The International "Sokak Çocuklar" Project

Başak Culture and Art Foundation's representatives visited France, Bordeaux for the international project "the marginal problem in Europe - youngsters who have a tendency to become marginal". This project is financed by the foundation OFAJ (Office Franco Allemand de la Jeunessa) from France. The preparation-meeting has been held during the 20th - 22nd of June 2008. After the meeting, the project started its first step in France, Bordeaux from the 1st-10th of November 2008. The foundations CEMEA (France), GANGWEY (Germany) and BSV (Turkey) participated in it.

From Başak Culture and Art Foundation took part:

• Ayşe Tepe (sociologist),

• Behice Boran (psychologist),

• Erol Hinç (student),

• Figen Paslı (social service expert),

• İkram Doğan (social service expert),

• Mahir Han (social service expert),

• Mehmet Sadık Geçer (sociologist),

• Mesut Gökdai (student),

• Selda Kavalcı ( teacher, trainer)

• Tülin Dağ (director)

The aims of this project are to share experiences between the three countries, to help vagabond, marginal youngsters and also youngsters which are under risk to become marginal. Another aim is to compare and to think about the professional practices to brace the youngsters for their ability.

In the course of the project the three countries has to meet three times in each country to work on the problem of urchins and youngsters, which are abusing paint thinner. The main aim of this project is to realign them from abusing such a chemical substance.

Also the local political situation of the particular country, the work of the foundations and the difficulties with which they are confronted were main points of this project. Another point was the communions of the experiences. So the three countries would find solutions altogether and exchange cultural aspects.

The first seminar dealt with the following topics:
-    the managerial structure of France,
-    social works and apolitical foundations in France, which want to realign marginal youngsters,
-    the structure, working methods, the financial sources, the knowledge about the operations and also the visuals of such organizations.

At the same time these organizations visited urchins to see their living conditions.

The second step of the project will be from the 26th April to 3rd May 2009 in Germany, Berlin and ten volunteers from Başak Culture and Art foundation will participate in it.

The preparation-meeting will be from the 19th to the 22nd May. Ayşe Tepe (sociologist) and Figen Paslı (social service expert) will participate in the name of Başak.

The third and last step of the project will take place in Istanbul from the 13th to the 20th of September 2009.

This project is for our foundation very suitable because we are dealing with risky children and youngsters. Also to host the participants in Istanbul and to share with them our experiences and problems about our country could recruit our work for the future and could be an eye-opener for us.