turkish-greek civic dialogue - AEGEE Europe

TURKISH-GREEK CIVIC DIALOGUE PROJECT
FINAL CONFERENCE
TOOK PLACE AT METU,ANKARA
BETWEEN 2-3-4 APRIL 2004
Final Conference activities took place between 2-4 April 2004 at the Middle
East Technical University (METU), Ankara under the framework of Turkish-
Greek Civic Dialogue Project, which is organised by AEGEE-Ankara (European
Students’ Forum) and financed by the European Commission. The Conference
officially started with the opening ceremony sponsored by ATA LIONS CLUB on
2 April at Modern Arts Center in participation with Ambassador of Greece H.E
Michael B. Christides, European Commission Representative Vincent Rey, METU
Vice-President Ayşen Savaş and AEGEE-Europe President Adrian Pintilie.
Around 100 university students from Turkey, Greece and other European
countries attended the conference for 3 days. Under the scope of the
conference, the participants discussed history education and text-book writing
at the Emphaty&Sympathy workshop under the leadership of Cem Karadeli from
the Public Administration Department of METU and Vangelis Kechriotis from the
Bosphorus University; while some other participants had the chance to express
their thoughts and feelings through dance, invisible theater, statue games and
conflict resolution techniques at the Theater of the Oppressed workshop led by
Vera Maeder and Neslihan Özgüneş. At the (M)ASK Yourself workshop Turkish
and Greek students elaborated on the stereotype concept by use of the images
and the visual recordings they shot with Aysim Türkmen, and at the Peace
Education Workshop they played the roles of different individuals from different
backgrounds and status with the leadership of Hilal Demir and Hülya Üçpınar.
Apart from the interactive workshops, the participants were also provided with
project management training by the European Commission representatives
Meriç Özgüneş and Feray Salman. A road map on future partnership of Turkish-
Greek youth has been designated thanks to the assistance of Halil Nalçaoğlu.
Athens correspondent Nur Batur, Giorgos Mavrommatis, Konstantinos Tsitselikis
and Müfide Pekin from the Foundation of Lausanne Treaty Emigrants, Turkish-
Greek Civic Dialogue Project Manager Burcu Becermen, Sophia Kompotiati from
AEGEE-Athina and members of Greek and Turkish NGOs expressed their views
at the panel dedicated to the overall assessment of the project. Turkish and
Association des Etats Généraux des Etudiants de L’Europe
Greek youngsters enhanced their friendship and have taken important steps
at the closing dinner of the conference sponsored by the Ministry of Culture
and Tourism of Republic of Turkey. “It is really amusing to see that Greek and
Turkish participants demanding another festival, new partnership projects in
the future, I think the overall project is a good investment for future. The
conference is a miracle marked with the enthusiasm of its participants and
results of workshops” stated the project manager Burcu Becermen.
“Turkish-Greek Civic Dialogue” is a demonstration project organised by
AEGEE and financed by the European Commission. The overall project aims at
fostering dialogue and relations between Turkish and Greek youth initiatives
and university students, as well as carrying out institution building and
networking to encourage the target group to designate further partnership
projects between the youngsters of the two nation.
www.aegee-ankara.org/trgr
www.turkishgreekdialogue.net
Final Conference
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