to work at a non-governmental organization for a global project titled ldquoConnecting Futuresrdquo The Project aimed at bringing people closer with highly enjoyable dreams Under the project we visited Belfast in Northern Ireland Southampton and London where we had enjoyable meetings for two whole weeks Our first visit to the parliament and our lunch with the parliamentarians on the banks of the River Thames were looking back quite impressive experiences for a 22-year old During these trips I found the opportunity to get to know the British Council closer and become familiar with the UK and its culture Studying in the UK is always a much desired much dreamed of phenomenon but many of my friends going there with no foreknowledge of life in the UK found it hard to adapt These two weeks opened a door for me to learn about the system and culture of living in the UKAfter the project I decided that the UK was going to be my choice for post-graduate study Of course this choice was strengthened by the fact that the UK offered the opportunity to major in my particular areas of interest such as ldquolocal development governance international developmentrdquo along with many options for minor programs In those days I was working as an international relations coordinator at Youth for Habitat on a voluntary basis We worked on many social entrepreneurship and youth development projects One of our colleagues at the Association had qualified for the Chevening scholarship the year before When I went to the UK and met someone working in the area of development with this scholarship I decided to give it a try There were no other institutions with this vision Truth be told in those days taking an interest in subjects such as civil society and youth development was something that was foreign to many institutions and even my school and my friendsAfter the challenging interviews following our application what I felt was an indescribable happiness when I heard that I had won the scholarship What made me happiest was the knowledge that my work in the area of civil society could continue in the coming years It was a chance given and an expression of trust in the works being done I still believe that it was the Chevening scholarship that opened this pathwayThen problem-free UK days started I started my masterrsquos program at the International Development Department of the Birmingham University in an area I had always desired ldquoGovernance and Development Managementrdquo And this was not the end of my luck The tuition also covered a field trip to Paraguay Such an experience surpassed any plan I could come up with for the summer After two challenging semesters getting assignments in on time and the arduous

final exams I increased my academic and practical knowledge in the field of development poverty and governance with a field study in Paraguay The biggest advantage of my department was that it had highly experienced students especially from underdeveloped and developing countries Course contents enriched with workshops were transformed into vast pools of knowledge with the Pakistani Regional Governor the former Ethiopian Director General of Police or an economist from the Mexican World Bank Office or the Swaziland Foreign Affairs Undersecretary sharing their experiences For me still at the beginning of the career ladder these opportunities and experiences still find their way into my working life and I continue to learn and refresh my knowledge The United Kingdom known as a cold country when looked from outside is in fact a land of rich culture and arts which I realized only after spending some time there I also found the UK to be an enjoyable and fun country where everyone knows their football I cannot thank the British Council enough and the Chevening Scholarship for having given me this special experience and many friends from all around the world with whom I still keep in touch

E-M

AGAZINEMONTH

LY N

ove

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er 2

010

Strategy Development to Increase Employment of Women

By Aysen Karakulak Directorate General of the Turkish Employment Agency Project Coordinator

I have always believed in the synergy of projects starting as a small-scale work The target is always clear and achievable The project team focuses more comfortably on the target You experience a universal relationship of sharing with another language that brings the whole team together and usually success is achieved

When dear Selin Yaşamış from British Council came to talk to us on the feasibility of a project with ISKUR (Turkish Employment Agency) I was sure that we were laying the foundation for an outstanding work

ISKUR works with an increased sensitivity on increasing employment of women and improving gender equality within the scope of efforts to ensure harmonization with the EU acquis in the membership process of our country Our project was based on this foundation It was decided to make a planstrategy crosscutting the existing awareness and efforts and create a project that would highlight the ongoing efforts put a name to them raise awareness on social gender and define the social gender concept for the labour market

A ldquoCore Strategy Teamrdquo of 10 ISKUR officials was set up to execute the project Many issues that we could not foresee at the beginning of the project started to take shape in time in other words as a

team we determined and carried out the project together sharing all the phases of it

We became one big family with British Council and our interpreters Işıl and Ayşeguumll We thought together we grieved together we shared our concerns and joys We received unbelievable energy and information from our experts Dr Marylin Thomson Dr Angelina Coyle and Dr Yıldız Ecevit As a result of this exchange of information and experiences we came up with big dreams for an ISKUR that is sensitive to womenrsquos employment and social gender equality Some of these dreams we transformed into an action and strategy plan depending on their feasibility The plans we created were offered as project outputs together with the ldquoHandbook of Social Gender Equality in the Labour Marketrdquo (İşguumlcuuml Piyasasında Toplumsal

Cinsiyet Eşitliği El Kitabı) prepared by our esteemed expert Dr Yıldız Ecevit and were shared with relevant public and private agencies and organizations and non-governmental organizations with a beautiful meeting held on 25 February 2010 with the participation of relevant ministries

It gave us great honour and joy to see these outputs used in many other projects Beyond all these the most important thing for me was the sharing the knowledge we acquired and the dreams we created because I know and believe that my friends in the project team will do their best to make these dreams come true

the course on Media and Child developed with UNICEF and I still design surveys and research on this subject

E-M

AGAZINEMONTH

LY N

ove

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er 2

010

The Media and Diversity Project in which I was involved as a researcher and a consultant is a work I value as much as the books and articles I have produced in my academic career of 20 years With this project I was able to reach beyond academic boundaries establish direct contact with media professionals and NGOs contribute to the production of principles of ethics and feel that I had the potential to affect how the media operates all of which were very exciting to me But taking my cue from the question asking me for lsquomemories that have left their marks on mersquo I would like to share the more personal aspects of the project British Councilrsquos ldquoMedia and Diversityrdquo project is the same age as my daughter Bahar Right after starting this project together with our coordinators Esra Ccedilanakccedilı and Seda Mumcu I got pregnant with Bahar my daughter of 45 years It was a bit unfortunate that our visits to media organizations and NGOs were accompanied by my pregnancy nausea I was so into it that the night before my C-section I sent Esra m y r e p o r t summariz ing the re s ea rch re su l t s Bahar was barely forty days old when we headed off to Istanbul for a press conference where we shared the research r e s u l t s I t w a s Baharrsquos first flight and I was qui te worried At the end o f t h e p r e s s conference held at t h e F e r i y e Restaurant and also during any interval I could find I fed Bahar It was exciting Bahar having the first hotel experience of her less-than-two-months old life at Pera Palas in that it symbolized the meeting of the new and the historical (though the hotel had not yet been renovated in those days and the floorboards creaked at the slightest provocation which I might add often caused Bahar to start crying)

Since I had given my word before my pregnancy I had made it my responsibility to get everything running according to the initial working plan The study visit to the UK with media managers and editors was the only activity I backed out of Yet beyond the promises made what was really important was that I had deeply embraced the project Of course I am almost a workaholic and I had had no clue about raising a baby until the birth As the day of the birth approached I carried tons of articles and books from my office at the university to home thinking that I would be writing articles and reading books during my maternity leave

Of course none of them got read and none of the articles got written The Media and Diversity project was my only work in that period After the delivery Esra visited me at home to discuss the details of the press conference during which Seda also accompanied to babysit Bahar which showed that my friends at the British Council Turkey were more farsighted then me who had insisted that ldquoof course we can hold a meetingrdquo

As a result I enjoyed every step of this project which is as old as my daughter I think the British Council staff has managed to find a perfect balance which I have not seen anywhere else they work diligently everything gets done meticulously and they really care about human relations with participants In the end outstanding work is done in a warm and friendly atmosphere

Of the elements included in the Media and Diversity project I have been researching social gender and cultural

identities for a long time Through this project the subject of media-child relations which I had started to take an interest in at r e s e a r c h l e v e l b e c a m e m o r e involved through scanning national and international codes of ethics in the a r e a f o r t h e workshop (coinciding with the sad day we heard about the a s s a s s i n a t i o n o f Hrant Dink) during and after which we d e v e l o p e d t h e theme it became

my new teaching and research area with the added effect of my sensitivity to the subject following motherhood I still teach the post-graduate students of the Ankara University Faculty of Communication the course on Media and Child developed with UNICEF and I still design surveys and research on this subject

Happy Birthday

Media and Diversityrsquo Project - Same Age as My DaughterBy Prof Mine Gencel Bek Ankara University Faculty of Communication

For more info please visitour website gtgt

E-M

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7

Wo r t hy o f m e n t i o n a re ldquo S t r a t e g y Development to Increase Employment of Womenrdquo ldquoStrategic Planning and Management in Public Administration Reformrdquo ldquoImproving Inter-agency Cooperation and Coordination within the Child Protection Systemrdquo ldquoMedia and Diversityrdquo ldquoEuroskillsrdquo ldquoPrevention of Honour Crimesrdquo ldquoTraining for Judges and Prosecutorsrdquo and ldquoPrison Reformrdquo

Below is an account of our current portfolio of projects

We have recently started a project on ldquoSocial Entrepreneurshiprdquo in order to introduce the concept and models of social entrepreneurship practiced in the UK so as to contribute to positive social change and economic development in Turkey Our aim is to raise awareness of government officials CSOs and the private sector We have set an agenda in this area with all the seminars that we have delivered and smaller meetings that we have held Our other partner

TUSEV is committed to continue working in this area and continues lobbying for the development of this field in Turkey We have also established a Social Entrepreneurship Academy in Kadir Has University in partnership with Youth Services Centre This was crowned by a protocol signed with the Governorship of Bolu where the British Council will provide training to Bolu NGOs to establish their own SEs and the Governorship of Bolu will provide funding for this purpose

The growing mutual mistrust between Muslim communities and the wider European society is one of the major cultural challenges facing Europe today and we are responding to that challenge by a project called ldquoOur Shared Europerdquo The project seeks to find common ground and build shared values perspectives and behaviors based on mutual respect and trust

Within the scope of this project we plan to run university debates affiliated with the ldquoExhibition of Evliya Celebi Seyahatnamerdquo in different parts of Anatolia We will also focus on youth with a sub-project initiative called ldquoMy Imaginative Journeyrdquo

We are also planning a global project called ldquoInternational Inspirationrdquo which aims to create a model of schools and community environment in Turkey where sports physical activity and play will be effectively used by all parts of the community to empower and socially include children and young people This project represents the social legacy of the London 2012 Olympic Games and will be implemented in 3 pilot cities

We are supporting the new report of the ldquoIndependent Commission on Turkey (ICT)rdquo which was formed in 2004 by a group of former prominent EU statesmen and stateswomen The ICT was established with the support of the Open Society Foundation and the British Council in

order to examine arguments and to explore the potential benefits and challenges of Turkeyrsquos membership to the EU thereby stimulating a more balanced objective and informed debate in Europe about Turkish accession

