A Seaside View: Volunteer works in Turkey
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by Chris Drum Bekaya
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Ocak 03, 2009 00:00
Bodrum - At the annual Christmas cocktail party for the foreign community in Bodrum, the mayor wished all his fellow citizens well for the season and the new year, and spoke about how fortunate the town was to have an international mixture of nationalities, culture, language and life experience with Bodrum’s new settlers.
The richness of life experience and career knowledge is not limited to the foreign community. Turkish citizens who have moved or retired to the area also bring a wealth of experience in all levels of business, art and politics, not only from within Turkey, but internationally. This wealth of knowledge, however, lies largely untapped as new residents spend most of their time grappling with housing issues and finding their way in a new social environment.
Where and how this experience can be shared remains an unsolved question that is regularly debated among locals.
The idea of a shared mature-age education, a type of university for the third age, has been mooted, but not yet implemented. The model would be a boon to those hungry to share ideas and discuss life away from the Internet. A trial run with a series of talks two years ago received a good degree of interest.
While the local political and business structures may be aware of the potential, they have not been able to develop any sustained connection with new settlers, although they also contribute a considerable source of income, without having any representation. A volunteer contact position was suggested by a local business group, but not taken up, probably for good reason, as it would have been a very demanding role for one person without a clear strategy.
The onus of involvement and contribution to new communities seems to have fallen largely on the newcomers and relies on their interest, energy and persistence in finding a way into local life.
For some, the path is getting involved in a cause, be it education, childcare, caring for the disabled, animal welfare or the environment. Turkish citizens may find and take up membership of community associations they are familiar with, but for foreign residents the language barrier has been daunting and even finding existing organizations is an exercise, even before understanding the aims of the group.
Volunteer work, a time honored activity in many countries, is a thorny issue in Turkey as anything that can be described as "work" may come under the scrutiny of labor officials, even though it is unpaid and unpayable. The only area that appears to have regular volunteer activity is in the labor-intensive field of animal welfare, where municipal animal shelters strain to look after their charges and welcome any help offered.
Therefore, as any regular reader will have noticed, fundraising has become a favored method of foreigners getting involved in and contributing to their area, and to use their talent, experience and knowledge. Good intentions, however, are not enough. As anywhere in the world, the days of deciding to go out shaking a tin for a good cause without "a license" are well and truly over. In Turkey this is particularly true even in smaller towns. The registration of intention or involvement with a recognized association has become an absolute necessity.
Officialdom seems to deter foreigners from forming their own associations that would have a largely foreign membership, as the rules and requirements for associations are onerous. But at the same time, people are happier getting together in a group to raise money. Why the British in particular want to raise money collectively is a question many ask. The answer lies somewhere in the need for the reinforcement that group work offers versus the lone campaigner, and the productive enthusiasm generated by a group of people committed to a common aim. The purpose of these activities seems to be lost on government officials, one of who reportedly asked a Turkish association that raises money for education why they bothered to do so and did not just find a needy student and give them cash.
Fundraising is worth the bother and community civic associations are a source of hope in growing communities, such as those in Bodrum and elsewhere along the coast, where the majority of the population has moved from elsewhere and cannot rely on old networks of long standing and understood relationships. As Birol Inan, chairman of the Bodrum Health Foundation, said on New Year’s Day, new and trusting relationships forged through foreigners and Turkish citizens working side by side for a clear and worthwhile aim, getting involved and organized is a first step toward sharing the wealth that life experience offers.
Where and how this experience can be shared remains an unsolved question that is regularly debated among locals.
The idea of a shared mature-age education, a type of university for the third age, has been mooted, but not yet implemented. The model would be a boon to those hungry to share ideas and discuss life away from the Internet. A trial run with a series of talks two years ago received a good degree of interest.
While the local political and business structures may be aware of the potential, they have not been able to develop any sustained connection with new settlers, although they also contribute a considerable source of income, without having any representation. A volunteer contact position was suggested by a local business group, but not taken up, probably for good reason, as it would have been a very demanding role for one person without a clear strategy.
The onus of involvement and contribution to new communities seems to have fallen largely on the newcomers and relies on their interest, energy and persistence in finding a way into local life.
For some, the path is getting involved in a cause, be it education, childcare, caring for the disabled, animal welfare or the environment. Turkish citizens may find and take up membership of community associations they are familiar with, but for foreign residents the language barrier has been daunting and even finding existing organizations is an exercise, even before understanding the aims of the group.
Volunteer work, a time honored activity in many countries, is a thorny issue in Turkey as anything that can be described as "work" may come under the scrutiny of labor officials, even though it is unpaid and unpayable. The only area that appears to have regular volunteer activity is in the labor-intensive field of animal welfare, where municipal animal shelters strain to look after their charges and welcome any help offered.
Therefore, as any regular reader will have noticed, fundraising has become a favored method of foreigners getting involved in and contributing to their area, and to use their talent, experience and knowledge. Good intentions, however, are not enough. As anywhere in the world, the days of deciding to go out shaking a tin for a good cause without "a license" are well and truly over. In Turkey this is particularly true even in smaller towns. The registration of intention or involvement with a recognized association has become an absolute necessity.
Officialdom seems to deter foreigners from forming their own associations that would have a largely foreign membership, as the rules and requirements for associations are onerous. But at the same time, people are happier getting together in a group to raise money. Why the British in particular want to raise money collectively is a question many ask. The answer lies somewhere in the need for the reinforcement that group work offers versus the lone campaigner, and the productive enthusiasm generated by a group of people committed to a common aim. The purpose of these activities seems to be lost on government officials, one of who reportedly asked a Turkish association that raises money for education why they bothered to do so and did not just find a needy student and give them cash.
Fundraising is worth the bother and community civic associations are a source of hope in growing communities, such as those in Bodrum and elsewhere along the coast, where the majority of the population has moved from elsewhere and cannot rely on old networks of long standing and understood relationships. As Birol Inan, chairman of the Bodrum Health Foundation, said on New Year’s Day, new and trusting relationships forged through foreigners and Turkish citizens working side by side for a clear and worthwhile aim, getting involved and organized is a first step toward sharing the wealth that life experience offers.