As Children First Association, we are very happy to share with you the excitement of realizing our 3rd project in 2022.
We started our ‘More Right to Tomorrow‘ project with the support of the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey.
You can find the details of our very comprehensive project below;
1- Native Language Rights Monitoring and Reporting Studies:
We aim to continue the monitoring and reporting of children’s native language rights, which have already been carried out in the last 2 years within the association. We will carry out monitoring and reporting activities in the Kurmanji and Zazaki dialects of Kurdish, including children’s use of their native kanguage, the environments in which they use their native language the tools developed for the use of nativee language, and children’s access to them. The Zazaki dialect is included in UNESCO’s list of disappearing languages, and it is a well-known fact that there are difficulties in using this dialect, learning it by children and accessing the tools in this language. Although extensive studies are being carried out to improve the use of Kurdish in different fields, we think that the tools available for children to use this language, encouraging studies, and the difficulties they encounter while using the language should be monitored. For this reason, we aim to continue the monitoring and reporting studies initiated and to carry out original studies for Kurmanji and Zazaki dialects. We aim to finish the field work that we have started now in February 2023 and to share the report with the public.
2- Monitoring Children’s Cultural Rights:
Children who cannot receive education in their native language and have difficulties in using their native language also have difficulties in learning and living their own culture. In regions where Kurdish is their native language, it is not possible for children to learn and live the tunes, stories, tales, legends, plays in their own language. This situation causes children to become alienated from their own cultural values and negatively affects their social and psychological development. Within the scope of this project, we would like to state that we will carry out a monitoring and reporting study on the cultural rights of children for the first time. We will monitor children’s access to cultural tools in their native language, their learning, level of use, etc. We have started field work now and we aim to complete the work in February 2023 and share the report with the public.
3- Cultural Rights and Creativity Workshops:
We aim to continue workshops with children, such as music, animation and video preparation within the association.
We foresee that each workshop will have a fundamental rights theme. The workshops we have planned are as follows:
Philosophy Workshops (Native Language Right):
We will work with the PC4 method and certified facilitators in these workshops where we aim to make children aware of their native language rights and to discuss these rights. We aim at a workshop process where children discuss the concept of native language the right to native language and the deprivations arising from this right, and make it a concept of their world of thought permanently. We will ensure the participation of children from central and rural districts to the workshops. Each child will attend 2 workshops, we will organize 6 workshops for 45 children in total.
Acting Workshops (Equal Role Play): We will conduct 8 workshops with 20 children in 2 months. With acting training, we will enable children to prepare and present gender-focused games. We will contribute to the development of children’s awareness of gender equality through acting workshops.
Animation Workshop (Children’s Rights): With these workshops that will develop children’s questioning, imagination, projecting and communication skills, we will provide learning about children’s rights. 10 workshops will be organized for 15 children for 3 months. Children will work on scenario writing, drawing, line animation methods and vocalization techniques in the field of children’s rights.
Photography Workshops (Right to Environment): 20 children will participate in 4 workshops in 2 groups. In the study, where we will provide basic photography education, environment and nature photography education, we will organize an exhibition at the end of the workshops where the children’s right to environment-themed photographs are exhibited.
Cartoon Workshop (Freedom of Expression): Human rights are the most fundamental subject of the art of cartoons, and violations of rights have come to life with lines. In the last 20 years, violations of rights within the scope of freedom of expression constitute the main theme of the art of caricature in Turkey. 20 children will participate in workshops in the field of cartoons for 2 months.
We will organize an exhibition where children’s cartoons with the theme of Freedom of Expression will be exhibited.
We aim to contribute to the training of future human rights activists through cultural rights and creativity workshops.
4- Cartoon Work on the Promotion of Historical Cultural Assets:
A cartoon called “Gergerok” (Explorer) was previously made in partnership with the Migration Foundation and Zarok TV within the association, and historical cultural assets in Diyarbakır were introduced with cartoons voiced in Kurmanji and Zazaki dialects. The 3-part cartoon was delivered to children via Zarok TV.
It is very important to continue the cartoon studies, which are considered to be a very effective tool. In order to promote historical and cultural assets in Diyarbakir and the provinces of the region, preparations for a 6-episode cartoon started in September and will soon be ready to meet with the audience. We will release the cartoon named “Gergerok” to children’s access on digital platforms and Zarok TV.
For us, the ‘More Right to Tomorrow’ project expresses the greatness of our hope for the future. We are knitting the solidarity of tomorrow within the scope of the fight against human rights violations in Turkey and in the world. The participation and support of everyone who is sensitive to human rights in this journey will make us stronger in our work. We would like to thank all the institutions and individuals who have been with us, especially the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey.
With the solidarity,
Children First Association – Board of Directors
‘”More Right to Tomorrow’ project has been prepared with the support of the European Union within the scope of the Supporting Human Rights Defenders Project. The responsibility of the content belongs to the Children First Association and under no circumstances can it be considered as reflecting the views of the European Union and the project partners.”
Project Final:
More Right to Tomorrow: An amazing journey with future activists!
120 children, 5 areas of expertise, 5 topics about human rights; We imagined the future together!
For a more right world; We questioned, we discussed, we studied!
We were tired but we had a very good, very fun time; we discovered our talents!
We learned about our rights; 50 workshops, 1 theater play, 1 cartoon exhibition and 1 photo exhibition!
Activists of the Future are ready! What About You?!
Within the scope of the More Right To Tomorrow project,
we investigated children’s access to their mother tongue and cultural rights through scientific research.
We aimed to increase the use of the mother tongue and improve the use of Kurdish in different fields.
We pioneered research focused on preventing the increase of violations of mother tongue rights.
We shared the results of our research on 520 children with the public in a report.
With Solidarity, we made a 6-episode animated series, Gergerok, accessible to Kurdish children in cooperation with Zarok TV in order for children to recognize their cultural values in their mother tongue. With Gergerok, we get to know 6 cities and 6 cultural structures in 6 episodes.
We have a long way to go and a lot of work to do on the basis of rights