Closely linked to the ICT initiative and in line with our objective of creating opportunities for open and informed debate about Turkeyrsquos EU accession process we also host the annual ldquoBosphorus Conferencerdquo This is the seventh annual conference and aims to discuss issues relevant to Turkeyrsquos EU accession in a frank and off-the-record platform with the participation of senior politicians academics think tank members media professionals bureaucrats business people and NGO representatives both from Turkey and Europe and to develop recommendations for progress in this process

About Our Society ProjectsBy Seda Mumcu Head of Governance amp Society

E-M

AGAZINEMONTH

LY N

ove

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010

8

B u o y a n c y C o n t r o l Device - BCBy Rouzben GERGERİ Vice Chair of Istanbul Catering Industrialist and Chairman of Education Committee

One of my favorite hobbies is Turkish Folk Dances followed by free diving Diving equipment consists of a tube a regulator flippers a snorkel and BCD the Buoyancy Control Device Among divers BCD is shortly referred to as ldquoBCrdquo and helps the diver keep balance underwater Coincidentally the ldquoBCrdquo which is a must for any diving took on a whole new meaning when British Council Turkey took over the same functions as the buoyancy control device as a serious element of balance in our lives

O u r fi r s t m e e t i n g with British Council was i n t h e December o f 2 0 0 8 Since then

it has provided the balance and acted as a catalyst in all our activities between YESİDEF and MONE

What impressed me most with regard to British Council was the connection between its employees While carrying out our projects we had the opportunity to meet with officials in Ankara Istanbul and London and we saw that they had a very strong connection and very good relationships among each other When there are such strong ties between the employees of an institution it is impossible for that institution to fail regardless of what challenges and adversities it may face in its projects They took care of even the smallest detail during our project implementation and they always had a positive approach which really motivated us It even made us feel at home during the study trips abroad

I would like to take this opportunity to share a memory which has left a deep impression on me from our joint project In 2010 we went on a study visit to London with British Council MONE and YESİDEF During our stay we found the opportunity to study on-site the vocational training and qualifications system in the UK What impressed me most was our visit to the

Westminster College The dean was very hospitable and friendly He gave us lots of information on the school and the system It was most interesting to learn that the schoolrsquos annual budget was 10000000 Pounds half of which was covered by the state and the remaining half from their own activities The school had two cafeterias in both of which students worked The annual revenues of the cafeterias amounted to 600000 Pounds It was an incredible figure The school was operating like a company making enormous contributions to the schoolrsquos annual budget and doing all these together with its students

Acknowledging that it was an example worth further exploration I think that we should work more hand in hand as industrialists and educators At a time when vocational training is gaining momentum in our country I believe achieving this will not be too hard

With sincere wishes for the continuation of our projects with British Council I extend my thanks to everyone involved

Wednesday WorkshopsBy Simon Mumford Teacher Trainer

I took over the running of the ELT Wednesday Workshops in 2000 and organized them until last year The programme was entirely voluntary and we depended on people giving their

time and expertise for free Presenters were British Council trainers heads of department young first time speakers anyone we could persuade

Memorable workshops for me were a session on speaking activities presented by a blind teacher and a workshop on using toys with adults and we have had many presentations over the years-conventional and not so conventional The success of the workshops can be simply stated we

never had a speaker not show up a technical problem that was not be overcome and we had between 5 and 50 participants for every session

A h a r d t o b e l i e v e dream the Chevening ScholarshipBy Fuumlsun Tavus Soumlnmez (1996-1997 U n i v e r s i t y o f S u r r e y M s c i n Management) General Coordinator TIM Show Center

W h e n studying at the Faculty of P o l i t i c a l Sciences of A n k a r a U n i ve r s i t y taking part in a masterrsquos programme in the UK was a far-fetched dream until a friend of mine told me about British Councilrsquos Chevening Scholarship programme It was 14 years ago yet I remember it as if it were yesterday how I thought it would be very difficult for me to qualify for this scholarship ldquothat covered all educational costs and even gave you your pocket moneyrdquo And then I made it In 1996-1997 I completed my masters programme in management at the University of Surrey with the Chevening scholarship

ldquoStudying in the UK is not only an academic experience but also an experience of liferdquo

Studying in the UK was an experience that vastly added not only to my academic knowledge but also to my life experiences I made a lot of friends from all around the world who had also come thanks to the Chevening scholarship They were all bright students in their fields After returning to my country my masterrsquos degree and my background of having studied in the UK in a h i gh l y cu l tu red environment gave me many advantages in my professional life

Our ties with British Council Tu r k e y a n d o t h e r C h e v e n i n g Scholarship students were never severed At the alumni reunions we organize at least four times a year we meet new scholarship students and we exchange memories with the old ones And my friend who had first told me about the Chevening Schlarship has become one of my best friends

E-M

AGAZINEMONTH

LY N

ove

mb

er 2

010

How I met British CouncilBy Ali Ercan Oumlzguumlr Executive Director American Business Forum in Turkey (ABFT)

My first introduction to British Council was during my secondary school years We participated in their English tests such as KET-PET In later years we met again when I was at university Youth projects social work and of course scholarship opportunities held an important place in the future plans we made during our university years My first close contact with British Council came when I was elected as the youth representative to work at a non-governmental organization for a global project titled ldquoConnecting Futuresrdquo The Project aimed at bringing people closer with highly enjoyable dreams Under the project we visited Belfast in Northern Ireland Southampton and London where we had enjoyable meetings for two whole weeks Our first visit to the parliament and our lunch with the parliamentarians on the banks of the River Thames were looking back quite impressive experiences for a 22-year old During these trips I found the opportunity to get to know the British Council closer and become familiar with the UK and its culture Studying in the UK is always a much desired much dreamed of phenomenon but many of my friends going there with no foreknowledge of life in the UK found it hard to adapt These two weeks opened a door for me to learn about the system and culture of living in the UKAfter the project I decided that the UK was going to be my choice for post-graduate study Of course this choice was strengthened by the fact that the UK offered the opportunity to major in my particular areas of interest such as ldquolocal development governance international developmentrdquo along with many options for minor programs In those days I was working as an international relations coordinator at Youth for Habitat on a voluntary basis We worked on many social entrepreneurship and youth development projects One of our colleagues at the Association had qualified for the Chevening scholarship the year before When I went to the UK and met someone working in the area of development with this scholarship I decided to give it a try There were no other institutions with this vision Truth be told in those days taking an interest in subjects such as civil society and youth development was something that was foreign to many institutions and even my school and my friendsAfter the challenging interviews following our application what I felt was an indescribable happiness when I heard that I had won the scholarship What made me happiest was the knowledge that my work in the area of civil society could continue in the coming years It was a chance given and an expression of trust in the works being done I still believe that it was the Chevening scholarship that opened this pathwayThen problem-free UK days started I started my masterrsquos program at the International Development Department of the Birmingham University in an area I had always desired ldquoGovernance and Development Managementrdquo And this was not the end of my luck The tuition also covered a field trip to Paraguay Such an experience surpassed any plan I could come up with for the summer After two challenging semesters getting assignments in on time and the arduous

final exams I increased my academic and practical knowledge in the field of development poverty and governance with a field study in Paraguay The biggest advantage of my department was that it had highly experienced students especially from underdeveloped and developing countries Course contents enriched with workshops were transformed into vast pools of knowledge with the Pakistani Regional Governor the former Ethiopian Director General of Police or an economist from the Mexican World Bank Office or the Swaziland Foreign Affairs Undersecretary sharing their experiences For me still at the beginning of the career ladder these opportunities and experiences still find their way into my working life and I continue to learn and refresh my knowledge The United Kingdom known as a cold country when looked from outside is in fact a land of rich culture and arts which I realized only after spending some time there I also found the UK to be an enjoyable and fun country where everyone knows their football I cannot thank the British Council enough and the Chevening Scholarship for having given me this special experience and many friends from all around the world with whom I still keep in touch

E-M

AGAZINEMONTH

LY N

ove

mb

er 2

010

Strategy Development to Increase Employment of Women

By Aysen Karakulak Directorate General of the Turkish Employment Agency Project Coordinator

I have always believed in the synergy of projects starting as a small-scale work The target is always clear and achievable The project team focuses more comfortably on the target You experience a universal relationship of sharing with another language that brings the whole team together and usually success is achieved

When dear Selin Yaşamış from British Council came to talk to us on the feasibility of a project with ISKUR (Turkish Employment Agency) I was sure that we were laying the foundation for an outstanding work

ISKUR works with an increased sensitivity on increasing employment of women and improving gender equality within the scope of efforts to ensure harmonization with the EU acquis in the membership process of our country Our project was based on this foundation It was decided to make a planstrategy crosscutting the existing awareness and efforts and create a project that would highlight the ongoing efforts put a name to them raise awareness on social gender and define the social gender concept for the labour market

A ldquoCore Strategy Teamrdquo of 10 ISKUR officials was set up to execute the project Many issues that we could not foresee at the beginning of the project started to take shape in time in other words as a

team we determined and carried out the project together sharing all the phases of it

We became one big family with British Council and our interpreters Işıl and Ayşeguumll We thought together we grieved together we shared our concerns and joys We received unbelievable energy and information from our experts Dr Marylin Thomson Dr Angelina Coyle and Dr Yıldız Ecevit As a result of this exchange of information and experiences we came up with big dreams for an ISKUR that is sensitive to womenrsquos employment and social gender equality Some of these dreams we transformed into an action and strategy plan depending on their feasibility The plans we created were offered as project outputs together with the ldquoHandbook of Social Gender Equality in the Labour Marketrdquo (İşguumlcuuml Piyasasında Toplumsal

Cinsiyet Eşitliği El Kitabı) prepared by our esteemed expert Dr Yıldız Ecevit and were shared with relevant public and private agencies and organizations and non-governmental organizations with a beautiful meeting held on 25 February 2010 with the participation of relevant ministries

It gave us great honour and joy to see these outputs used in many other projects Beyond all these the most important thing for me was the sharing the knowledge we acquired and the dreams we created because I know and believe that my friends in the project team will do their best to make these dreams come true

the course on Media and Child developed with UNICEF and I still design surveys and research on this subject

E-M

AGAZINEMONTH

LY N

ove

mb

er 2

010

The Media and Diversity Project in which I was involved as a researcher and a consultant is a work I value as much as the books and articles I have produced in my academic career of 20 years With this project I was able to reach beyond academic boundaries establish direct contact with media professionals and NGOs contribute to the production of principles of ethics and feel that I had the potential to affect how the media operates all of which were very exciting to me But taking my cue from the question asking me for lsquomemories that have left their marks on mersquo I would like to share the more personal aspects of the project British Councilrsquos ldquoMedia and Diversityrdquo project is the same age as my daughter Bahar Right after starting this project together with our coordinators Esra Ccedilanakccedilı and Seda Mumcu I got pregnant with Bahar my daughter of 45 years It was a bit unfortunate that our visits to media organizations and NGOs were accompanied by my pregnancy nausea I was so into it that the night before my C-section I sent Esra m y r e p o r t summariz ing the re s ea rch re su l t s Bahar was barely forty days old when we headed off to Istanbul for a press conference where we shared the research r e s u l t s I t w a s Baharrsquos first flight and I was qui te worried At the end o f t h e p r e s s conference held at t h e F e r i y e Restaurant and also during any interval I could find I fed Bahar It was exciting Bahar having the first hotel experience of her less-than-two-months old life at Pera Palas in that it symbolized the meeting of the new and the historical (though the hotel had not yet been renovated in those days and the floorboards creaked at the slightest provocation which I might add often caused Bahar to start crying)

Since I had given my word before my pregnancy I had made it my responsibility to get everything running according to the initial working plan The study visit to the UK with media managers and editors was the only activity I backed out of Yet beyond the promises made what was really important was that I had deeply embraced the project Of course I am almost a workaholic and I had had no clue about raising a baby until the birth As the day of the birth approached I carried tons of articles and books from my office at the university to home thinking that I would be writing articles and reading books during my maternity leave

Of course none of them got read and none of the articles got written The Media and Diversity project was my only work in that period After the delivery Esra visited me at home to discuss the details of the press conference during which Seda also accompanied to babysit Bahar which showed that my friends at the British Council Turkey were more farsighted then me who had insisted that ldquoof course we can hold a meetingrdquo

As a result I enjoyed every step of this project which is as old as my daughter I think the British Council staff has managed to find a perfect balance which I have not seen anywhere else they work diligently everything gets done meticulously and they really care about human relations with participants In the end outstanding work is done in a warm and friendly atmosphere

Of the elements included in the Media and Diversity project I have been researching social gender and cultural

identities for a long time Through this project the subject of media-child relations which I had started to take an interest in at r e s e a r c h l e v e l b e c a m e m o r e involved through scanning national and international codes of ethics in the a r e a f o r t h e workshop (coinciding with the sad day we heard about the a s s a s s i n a t i o n o f Hrant Dink) during and after which we d e v e l o p e d t h e theme it became

my new teaching and research area with the added effect of my sensitivity to the subject following motherhood I still teach the post-graduate students of the Ankara University Faculty of Communication the course on Media and Child developed with UNICEF and I still design surveys and research on this subject

Happy Birthday

Media and Diversityrsquo Project - Same Age as My DaughterBy Prof Mine Gencel Bek Ankara University Faculty of Communication

For more info please visitour website gtgt

E-M

AGAZINEMONTH

LY N

ove

mb

er 2

010

8

B u o y a n c y C o n t r o l Device - BCBy Rouzben GERGERİ Vice Chair of Istanbul Catering Industrialist and Chairman of Education Committee

One of my favorite hobbies is Turkish Folk Dances followed by free diving Diving equipment consists of a tube a regulator flippers a snorkel and BCD the Buoyancy Control Device Among divers BCD is shortly referred to as ldquoBCrdquo and helps the diver keep balance underwater Coincidentally the ldquoBCrdquo which is a must for any diving took on a whole new meaning when British Council Turkey took over the same functions as the buoyancy control device as a serious element of balance in our lives

O u r fi r s t m e e t i n g with British Council was i n t h e December o f 2 0 0 8 Since then

it has provided the balance and acted as a catalyst in all our activities between YESİDEF and MONE

What impressed me most with regard to British Council was the connection between its employees While carrying out our projects we had the opportunity to meet with officials in Ankara Istanbul and London and we saw that they had a very strong connection and very good relationships among each other When there are such strong ties between the employees of an institution it is impossible for that institution to fail regardless of what challenges and adversities it may face in its projects They took care of even the smallest detail during our project implementation and they always had a positive approach which really motivated us It even made us feel at home during the study trips abroad

I would like to take this opportunity to share a memory which has left a deep impression on me from our joint project In 2010 we went on a study visit to London with British Council MONE and YESİDEF During our stay we found the opportunity to study on-site the vocational training and qualifications system in the UK What impressed me most was our visit to the

Westminster College The dean was very hospitable and friendly He gave us lots of information on the school and the system It was most interesting to learn that the schoolrsquos annual budget was 10000000 Pounds half of which was covered by the state and the remaining half from their own activities The school had two cafeterias in both of which students worked The annual revenues of the cafeterias amounted to 600000 Pounds It was an incredible figure The school was operating like a company making enormous contributions to the schoolrsquos annual budget and doing all these together with its students

Acknowledging that it was an example worth further exploration I think that we should work more hand in hand as industrialists and educators At a time when vocational training is gaining momentum in our country I believe achieving this will not be too hard

With sincere wishes for the continuation of our projects with British Council I extend my thanks to everyone involved

Wednesday WorkshopsBy Simon Mumford Teacher Trainer

I took over the running of the ELT Wednesday Workshops in 2000 and organized them until last year The programme was entirely voluntary and we depended on people giving their

time and expertise for free Presenters were British Council trainers heads of department young first time speakers anyone we could persuade

Memorable workshops for me were a session on speaking activities presented by a blind teacher and a workshop on using toys with adults and we have had many presentations over the years-conventional and not so conventional The success of the workshops can be simply stated we

never had a speaker not show up a technical problem that was not be overcome and we had between 5 and 50 participants for every session

A h a r d t o b e l i e v e dream the Chevening ScholarshipBy Fuumlsun Tavus Soumlnmez (1996-1997 U n i v e r s i t y o f S u r r e y M s c i n Management) General Coordinator TIM Show Center

W h e n studying at the Faculty of P o l i t i c a l Sciences of A n k a r a U n i ve r s i t y taking part in a masterrsquos programme in the UK was a far-fetched dream until a friend of mine told me about British Councilrsquos Chevening Scholarship programme It was 14 years ago yet I remember it as if it were yesterday how I thought it would be very difficult for me to qualify for this scholarship ldquothat covered all educational costs and even gave you your pocket moneyrdquo And then I made it In 1996-1997 I completed my masters programme in management at the University of Surrey with the Chevening scholarship

ldquoStudying in the UK is not only an academic experience but also an experience of liferdquo

Studying in the UK was an experience that vastly added not only to my academic knowledge but also to my life experiences I made a lot of friends from all around the world who had also come thanks to the Chevening scholarship They were all bright students in their fields After returning to my country my masterrsquos degree and my background of having studied in the UK in a h i gh l y cu l tu red environment gave me many advantages in my professional life

Our ties with British Council Tu r k e y a n d o t h e r C h e v e n i n g Scholarship students were never severed At the alumni reunions we organize at least four times a year we meet new scholarship students and we exchange memories with the old ones And my friend who had first told me about the Chevening Schlarship has become one of my best friends

E-M

AGAZINEMONTH

LY N

ove

mb

er 2

010

How I met British CouncilBy Ali Ercan Oumlzguumlr Executive Director American Business Forum in Turkey (ABFT)

My first introduction to British Council was during my secondary school years We participated in their English tests such as KET-PET In later years we met again when I was at university Youth projects social work and of course scholarship opportunities held an important place in the future plans we made during our university years My first close contact with British Council came when I was elected as the youth representative to work at a non-governmental organization for a global project titled ldquoConnecting Futuresrdquo The Project aimed at bringing people closer with highly enjoyable dreams Under the project we visited Belfast in Northern Ireland Southampton and London where we had enjoyable meetings for two whole weeks Our first visit to the parliament and our lunch with the parliamentarians on the banks of the River Thames were looking back quite impressive experiences for a 22-year old During these trips I found the opportunity to get to know the British Council closer and become familiar with the UK and its culture Studying in the UK is always a much desired much dreamed of phenomenon but many of my friends going there with no foreknowledge of life in the UK found it hard to adapt These two weeks opened a door for me to learn about the system and culture of living in the UKAfter the project I decided that the UK was going to be my choice for post-graduate study Of course this choice was strengthened by the fact that the UK offered the opportunity to major in my particular areas of interest such as ldquolocal development governance international developmentrdquo along with many options for minor programs In those days I was working as an international relations coordinator at Youth for Habitat on a voluntary basis We worked on many social entrepreneurship and youth development projects One of our colleagues at the Association had qualified for the Chevening scholarship the year before When I went to the UK and met someone working in the area of development with this scholarship I decided to give it a try There were no other institutions with this vision Truth be told in those days taking an interest in subjects such as civil society and youth development was something that was foreign to many institutions and even my school and my friendsAfter the challenging interviews following our application what I felt was an indescribable happiness when I heard that I had won the scholarship What made me happiest was the knowledge that my work in the area of civil society could continue in the coming years It was a chance given and an expression of trust in the works being done I still believe that it was the Chevening scholarship that opened this pathwayThen problem-free UK days started I started my masterrsquos program at the International Development Department of the Birmingham University in an area I had always desired ldquoGovernance and Development Managementrdquo And this was not the end of my luck The tuition also covered a field trip to Paraguay Such an experience surpassed any plan I could come up with for the summer After two challenging semesters getting assignments in on time and the arduous

final exams I increased my academic and practical knowledge in the field of development poverty and governance with a field study in Paraguay The biggest advantage of my department was that it had highly experienced students especially from underdeveloped and developing countries Course contents enriched with workshops were transformed into vast pools of knowledge with the Pakistani Regional Governor the former Ethiopian Director General of Police or an economist from the Mexican World Bank Office or the Swaziland Foreign Affairs Undersecretary sharing their experiences For me still at the beginning of the career ladder these opportunities and experiences still find their way into my working life and I continue to learn and refresh my knowledge The United Kingdom known as a cold country when looked from outside is in fact a land of rich culture and arts which I realized only after spending some time there I also found the UK to be an enjoyable and fun country where everyone knows their football I cannot thank the British Council enough and the Chevening Scholarship for having given me this special experience and many friends from all around the world with whom I still keep in touch

E-M

AGAZINEMONTH

LY N

ove

mb

er 2

010

Strategy Development to Increase Employment of Women

By Aysen Karakulak Directorate General of the Turkish Employment Agency Project Coordinator

I have always believed in the synergy of projects starting as a small-scale work The target is always clear and achievable The project team focuses more comfortably on the target You experience a universal relationship of sharing with another language that brings the whole team together and usually success is achieved

When dear Selin Yaşamış from British Council came to talk to us on the feasibility of a project with ISKUR (Turkish Employment Agency) I was sure that we were laying the foundation for an outstanding work

ISKUR works with an increased sensitivity on increasing employment of women and improving gender equality within the scope of efforts to ensure harmonization with the EU acquis in the membership process of our country Our project was based on this foundation It was decided to make a planstrategy crosscutting the existing awareness and efforts and create a project that would highlight the ongoing efforts put a name to them raise awareness on social gender and define the social gender concept for the labour market

A ldquoCore Strategy Teamrdquo of 10 ISKUR officials was set up to execute the project Many issues that we could not foresee at the beginning of the project started to take shape in time in other words as a

team we determined and carried out the project together sharing all the phases of it

We became one big family with British Council and our interpreters Işıl and Ayşeguumll We thought together we grieved together we shared our concerns and joys We received unbelievable energy and information from our experts Dr Marylin Thomson Dr Angelina Coyle and Dr Yıldız Ecevit As a result of this exchange of information and experiences we came up with big dreams for an ISKUR that is sensitive to womenrsquos employment and social gender equality Some of these dreams we transformed into an action and strategy plan depending on their feasibility The plans we created were offered as project outputs together with the ldquoHandbook of Social Gender Equality in the Labour Marketrdquo (İşguumlcuuml Piyasasında Toplumsal

Cinsiyet Eşitliği El Kitabı) prepared by our esteemed expert Dr Yıldız Ecevit and were shared with relevant public and private agencies and organizations and non-governmental organizations with a beautiful meeting held on 25 February 2010 with the participation of relevant ministries

It gave us great honour and joy to see these outputs used in many other projects Beyond all these the most important thing for me was the sharing the knowledge we acquired and the dreams we created because I know and believe that my friends in the project team will do their best to make these dreams come true

the course on Media and Child developed with UNICEF and I still design surveys and research on this subject

E-M

AGAZINEMONTH

LY N

ove

mb

er 2

010

The Media and Diversity Project in which I was involved as a researcher and a consultant is a work I value as much as the books and articles I have produced in my academic career of 20 years With this project I was able to reach beyond academic boundaries establish direct contact with media professionals and NGOs contribute to the production of principles of ethics and feel that I had the potential to affect how the media operates all of which were very exciting to me But taking my cue from the question asking me for lsquomemories that have left their marks on mersquo I would like to share the more personal aspects of the project British Councilrsquos ldquoMedia and Diversityrdquo project is the same age as my daughter Bahar Right after starting this project together with our coordinators Esra Ccedilanakccedilı and Seda Mumcu I got pregnant with Bahar my daughter of 45 years It was a bit unfortunate that our visits to media organizations and NGOs were accompanied by my pregnancy nausea I was so into it that the night before my C-section I sent Esra m y r e p o r t summariz ing the re s ea rch re su l t s Bahar was barely forty days old when we headed off to Istanbul for a press conference where we shared the research r e s u l t s I t w a s Baharrsquos first flight and I was qui te worried At the end o f t h e p r e s s conference held at t h e F e r i y e Restaurant and also during any interval I could find I fed Bahar It was exciting Bahar having the first hotel experience of her less-than-two-months old life at Pera Palas in that it symbolized the meeting of the new and the historical (though the hotel had not yet been renovated in those days and the floorboards creaked at the slightest provocation which I might add often caused Bahar to start crying)

Since I had given my word before my pregnancy I had made it my responsibility to get everything running according to the initial working plan The study visit to the UK with media managers and editors was the only activity I backed out of Yet beyond the promises made what was really important was that I had deeply embraced the project Of course I am almost a workaholic and I had had no clue about raising a baby until the birth As the day of the birth approached I carried tons of articles and books from my office at the university to home thinking that I would be writing articles and reading books during my maternity leave

Of course none of them got read and none of the articles got written The Media and Diversity project was my only work in that period After the delivery Esra visited me at home to discuss the details of the press conference during which Seda also accompanied to babysit Bahar which showed that my friends at the British Council Turkey were more farsighted then me who had insisted that ldquoof course we can hold a meetingrdquo

As a result I enjoyed every step of this project which is as old as my daughter I think the British Council staff has managed to find a perfect balance which I have not seen anywhere else they work diligently everything gets done meticulously and they really care about human relations with participants In the end outstanding work is done in a warm and friendly atmosphere

Of the elements included in the Media and Diversity project I have been researching social gender and cultural

identities for a long time Through this project the subject of media-child relations which I had started to take an interest in at r e s e a r c h l e v e l b e c a m e m o r e involved through scanning national and international codes of ethics in the a r e a f o r t h e workshop (coinciding with the sad day we heard about the a s s a s s i n a t i o n o f Hrant Dink) during and after which we d e v e l o p e d t h e theme it became

my new teaching and research area with the added effect of my sensitivity to the subject following motherhood I still teach the post-graduate students of the Ankara University Faculty of Communication the course on Media and Child developed with UNICEF and I still design surveys and research on this subject

Happy Birthday

Media and Diversityrsquo Project - Same Age as My DaughterBy Prof Mine Gencel Bek Ankara University Faculty of Communication

For more info please visitour website gtgt

E-M

AGAZINEMONTH

LY N

ove

mb

er 2

010

How I met British CouncilBy Ali Ercan Oumlzguumlr Executive Director American Business Forum in Turkey (ABFT)

My first introduction to British Council was during my secondary school years We participated in their English tests such as KET-PET In later years we met again when I was at university Youth projects social work and of course scholarship opportunities held an important place in the future plans we made during our university years My first close contact with British Council came when I was elected as the youth representative to work at a non-governmental organization for a global project titled ldquoConnecting Futuresrdquo The Project aimed at bringing people closer with highly enjoyable dreams Under the project we visited Belfast in Northern Ireland Southampton and London where we had enjoyable meetings for two whole weeks Our first visit to the parliament and our lunch with the parliamentarians on the banks of the River Thames were looking back quite impressive experiences for a 22-year old During these trips I found the opportunity to get to know the British Council closer and become familiar with the UK and its culture Studying in the UK is always a much desired much dreamed of phenomenon but many of my friends going there with no foreknowledge of life in the UK found it hard to adapt These two weeks opened a door for me to learn about the system and culture of living in the UKAfter the project I decided that the UK was going to be my choice for post-graduate study Of course this choice was strengthened by the fact that the UK offered the opportunity to major in my particular areas of interest such as ldquolocal development governance international developmentrdquo along with many options for minor programs In those days I was working as an international relations coordinator at Youth for Habitat on a voluntary basis We worked on many social entrepreneurship and youth development projects One of our colleagues at the Association had qualified for the Chevening scholarship the year before When I went to the UK and met someone working in the area of development with this scholarship I decided to give it a try There were no other institutions with this vision Truth be told in those days taking an interest in subjects such as civil society and youth development was something that was foreign to many institutions and even my school and my friendsAfter the challenging interviews following our application what I felt was an indescribable happiness when I heard that I had won the scholarship What made me happiest was the knowledge that my work in the area of civil society could continue in the coming years It was a chance given and an expression of trust in the works being done I still believe that it was the Chevening scholarship that opened this pathwayThen problem-free UK days started I started my masterrsquos program at the International Development Department of the Birmingham University in an area I had always desired ldquoGovernance and Development Managementrdquo And this was not the end of my luck The tuition also covered a field trip to Paraguay Such an experience surpassed any plan I could come up with for the summer After two challenging semesters getting assignments in on time and the arduous

final exams I increased my academic and practical knowledge in the field of development poverty and governance with a field study in Paraguay The biggest advantage of my department was that it had highly experienced students especially from underdeveloped and developing countries Course contents enriched with workshops were transformed into vast pools of knowledge with the Pakistani Regional Governor the former Ethiopian Director General of Police or an economist from the Mexican World Bank Office or the Swaziland Foreign Affairs Undersecretary sharing their experiences For me still at the beginning of the career ladder these opportunities and experiences still find their way into my working life and I continue to learn and refresh my knowledge The United Kingdom known as a cold country when looked from outside is in fact a land of rich culture and arts which I realized only after spending some time there I also found the UK to be an enjoyable and fun country where everyone knows their football I cannot thank the British Council enough and the Chevening Scholarship for having given me this special experience and many friends from all around the world with whom I still keep in touch

E-M

AGAZINEMONTH

LY N

ove

mb

er 2

010

Strategy Development to Increase Employment of Women

By Aysen Karakulak Directorate General of the Turkish Employment Agency Project Coordinator

I have always believed in the synergy of projects starting as a small-scale work The target is always clear and achievable The project team focuses more comfortably on the target You experience a universal relationship of sharing with another language that brings the whole team together and usually success is achieved

When dear Selin Yaşamış from British Council came to talk to us on the feasibility of a project with ISKUR (Turkish Employment Agency) I was sure that we were laying the foundation for an outstanding work

ISKUR works with an increased sensitivity on increasing employment of women and improving gender equality within the scope of efforts to ensure harmonization with the EU acquis in the membership process of our country Our project was based on this foundation It was decided to make a planstrategy crosscutting the existing awareness and efforts and create a project that would highlight the ongoing efforts put a name to them raise awareness on social gender and define the social gender concept for the labour market

A ldquoCore Strategy Teamrdquo of 10 ISKUR officials was set up to execute the project Many issues that we could not foresee at the beginning of the project started to take shape in time in other words as a

team we determined and carried out the project together sharing all the phases of it

We became one big family with British Council and our interpreters Işıl and Ayşeguumll We thought together we grieved together we shared our concerns and joys We received unbelievable energy and information from our experts Dr Marylin Thomson Dr Angelina Coyle and Dr Yıldız Ecevit As a result of this exchange of information and experiences we came up with big dreams for an ISKUR that is sensitive to womenrsquos employment and social gender equality Some of these dreams we transformed into an action and strategy plan depending on their feasibility The plans we created were offered as project outputs together with the ldquoHandbook of Social Gender Equality in the Labour Marketrdquo (İşguumlcuuml Piyasasında Toplumsal

Cinsiyet Eşitliği El Kitabı) prepared by our esteemed expert Dr Yıldız Ecevit and were shared with relevant public and private agencies and organizations and non-governmental organizations with a beautiful meeting held on 25 February 2010 with the participation of relevant ministries

It gave us great honour and joy to see these outputs used in many other projects Beyond all these the most important thing for me was the sharing the knowledge we acquired and the dreams we created because I know and believe that my friends in the project team will do their best to make these dreams come true

the course on Media and Child developed with UNICEF and I still design surveys and research on this subject

E-M

AGAZINEMONTH

LY N

ove

mb

er 2

010

The Media and Diversity Project in which I was involved as a researcher and a consultant is a work I value as much as the books and articles I have produced in my academic career of 20 years With this project I was able to reach beyond academic boundaries establish direct contact with media professionals and NGOs contribute to the production of principles of ethics and feel that I had the potential to affect how the media operates all of which were very exciting to me But taking my cue from the question asking me for lsquomemories that have left their marks on mersquo I would like to share the more personal aspects of the project British Councilrsquos ldquoMedia and Diversityrdquo project is the same age as my daughter Bahar Right after starting this project together with our coordinators Esra Ccedilanakccedilı and Seda Mumcu I got pregnant with Bahar my daughter of 45 years It was a bit unfortunate that our visits to media organizations and NGOs were accompanied by my pregnancy nausea I was so into it that the night before my C-section I sent Esra m y r e p o r t summariz ing the re s ea rch re su l t s Bahar was barely forty days old when we headed off to Istanbul for a press conference where we shared the research r e s u l t s I t w a s Baharrsquos first flight and I was qui te worried At the end o f t h e p r e s s conference held at t h e F e r i y e Restaurant and also during any interval I could find I fed Bahar It was exciting Bahar having the first hotel experience of her less-than-two-months old life at Pera Palas in that it symbolized the meeting of the new and the historical (though the hotel had not yet been renovated in those days and the floorboards creaked at the slightest provocation which I might add often caused Bahar to start crying)

Since I had given my word before my pregnancy I had made it my responsibility to get everything running according to the initial working plan The study visit to the UK with media managers and editors was the only activity I backed out of Yet beyond the promises made what was really important was that I had deeply embraced the project Of course I am almost a workaholic and I had had no clue about raising a baby until the birth As the day of the birth approached I carried tons of articles and books from my office at the university to home thinking that I would be writing articles and reading books during my maternity leave

Of course none of them got read and none of the articles got written The Media and Diversity project was my only work in that period After the delivery Esra visited me at home to discuss the details of the press conference during which Seda also accompanied to babysit Bahar which showed that my friends at the British Council Turkey were more farsighted then me who had insisted that ldquoof course we can hold a meetingrdquo

As a result I enjoyed every step of this project which is as old as my daughter I think the British Council staff has managed to find a perfect balance which I have not seen anywhere else they work diligently everything gets done meticulously and they really care about human relations with participants In the end outstanding work is done in a warm and friendly atmosphere

Of the elements included in the Media and Diversity project I have been researching social gender and cultural

identities for a long time Through this project the subject of media-child relations which I had started to take an interest in at r e s e a r c h l e v e l b e c a m e m o r e involved through scanning national and international codes of ethics in the a r e a f o r t h e workshop (coinciding with the sad day we heard about the a s s a s s i n a t i o n o f Hrant Dink) during and after which we d e v e l o p e d t h e theme it became

my new teaching and research area with the added effect of my sensitivity to the subject following motherhood I still teach the post-graduate students of the Ankara University Faculty of Communication the course on Media and Child developed with UNICEF and I still design surveys and research on this subject

Happy Birthday

Media and Diversityrsquo Project - Same Age as My DaughterBy Prof Mine Gencel Bek Ankara University Faculty of Communication

For more info please visitour website gtgt

E-M

AGAZINEMONTH

LY N

ove

mb

er 2

010

Strategy Development to Increase Employment of Women

By Aysen Karakulak Directorate General of the Turkish Employment Agency Project Coordinator

I have always believed in the synergy of projects starting as a small-scale work The target is always clear and achievable The project team focuses more comfortably on the target You experience a universal relationship of sharing with another language that brings the whole team together and usually success is achieved

When dear Selin Yaşamış from British Council came to talk to us on the feasibility of a project with ISKUR (Turkish Employment Agency) I was sure that we were laying the foundation for an outstanding work

ISKUR works with an increased sensitivity on increasing employment of women and improving gender equality within the scope of efforts to ensure harmonization with the EU acquis in the membership process of our country Our project was based on this foundation It was decided to make a planstrategy crosscutting the existing awareness and efforts and create a project that would highlight the ongoing efforts put a name to them raise awareness on social gender and define the social gender concept for the labour market

A ldquoCore Strategy Teamrdquo of 10 ISKUR officials was set up to execute the project Many issues that we could not foresee at the beginning of the project started to take shape in time in other words as a

team we determined and carried out the project together sharing all the phases of it

We became one big family with British Council and our interpreters Işıl and Ayşeguumll We thought together we grieved together we shared our concerns and joys We received unbelievable energy and information from our experts Dr Marylin Thomson Dr Angelina Coyle and Dr Yıldız Ecevit As a result of this exchange of information and experiences we came up with big dreams for an ISKUR that is sensitive to womenrsquos employment and social gender equality Some of these dreams we transformed into an action and strategy plan depending on their feasibility The plans we created were offered as project outputs together with the ldquoHandbook of Social Gender Equality in the Labour Marketrdquo (İşguumlcuuml Piyasasında Toplumsal

Cinsiyet Eşitliği El Kitabı) prepared by our esteemed expert Dr Yıldız Ecevit and were shared with relevant public and private agencies and organizations and non-governmental organizations with a beautiful meeting held on 25 February 2010 with the participation of relevant ministries

It gave us great honour and joy to see these outputs used in many other projects Beyond all these the most important thing for me was the sharing the knowledge we acquired and the dreams we created because I know and believe that my friends in the project team will do their best to make these dreams come true

the course on Media and Child developed with UNICEF and I still design surveys and research on this subject

E-M

AGAZINEMONTH

LY N

ove

mb

er 2

010

The Media and Diversity Project in which I was involved as a researcher and a consultant is a work I value as much as the books and articles I have produced in my academic career of 20 years With this project I was able to reach beyond academic boundaries establish direct contact with media professionals and NGOs contribute to the production of principles of ethics and feel that I had the potential to affect how the media operates all of which were very exciting to me But taking my cue from the question asking me for lsquomemories that have left their marks on mersquo I would like to share the more personal aspects of the project British Councilrsquos ldquoMedia and Diversityrdquo project is the same age as my daughter Bahar Right after starting this project together with our coordinators Esra Ccedilanakccedilı and Seda Mumcu I got pregnant with Bahar my daughter of 45 years It was a bit unfortunate that our visits to media organizations and NGOs were accompanied by my pregnancy nausea I was so into it that the night before my C-section I sent Esra m y r e p o r t summariz ing the re s ea rch re su l t s Bahar was barely forty days old when we headed off to Istanbul for a press conference where we shared the research r e s u l t s I t w a s Baharrsquos first flight and I was qui te worried At the end o f t h e p r e s s conference held at t h e F e r i y e Restaurant and also during any interval I could find I fed Bahar It was exciting Bahar having the first hotel experience of her less-than-two-months old life at Pera Palas in that it symbolized the meeting of the new and the historical (though the hotel had not yet been renovated in those days and the floorboards creaked at the slightest provocation which I might add often caused Bahar to start crying)

Since I had given my word before my pregnancy I had made it my responsibility to get everything running according to the initial working plan The study visit to the UK with media managers and editors was the only activity I backed out of Yet beyond the promises made what was really important was that I had deeply embraced the project Of course I am almost a workaholic and I had had no clue about raising a baby until the birth As the day of the birth approached I carried tons of articles and books from my office at the university to home thinking that I would be writing articles and reading books during my maternity leave

Of course none of them got read and none of the articles got written The Media and Diversity project was my only work in that period After the delivery Esra visited me at home to discuss the details of the press conference during which Seda also accompanied to babysit Bahar which showed that my friends at the British Council Turkey were more farsighted then me who had insisted that ldquoof course we can hold a meetingrdquo

As a result I enjoyed every step of this project which is as old as my daughter I think the British Council staff has managed to find a perfect balance which I have not seen anywhere else they work diligently everything gets done meticulously and they really care about human relations with participants In the end outstanding work is done in a warm and friendly atmosphere

Of the elements included in the Media and Diversity project I have been researching social gender and cultural

identities for a long time Through this project the subject of media-child relations which I had started to take an interest in at r e s e a r c h l e v e l b e c a m e m o r e involved through scanning national and international codes of ethics in the a r e a f o r t h e workshop (coinciding with the sad day we heard about the a s s a s s i n a t i o n o f Hrant Dink) during and after which we d e v e l o p e d t h e theme it became

my new teaching and research area with the added effect of my sensitivity to the subject following motherhood I still teach the post-graduate students of the Ankara University Faculty of Communication the course on Media and Child developed with UNICEF and I still design surveys and research on this subject

Happy Birthday

Media and Diversityrsquo Project - Same Age as My DaughterBy Prof Mine Gencel Bek Ankara University Faculty of Communication

For more info please visitour website gtgt

E-M

AGAZINEMONTH

LY N

ove

mb

er 2

010

The Media and Diversity Project in which I was involved as a researcher and a consultant is a work I value as much as the books and articles I have produced in my academic career of 20 years With this project I was able to reach beyond academic boundaries establish direct contact with media professionals and NGOs contribute to the production of principles of ethics and feel that I had the potential to affect how the media operates all of which were very exciting to me But taking my cue from the question asking me for lsquomemories that have left their marks on mersquo I would like to share the more personal aspects of the project British Councilrsquos ldquoMedia and Diversityrdquo project is the same age as my daughter Bahar Right after starting this project together with our coordinators Esra Ccedilanakccedilı and Seda Mumcu I got pregnant with Bahar my daughter of 45 years It was a bit unfortunate that our visits to media organizations and NGOs were accompanied by my pregnancy nausea I was so into it that the night before my C-section I sent Esra m y r e p o r t summariz ing the re s ea rch re su l t s Bahar was barely forty days old when we headed off to Istanbul for a press conference where we shared the research r e s u l t s I t w a s Baharrsquos first flight and I was qui te worried At the end o f t h e p r e s s conference held at t h e F e r i y e Restaurant and also during any interval I could find I fed Bahar It was exciting Bahar having the first hotel experience of her less-than-two-months old life at Pera Palas in that it symbolized the meeting of the new and the historical (though the hotel had not yet been renovated in those days and the floorboards creaked at the slightest provocation which I might add often caused Bahar to start crying)

Since I had given my word before my pregnancy I had made it my responsibility to get everything running according to the initial working plan The study visit to the UK with media managers and editors was the only activity I backed out of Yet beyond the promises made what was really important was that I had deeply embraced the project Of course I am almost a workaholic and I had had no clue about raising a baby until the birth As the day of the birth approached I carried tons of articles and books from my office at the university to home thinking that I would be writing articles and reading books during my maternity leave

Of course none of them got read and none of the articles got written The Media and Diversity project was my only work in that period After the delivery Esra visited me at home to discuss the details of the press conference during which Seda also accompanied to babysit Bahar which showed that my friends at the British Council Turkey were more farsighted then me who had insisted that ldquoof course we can hold a meetingrdquo

As a result I enjoyed every step of this project which is as old as my daughter I think the British Council staff has managed to find a perfect balance which I have not seen anywhere else they work diligently everything gets done meticulously and they really care about human relations with participants In the end outstanding work is done in a warm and friendly atmosphere

Of the elements included in the Media and Diversity project I have been researching social gender and cultural

identities for a long time Through this project the subject of media-child relations which I had started to take an interest in at r e s e a r c h l e v e l b e c a m e m o r e involved through scanning national and international codes of ethics in the a r e a f o r t h e workshop (coinciding with the sad day we heard about the a s s a s s i n a t i o n o f Hrant Dink) during and after which we d e v e l o p e d t h e theme it became

my new teaching and research area with the added effect of my sensitivity to the subject following motherhood I still teach the post-graduate students of the Ankara University Faculty of Communication the course on Media and Child developed with UNICEF and I still design surveys and research on this subject

Happy Birthday

Media and Diversityrsquo Project - Same Age as My DaughterBy Prof Mine Gencel Bek Ankara University Faculty of Communication

For more info please visitour website gtgt

E-M

AGAZINEMONTH

LY N

ove

mb

er 2

010

When I got my hands on British Councilrsquos scholarship announcement it was in September of 2002 Can there be any better opportunity I said to myself I would be able to distance myself from where I had been working for the last 3 years and I would have the opportunity to do some academic work in a beautiful country in an area I love Who knew what kind of memories I would be bringing back I would be studying with lots of people from different countries and I would get myself a nice diploma

As I passed each phase of the scholarship grant process the happiness in me began to increase In February I was over the moon when British Council phoned me to say I had received the scholarship Next came selecting the school and the programme The University of London School of Or ienta l And Afr ican Stud ie s - Development Studies was where I chose to apply and after 15 days I received their affirmative reply which made everything clearer in my mind I applied to the schoolrsquos hall of residence I got some information on the UK in general and London in particular from friends who had been there before on the British Council Chevening Scholarship While waiting for the London flight that would take me to Heathrow I listened to stories on the UK from people all happy and all unique Then the big day arrived In the afternoon of the 24th of August I arrived in London With my all my luggage I had my first tube experience to reach the hall of residence in a country I did not know And I did not y e t k n o w t h a t t h e w a r n i n g announcement I heard at every stop would bring a smile on my face every time I heard it later ldquoPlease mind the gap between the train and the platformrdquo On my first weekend the schoolrsquos orientation program had not yet started and I noticed a hand-written note on the entrance door of the residence hall It was the birthday of one of the students and she was inviting everyone to her birthday party in the community

hall That night I had the opportunity to meet many new people most of whom I later learned were taking the same classes with me I also met a lot of British Council Chevening Scholarship students both from Turkey and other countries Tens of students all from different ages colours languages and cultures This riot of colours alone was enough to make me feel dizzy In addition to the schoolrsquos comfortable environment the classes the way instructors addressed the classes and the seminars which did not allow us to nap in a corner there was no end to Londonrsquos arts and cultural activities It offered us an environment where you could fill every single minute of your day with something memorable I can say that our first homework assignments were stressful for all of us We had access to all the libraries of the University of London so finding reference books was no problem Through these home assignments we quit rote learning and started to seek solutions to the problems of the world while reading from academic sources arguing an issue from the perspective of different viewpoints in an attempt to develop our own thoughts and how best to phrase them This process taught me that our own interpretations and ideas are at least as important as those of globally renowned academics whose papers we were reading and that it takes a tremendous amount of time and effort to create something original Time was passing quickly but we were never static Our weekend schedules were full with musicals concerts movie nights organized by the school and London museums with their doors open to everyone with no requirement to pay any fee The British Museumrsquos cafeacute right next to the school was one of my favourite places It became a habit of mine to walk to Covent Garden after school grab something to eat and then go to a musical or a movie Famous musicians from all around the world were coming and all you had to do was get hold of one of the tickets put on sale months before the concert On the other hand our life at the hall of residence was also going great It was

enjoyable to get to know different cuisines sharing what we cooked and exploring different spices and flavours Dinner tables were always fun and always accompanied by some heated discussions Coming from different countries and continents we all had a lot of things to learn from each other During this process we saw that although we all came from different cultures and geographies essentially we all contemplated similar issues and we were not different from each other at all This must have been what they call unity in diversity Although we were living different lives with very different prospects we all shared one common groundFinally the classes ended and we submitted our dissertations and started to prepare for our return Just as I had had no difficulties adjusting to the UK returning to Turkey was no big issue for me Following one year of education Ankara and my working life welcomed me warmly I found myself in an environment where I could transfer my a c a d e m i c e x p e r i e n c e s t o m y professional life In the following days I had the opportunity to meet the other scholarship students in Ankara thanks to the contributions of British Council so we managed to keep in touch After exactly one year we set off to London for our graduation ceremony We were as excited as we had been on our first trip to the UK London the most cosmopolitan city in the world embraced us as if we had never left and London once again crowned its place in our hearts And that is the account of my one year in the UK as a British Council Chevening scholarship student Despite all the years that have spent since everything I remember from those days puts a big smile on my face and it is my fervent wish that the younger generation will also be able to have this unique experience Thank you British Council

E-M

AGAZINEMONTH

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ove

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er 2

010 A Year in London ldquoPlease Mind the Gap between the Train

and the PlatformBy Pelin KUZEY Deputy Head Ministry of Finance Department of European Union and External Affairs

What British Council means to meBy Ceyhun Goumlcenoğlu Former Business Relations and Bosphorus Conference Project Manager British Council Turkey

To me British Council basically means two things Firstly it is the in s t i tu t ion that g ran ted me a scholarship to study in the UK secondly it is where I have been working since July 2007

There are three questions I remember from my interview for the Chevening scholarship

bull What have you done to date bull Why the UKbull What do you want to do when

you return My answers were as simple as the

questions bull I h a v e w o r k e d f o r t h e

development of civil society and private sector collaboration

bull There is a good system and order in place in the UK in this area

bull I want to set up an association working in this area when I return

My first adventure started on 21 September 2003 between my academic development at Birkbeck College the Wilton Park Conferences the Chatham House meetings my company visits and my efforts to enrich my one-year post-graduate studies in the UK and enjoy London

I must say that London has a unique flavour It is a mixture of British a bit European a bit Asian and a bit American Its richness lies in various aspects of life such as arts and food that add flavour and colour to life with the atmosphere created by an abundance of different cultures was proof that it is not only due to its finance sector that Britain and London in particular is considered a global hub Thai and Italian cuisine the Red Hot Chilli Peppers concert at Hyatt Park the musical Les Miseacuterables at the Royal Albert Hall the Chinese New Year Brazilian parties my beloved Besiktas beating Chelsea in London hellip

On returning to Turkey I kept my promise and made my dreams come true by establishing the Corporate Social Responsibility Association of Turkey which is celebrating its fifth year today Afterwards the Network Effect meetings in Istanbul and Tallinn at which I represented my Association provided me with a much needed

internship for what I was likely to encounter in the second phase This second phase started in July 2007 when I began working at British Council and is still continuing During this phase I participated in managed supported watched got acquainted with and introduced many projects and activities on numerous interesting topics such as social responsibility entrepreneurship higher education art in public space i n t e r c u l t u r a l d i a l o g u e s o c i a l entrepreneurship vocational training equal opportunities and diversity creative industries communicating science and climate change

During this three-year period I saw that different topics acting independently actually focussed around a common foundation The common aspect of all of these topics was that they all contributed to an ongoing cultural and economic development and enrichment not only of the Turkish and British societies but also in all areas of interaction between Turkey and the UK This interaction and mutual relationship grew larger and larger on a platform not only hosting the purely

intellectual discussions that are needed but also producing the tools that contribute to building the experience knowledge and competencies that can increase the potentials of individuals by transforming these intellectual discussions into practice and turning them into something with tangible solid results

On this ever-expanding platform as someone who was first on the affected and then the affecting side I would like to share with you the joy and honour I feel for being part of an interaction and transformation that has been going on for the last 70 years I believe that these interactions will grow and shoot forth with the endeavours experiences and contributions of those dedicated to a common vision for a better and more peaceful world

E-M

AGAZINEMONTH

LY N

ove

mb

er 2

010

Two events explore the dialogue between Turkey and the rest of Europerdquo Chair Vernon Ellis

How can culture and arts add value to dialogue between Turkey and the rest of Europe This question was at the centre of two major events organised by the British Council Turkey last week the annual Bosphorus Conference and the international launch of the My City project Vernon Ellis Chair of the British Council was in Turkey to experience at first hand t h e s e t w o m a j o r e v e n t s emphasising to the audience of the Bosphorus Conference that ldquoBuilding trust and providing opportunities are at the heart of what the British Council aims to dordquo

lsquoEU and Turkey ndash Shaping the Futurersquo was this yearrsquos theme lsquoHow are Turkey and the EU working together to compete in global marketsrsquo and lsquoHow can Turkey and the EU increase the level of cooperation on foreign policyrsquo were some of the questions highlighted during the seventh Bosphorus Conference where high-level guests involved in the EU debate discussed the past present and future of EU-Turkey relations The conference was held on the European side of the city overlooking Asia across the stream of water that gives the event its name now an established brand name

In another event spectacular outdoor art works by leading contemporary artists were unveiled to the glare of international media attention in five cities across Turkey They were the products of over one year of dedication and inspiration by artists from Turkey and Europe As part of the EU-Turkey Civil Society Dialogue Cultural Bridges programme funded by the EU My City gets underneath the arguments about Turkeyrsquos relationship with Europe through residencies in EU countries by artists from Turkey and commissions for large-scale new work in public spaces in Turkey by artists from Austria Finland Germany Poland and the UK

Honest and open dialogue

The Bosphorus Conference allowed off-the-record frank discussions among senior politicians diplomats academics and the brains behind influential think tanks in both Turkey and Europe with the only part open to the media being the reception and the first hour of the conference The event was organised in partnership with the Delegation of the European Union to Turkey and the Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation The reception in the British Consulate General in Istanbul welcomed the guests including David Reddaway British Ambassador to Turkey Lech Walesa Former President of Poland and Member of the EU Reflection Group David Lidington MP the UKrsquos Minister of State responsible for European issues and NATO and Egemen Bağış Turkeyrsquos Minister for EU Affairs and EU

Chief Negotiator delivering speeches to the guests on the emerging picture of the economic integration of the EU and Turkey

Some of the overarching themes were the crucial role of Turkey in the future of EU an urgent need to stop dwelling

on the past and the advantages of Turkeyrsquos EU accession in tackling terrorism and Islamophobia While Marc Pierini Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Turkey asserted that ldquoThis year the accession process is not only about diplomacy but also about business and culturerdquo both journalist Mehmet Ali Birand and Lidington MP mentioned ldquoIslamophobiardquo as the ldquoreal issue affecting people in Turkeyrsquos EU accessionrdquo Ahmet

Davutoğlu Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs delivered the closing speech ldquoIf Turkey becomes a member of EU through this democratic transformation process this will promote global peace in Middle East in Balkans everywhererdquo Ellisrsquos words perhaps best summarised the sentiments ldquoHonest and open dialogue is a key to a good relation between Turkey and rest of Europerdquo

Touring five cities for My City

Public areas are a shared and contested space in any country and Turkey is no exception so the realisation of major outdoor art works in Konya Mardin Ccedilanakkale Trabzon and Istanbul has been fraught with risks and challenges to be overcome by the My City project team at British Council Turkey Last weekrsquos opening tour of these five cities for a group of about fifty journalists and arts professionals from several countries was an example of the power of this project to change perceptions and shift the parameters of the debate about Turkey and Europe

The mayors of two of the cities where the last weekrsquos opening celebrations were organised proclaimed ldquotheirrdquo artists to be honorary citizens Polish artist Joanna Rajkowska in Konya and British artist Mark Wallinger in Ccedilanakkale

My City is a European project with the British Council at its heart identifying us with an imaginative exciting and professional approach to the in tense bu t somet imes difficult relationship between Turkey and the EU It also deepens and strengthens the UKrsquos bilateral relations with Turkey and demonstrates the British commitment to the EU Alongside the core team in Turkey the pro jec t includes British Council colleagues in each of the five other countries

Two events explore the dialogue between Turkey and the rest of Europe

E-M

AGAZINEMONTH

LY N

ove

mb

er 2

010

7 Stories 7 PhotosWe would like to see 70 years

British Council Turkey story from your eyes and read from your letters

What do you think about sharing your moments which intersected with us by the photos in your cameras and your memories

We look forward to receiving your photos and stories for placing in our ldquo7 stories 7 photosrdquo section which we organize for our 70th annivesary

Deadline is 27122010

Find out how you can apply

Climate Arena

Climate Arena events are running under the umbrella of CLIMATE CHANGE Programme

Climate Arena debates are joint initiative between British Council UNJP (UN joint programmes) and Delegation of European Union to Turkey - Information Centre The programme is

October 2010 Konya Diyarbakır

November 2010 Van Trabzon

December 2010 Eskişehir Gaziantep

January 2010 Mersin Şanlıurfa

February 2010 Denizli İstanbul

Find out how you can take part gtgt

Our Blog is OnlineBritish Council used many different

ways of communication in Turkey in the recent years Due to the growth of internet and online social communication we now want to get closer to you with our Blog

Read the latest latest information about British Council Turkey and have your say We regularly update our blogs as our Facebook page twitter and other social community

platforms

Do not forget to check our blog

7th Bosphorus Conference

Bosphorus Conference was held 22-23 October 2010 this year by the collaboration with Delegation of the European Union to Turkey and TESEV Gala dinner was organized at 22 October in Pera House the British Consulate General Istanbul Seminar and discussions took place at Feriye Restaurant the next day

5 ministries and high-level bureaucrats attended to series of seminars and discussions To read the report of conference please visit the related web pages You can find the photo album of Bosphorus Conference on our flickr page

My City Opening TourOpening Tour of My City which is being launched as part of the European Commissionrsquos Cultural Bridges Programme has been completed

21 October Mardin - Konya

22 October Ccedilanakkale - Trabzon23 October İstanbulProjects are open for the visitors

within 3 months For more information please visit My City website

Frame It Climate Change Photo Competition

Frame It Climate Change Photo Competitionrdquo

Winners of Frame It competition took their awards by the special ceremony which was held at Kadir Has University on 28 September

Photos were evaluated in 2 different categories which were standard and manipulated

You can visit this link to see the exhibited photos

E-M

AGAZINEMONTH

LY N

ove

mb

er 2

010 NEWSampANNOUNCEMENTS

What British Council means to meBy Ceyhun Goumlcenoğlu Former Business Relations and Bosphorus Conference Project Manager British Council Turkey

To me British Council basically means two things Firstly it is the in s t i tu t ion that g ran ted me a scholarship to study in the UK secondly it is where I have been working since July 2007

There are three questions I remember from my interview for the Chevening scholarship

bull What have you done to date bull Why the UKbull What do you want to do when

you return My answers were as simple as the

questions bull I h a v e w o r k e d f o r t h e

development of civil society and private sector collaboration

bull There is a good system and order in place in the UK in this area

bull I want to set up an association working in this area when I return

My first adventure started on 21 September 2003 between my academic development at Birkbeck College the Wilton Park Conferences the Chatham House meetings my company visits and my efforts to enrich my one-year post-graduate studies in the UK and enjoy London

I must say that London has a unique flavour It is a mixture of British a bit European a bit Asian and a bit American Its richness lies in various aspects of life such as arts and food that add flavour and colour to life with the atmosphere created by an abundance of different cultures was proof that it is not only due to its finance sector that Britain and London in particular is considered a global hub Thai and Italian cuisine the Red Hot Chilli Peppers concert at Hyatt Park the musical Les Miseacuterables at the Royal Albert Hall the Chinese New Year Brazilian parties my beloved Besiktas beating Chelsea in London hellip

On returning to Turkey I kept my promise and made my dreams come true by establishing the Corporate Social Responsibility Association of Turkey which is celebrating its fifth year today Afterwards the Network Effect meetings in Istanbul and Tallinn at which I represented my Association provided me with a much needed

internship for what I was likely to encounter in the second phase This second phase started in July 2007 when I began working at British Council and is still continuing During this phase I participated in managed supported watched got acquainted with and introduced many projects and activities on numerous interesting topics such as social responsibility entrepreneurship higher education art in public space i n t e r c u l t u r a l d i a l o g u e s o c i a l entrepreneurship vocational training equal opportunities and diversity creative industries communicating science and climate change

During this three-year period I saw that different topics acting independently actually focussed around a common foundation The common aspect of all of these topics was that they all contributed to an ongoing cultural and economic development and enrichment not only of the Turkish and British societies but also in all areas of interaction between Turkey and the UK This interaction and mutual relationship grew larger and larger on a platform not only hosting the purely

intellectual discussions that are needed but also producing the tools that contribute to building the experience knowledge and competencies that can increase the potentials of individuals by transforming these intellectual discussions into practice and turning them into something with tangible solid results

On this ever-expanding platform as someone who was first on the affected and then the affecting side I would like to share with you the joy and honour I feel for being part of an interaction and transformation that has been going on for the last 70 years I believe that these interactions will grow and shoot forth with the endeavours experiences and contributions of those dedicated to a common vision for a better and more peaceful world

E-M

AGAZINEMONTH

LY N

ove

mb

er 2

010

Two events explore the dialogue between Turkey and the rest of Europerdquo Chair Vernon Ellis

How can culture and arts add value to dialogue between Turkey and the rest of Europe This question was at the centre of two major events organised by the British Council Turkey last week the annual Bosphorus Conference and the international launch of the My City project Vernon Ellis Chair of the British Council was in Turkey to experience at first hand t h e s e t w o m a j o r e v e n t s emphasising to the audience of the Bosphorus Conference that ldquoBuilding trust and providing opportunities are at the heart of what the British Council aims to dordquo

lsquoEU and Turkey ndash Shaping the Futurersquo was this yearrsquos theme lsquoHow are Turkey and the EU working together to compete in global marketsrsquo and lsquoHow can Turkey and the EU increase the level of cooperation on foreign policyrsquo were some of the questions highlighted during the seventh Bosphorus Conference where high-level guests involved in the EU debate discussed the past present and future of EU-Turkey relations The conference was held on the European side of the city overlooking Asia across the stream of water that gives the event its name now an established brand name

In another event spectacular outdoor art works by leading contemporary artists were unveiled to the glare of international media attention in five cities across Turkey They were the products of over one year of dedication and inspiration by artists from Turkey and Europe As part of the EU-Turkey Civil Society Dialogue Cultural Bridges programme funded by the EU My City gets underneath the arguments about Turkeyrsquos relationship with Europe through residencies in EU countries by artists from Turkey and commissions for large-scale new work in public spaces in Turkey by artists from Austria Finland Germany Poland and the UK

Honest and open dialogue

The Bosphorus Conference allowed off-the-record frank discussions among senior politicians diplomats academics and the brains behind influential think tanks in both Turkey and Europe with the only part open to the media being the reception and the first hour of the conference The event was organised in partnership with the Delegation of the European Union to Turkey and the Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation The reception in the British Consulate General in Istanbul welcomed the guests including David Reddaway British Ambassador to Turkey Lech Walesa Former President of Poland and Member of the EU Reflection Group David Lidington MP the UKrsquos Minister of State responsible for European issues and NATO and Egemen Bağış Turkeyrsquos Minister for EU Affairs and EU

Chief Negotiator delivering speeches to the guests on the emerging picture of the economic integration of the EU and Turkey

Some of the overarching themes were the crucial role of Turkey in the future of EU an urgent need to stop dwelling

on the past and the advantages of Turkeyrsquos EU accession in tackling terrorism and Islamophobia While Marc Pierini Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Turkey asserted that ldquoThis year the accession process is not only about diplomacy but also about business and culturerdquo both journalist Mehmet Ali Birand and Lidington MP mentioned ldquoIslamophobiardquo as the ldquoreal issue affecting people in Turkeyrsquos EU accessionrdquo Ahmet

Davutoğlu Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs delivered the closing speech ldquoIf Turkey becomes a member of EU through this democratic transformation process this will promote global peace in Middle East in Balkans everywhererdquo Ellisrsquos words perhaps best summarised the sentiments ldquoHonest and open dialogue is a key to a good relation between Turkey and rest of Europerdquo

Touring five cities for My City

Public areas are a shared and contested space in any country and Turkey is no exception so the realisation of major outdoor art works in Konya Mardin Ccedilanakkale Trabzon and Istanbul has been fraught with risks and challenges to be overcome by the My City project team at British Council Turkey Last weekrsquos opening tour of these five cities for a group of about fifty journalists and arts professionals from several countries was an example of the power of this project to change perceptions and shift the parameters of the debate about Turkey and Europe

The mayors of two of the cities where the last weekrsquos opening celebrations were organised proclaimed ldquotheirrdquo artists to be honorary citizens Polish artist Joanna Rajkowska in Konya and British artist Mark Wallinger in Ccedilanakkale

My City is a European project with the British Council at its heart identifying us with an imaginative exciting and professional approach to the in tense bu t somet imes difficult relationship between Turkey and the EU It also deepens and strengthens the UKrsquos bilateral relations with Turkey and demonstrates the British commitment to the EU Alongside the core team in Turkey the pro jec t includes British Council colleagues in each of the five other countries

Two events explore the dialogue between Turkey and the rest of Europe

E-M

AGAZINEMONTH

LY N

ove

mb

er 2

010

7 Stories 7 PhotosWe would like to see 70 years

British Council Turkey story from your eyes and read from your letters

What do you think about sharing your moments which intersected with us by the photos in your cameras and your memories

We look forward to receiving your photos and stories for placing in our ldquo7 stories 7 photosrdquo section which we organize for our 70th annivesary

Deadline is 27122010

Find out how you can apply

Climate Arena

Climate Arena events are running under the umbrella of CLIMATE CHANGE Programme

Climate Arena debates are joint initiative between British Council UNJP (UN joint programmes) and Delegation of European Union to Turkey - Information Centre The programme is

October 2010 Konya Diyarbakır

November 2010 Van Trabzon

December 2010 Eskişehir Gaziantep

January 2010 Mersin Şanlıurfa

February 2010 Denizli İstanbul

Find out how you can take part gtgt

Our Blog is OnlineBritish Council used many different

ways of communication in Turkey in the recent years Due to the growth of internet and online social communication we now want to get closer to you with our Blog

Read the latest latest information about British Council Turkey and have your say We regularly update our blogs as our Facebook page twitter and other social community

platforms

Do not forget to check our blog

7th Bosphorus Conference

Bosphorus Conference was held 22-23 October 2010 this year by the collaboration with Delegation of the European Union to Turkey and TESEV Gala dinner was organized at 22 October in Pera House the British Consulate General Istanbul Seminar and discussions took place at Feriye Restaurant the next day

5 ministries and high-level bureaucrats attended to series of seminars and discussions To read the report of conference please visit the related web pages You can find the photo album of Bosphorus Conference on our flickr page

My City Opening TourOpening Tour of My City which is being launched as part of the European Commissionrsquos Cultural Bridges Programme has been completed

21 October Mardin - Konya

22 October Ccedilanakkale - Trabzon23 October İstanbulProjects are open for the visitors

within 3 months For more information please visit My City website

Frame It Climate Change Photo Competition

Frame It Climate Change Photo Competitionrdquo

Winners of Frame It competition took their awards by the special ceremony which was held at Kadir Has University on 28 September

Photos were evaluated in 2 different categories which were standard and manipulated

You can visit this link to see the exhibited photos

E-M

AGAZINEMONTH

LY N

ove

mb

er 2

010 NEWSampANNOUNCEMENTS

Two events explore the dialogue between Turkey and the rest of Europerdquo Chair Vernon Ellis

How can culture and arts add value to dialogue between Turkey and the rest of Europe This question was at the centre of two major events organised by the British Council Turkey last week the annual Bosphorus Conference and the international launch of the My City project Vernon Ellis Chair of the British Council was in Turkey to experience at first hand t h e s e t w o m a j o r e v e n t s emphasising to the audience of the Bosphorus Conference that ldquoBuilding trust and providing opportunities are at the heart of what the British Council aims to dordquo

lsquoEU and Turkey ndash Shaping the Futurersquo was this yearrsquos theme lsquoHow are Turkey and the EU working together to compete in global marketsrsquo and lsquoHow can Turkey and the EU increase the level of cooperation on foreign policyrsquo were some of the questions highlighted during the seventh Bosphorus Conference where high-level guests involved in the EU debate discussed the past present and future of EU-Turkey relations The conference was held on the European side of the city overlooking Asia across the stream of water that gives the event its name now an established brand name

In another event spectacular outdoor art works by leading contemporary artists were unveiled to the glare of international media attention in five cities across Turkey They were the products of over one year of dedication and inspiration by artists from Turkey and Europe As part of the EU-Turkey Civil Society Dialogue Cultural Bridges programme funded by the EU My City gets underneath the arguments about Turkeyrsquos relationship with Europe through residencies in EU countries by artists from Turkey and commissions for large-scale new work in public spaces in Turkey by artists from Austria Finland Germany Poland and the UK

Honest and open dialogue

The Bosphorus Conference allowed off-the-record frank discussions among senior politicians diplomats academics and the brains behind influential think tanks in both Turkey and Europe with the only part open to the media being the reception and the first hour of the conference The event was organised in partnership with the Delegation of the European Union to Turkey and the Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation The reception in the British Consulate General in Istanbul welcomed the guests including David Reddaway British Ambassador to Turkey Lech Walesa Former President of Poland and Member of the EU Reflection Group David Lidington MP the UKrsquos Minister of State responsible for European issues and NATO and Egemen Bağış Turkeyrsquos Minister for EU Affairs and EU

Chief Negotiator delivering speeches to the guests on the emerging picture of the economic integration of the EU and Turkey

Some of the overarching themes were the crucial role of Turkey in the future of EU an urgent need to stop dwelling

on the past and the advantages of Turkeyrsquos EU accession in tackling terrorism and Islamophobia While Marc Pierini Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Turkey asserted that ldquoThis year the accession process is not only about diplomacy but also about business and culturerdquo both journalist Mehmet Ali Birand and Lidington MP mentioned ldquoIslamophobiardquo as the ldquoreal issue affecting people in Turkeyrsquos EU accessionrdquo Ahmet

Davutoğlu Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs delivered the closing speech ldquoIf Turkey becomes a member of EU through this democratic transformation process this will promote global peace in Middle East in Balkans everywhererdquo Ellisrsquos words perhaps best summarised the sentiments ldquoHonest and open dialogue is a key to a good relation between Turkey and rest of Europerdquo

Touring five cities for My City

Public areas are a shared and contested space in any country and Turkey is no exception so the realisation of major outdoor art works in Konya Mardin Ccedilanakkale Trabzon and Istanbul has been fraught with risks and challenges to be overcome by the My City project team at British Council Turkey Last weekrsquos opening tour of these five cities for a group of about fifty journalists and arts professionals from several countries was an example of the power of this project to change perceptions and shift the parameters of the debate about Turkey and Europe

The mayors of two of the cities where the last weekrsquos opening celebrations were organised proclaimed ldquotheirrdquo artists to be honorary citizens Polish artist Joanna Rajkowska in Konya and British artist Mark Wallinger in Ccedilanakkale

My City is a European project with the British Council at its heart identifying us with an imaginative exciting and professional approach to the in tense bu t somet imes difficult relationship between Turkey and the EU It also deepens and strengthens the UKrsquos bilateral relations with Turkey and demonstrates the British commitment to the EU Alongside the core team in Turkey the pro jec t includes British Council colleagues in each of the five other countries

Two events explore the dialogue between Turkey and the rest of Europe

E-M

AGAZINEMONTH

LY N

ove

mb

er 2

010

7 Stories 7 PhotosWe would like to see 70 years

British Council Turkey story from your eyes and read from your letters

What do you think about sharing your moments which intersected with us by the photos in your cameras and your memories

We look forward to receiving your photos and stories for placing in our ldquo7 stories 7 photosrdquo section which we organize for our 70th annivesary

Deadline is 27122010

Find out how you can apply

Climate Arena

Climate Arena events are running under the umbrella of CLIMATE CHANGE Programme

Climate Arena debates are joint initiative between British Council UNJP (UN joint programmes) and Delegation of European Union to Turkey - Information Centre The programme is

October 2010 Konya Diyarbakır

November 2010 Van Trabzon

December 2010 Eskişehir Gaziantep

January 2010 Mersin Şanlıurfa

February 2010 Denizli İstanbul

Find out how you can take part gtgt

Our Blog is OnlineBritish Council used many different

ways of communication in Turkey in the recent years Due to the growth of internet and online social communication we now want to get closer to you with our Blog

Read the latest latest information about British Council Turkey and have your say We regularly update our blogs as our Facebook page twitter and other social community

platforms

Do not forget to check our blog

7th Bosphorus Conference

Bosphorus Conference was held 22-23 October 2010 this year by the collaboration with Delegation of the European Union to Turkey and TESEV Gala dinner was organized at 22 October in Pera House the British Consulate General Istanbul Seminar and discussions took place at Feriye Restaurant the next day

5 ministries and high-level bureaucrats attended to series of seminars and discussions To read the report of conference please visit the related web pages You can find the photo album of Bosphorus Conference on our flickr page

My City Opening TourOpening Tour of My City which is being launched as part of the European Commissionrsquos Cultural Bridges Programme has been completed

21 October Mardin - Konya

22 October Ccedilanakkale - Trabzon23 October İstanbulProjects are open for the visitors

within 3 months For more information please visit My City website

Frame It Climate Change Photo Competition

Frame It Climate Change Photo Competitionrdquo

Winners of Frame It competition took their awards by the special ceremony which was held at Kadir Has University on 28 September

Photos were evaluated in 2 different categories which were standard and manipulated

You can visit this link to see the exhibited photos

E-M

AGAZINEMONTH

LY N

ove

mb

er 2

010 NEWSampANNOUNCEMENTS

7 Stories 7 PhotosWe would like to see 70 years

British Council Turkey story from your eyes and read from your letters

What do you think about sharing your moments which intersected with us by the photos in your cameras and your memories

We look forward to receiving your photos and stories for placing in our ldquo7 stories 7 photosrdquo section which we organize for our 70th annivesary

Deadline is 27122010

Find out how you can apply

Climate Arena

Climate Arena events are running under the umbrella of CLIMATE CHANGE Programme

Climate Arena debates are joint initiative between British Council UNJP (UN joint programmes) and Delegation of European Union to Turkey - Information Centre The programme is

October 2010 Konya Diyarbakır

November 2010 Van Trabzon

December 2010 Eskişehir Gaziantep

January 2010 Mersin Şanlıurfa

February 2010 Denizli İstanbul

Find out how you can take part gtgt

Our Blog is OnlineBritish Council used many different

ways of communication in Turkey in the recent years Due to the growth of internet and online social communication we now want to get closer to you with our Blog

Read the latest latest information about British Council Turkey and have your say We regularly update our blogs as our Facebook page twitter and other social community

platforms

Do not forget to check our blog

7th Bosphorus Conference

Bosphorus Conference was held 22-23 October 2010 this year by the collaboration with Delegation of the European Union to Turkey and TESEV Gala dinner was organized at 22 October in Pera House the British Consulate General Istanbul Seminar and discussions took place at Feriye Restaurant the next day

5 ministries and high-level bureaucrats attended to series of seminars and discussions To read the report of conference please visit the related web pages You can find the photo album of Bosphorus Conference on our flickr page

My City Opening TourOpening Tour of My City which is being launched as part of the European Commissionrsquos Cultural Bridges Programme has been completed

21 October Mardin - Konya

22 October Ccedilanakkale - Trabzon23 October İstanbulProjects are open for the visitors

within 3 months For more information please visit My City website

Frame It Climate Change Photo Competition

Frame It Climate Change Photo Competitionrdquo

Winners of Frame It competition took their awards by the special ceremony which was held at Kadir Has University on 28 September

Photos were evaluated in 2 different categories which were standard and manipulated

You can visit this link to see the exhibited photos

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