Remember Martin Luther King, Jr. again!

“Our only hope today lies in our ability to recapture the revolutionary spirit and go into a sometimes hostile world declaring eternal hostility to poverty, racism, and militarism.”

“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

~~~~~~Living a life of my own......*^"#+&*

Support for the Protest in the Arab World!

Freedom, democracy, human rights and progress

We support the protests and the people's movements in the Arab world.

The Arab world is undergoing profound changes these days: People take to the streets to ask their undemocratic rulers to leave power. Transition to democracy, freedom and economic, social and societal progress, freedom from nepotism and corruption are fundamental rights not yet enjoyed but claimed by more and more people in the Arab world. We look with admiration to our brave sisters and brothers in the Arab world who dare to stand up against their despotic rulers in spite of violent oppression.

Our message to the people in the Arab world: We support your non-violent struggle for freedom, democracy, human rights and economic, social and societal progress. We are proud of you and are with you in our hearts and our minds. You are the heroes of our days!

Our message to the rulers of Arab countries: The time of despotic regimes is over. Stop suppressing your citizens. Listen to the voices of your people. You have to make your choice now: Go down in history as the enlightened ruler facilitating historic change in your country or the despotic ruler suppressing the people of your country by force and violence.

Our message to European leaders (politicians, businessmen and women, celebrities etc): Support the non-violent peoples' movements in the Arab world. Use your influence on the rulers of Arab countries. Ask them to stop shooting at their own people and to facilitate quick transition to free democratic societies treasuring human rights, rule of law, good governance and boosting economic, social and societal progress.

~~~~~~

(thnx. tj!)

DAHA GÜZEL BİR DÜNYA İSTİYORUZ!

-Aleksis Grigoropulous’un anısına…/ Remembering Alexandros Grigoropoulos...-

Bize yardım edin

Terörist, anarşist değiliz

Sizin çocuklarınızız!

Hayal kuruyoruz…

Öldürmeyin hayallerimizi

Hız aldık…

Kesmeyin hızımızı

Hatırlayın…

Bir zamanlar siz de gençtiniz

Şimdi paranın peşindesiniz, sırf gösteriş ilgilendiriyor sizi

Şişmanladınız, saçlarınız döküldü

Unuttunuz her şeyi

Bizi desteklemenizi beklerdik

İlgilenmenizi…

Bir kere olsun iftihar etmenizi bizimle

Boşuna…

Yalan hayatlar yaşıyorsunuz, başınızı öne eğdiniz

Pantolonlarınızı bile indirdiniz

Öleceğinizi günü öyle bekliyorsunuz

Hayal kurmuyorsunuz, âşık olmuyorsunuz, yaratıcı değilsiniz

Sadece satın alıyor ve satıyorsunuz

Her yerde maddecilik… Sevgi yok.

Sahici olan hiçbir şey yok hiçbir yerde

Nerede velilerimiz… Nerede onca sanatçı

Niye bizi korumak sokaklara dökülmüyorsunuz

Öldürüyorlar bizi burada

Yardım edin

İmza: Çocuklar

Not: Daha fazla gaz bombası fırlatmayın bize. Biz kendiliğinden ağlamasını da biliriz.

(Yunanistan’dakiler başta olmak üzere, dünyanın tüm "güzel" insanlarına ve çeviri için Yorgo Kırbaki’ye teşekkürler...)

Başka bir dünya mümkün! / Another world is possible!

Dünyanın tüm hayal kuranlarına selam olsun…

20 Aralık 2008 - Daha güzel bir dünya için dayanışma!!!

~~~~~~
20/12/2008
Living a life of my own...
...

Vurmak için doğmadım ben...

Size sayın Bakanım
Döktürdüm bu mektubu
Belki de okursunuz
Birazcık vakit bulup

Askerlik kartlarım
Demin geçti elime
Çarşamba son günüm
Gitmek için cepheye

Ama sayın Bakanım
Bunu yapmak istemem
Zavallı insanlar
Vurmak için doğmadım ben

Boris VIAN

* Savaş, çok önemli bir sosyal olgudur, çünkü katılanlar, saf ve mükemmel bir şekilde hedeflerine yönelerek ceset statüsüne ulaşırlar. Ama savaş da çözüm değildir, çünkü insanlar çoğunlukla ölmez.

* Bir gün kimsenin geri dönmediği bir savaş yapılırsa, işte o zaman ancak en sonunda iyi bir savaş olmuş demektir.

• Bir diş gibidir yaşam

Bir diş gibidir yaşam,
Ne olduğu düşünülmez ilkin,
Öğütmekle yetinilir.
Bir de bakarsınız çürümüş bir gün,
Sızlar, önemsenir.
Kaygı, özen, bakım
Ve tamamen iyileşebilmeniz için,
Koparılıp alınması gerek elinizden yaşamınızın
...

Remembering Uğur Mumcu / Uğur Mumcu'yu hatırlamak...

Ugur MUMCU
(August 22nd 1942-January 24th 1993)

A Courageous Intellectual to Remember...

Uğur MUMCU was a pioneer in investigative journalism in Turkey...

Uğur Mumcu was born on August 22nd, 1942. After his studies at the Ankara University Faculty of Law, he practiced as a lawyer for some time.
Switching to journalism in 1974, Mumcu defended democracy and human rights in his writings, which he based entirely on concrete knowledge and facts, never betraying the principles of his profession. He regarded "the crime of our age" is to remain silent and indifferent about events of life.
"A murderer is a murderer, no matter if from the right or left."
He pressed for the investigation of many cases of the murder, without looking their political identity, of those who were murdered for their convictions and from terrorist attacks. He provided concrete evidence about the relation between acts of terror and arms traffickers and about the national and international aspects of the steadily rising reactionary organizations.
Uğur Mumcu was assassinated by the explosion of a bomb that was fixed to his car on January 24th, 1993...

-"Everyone is not responsible for what they argue, but also for what they are silent..."

-"How close are some dead people, how dead are most of the living people..."

~~~~~~
Rest in Peace...
...

Some Old Thoughts from Turkish-Greek Youth Work Practice

Youth Work Can Make a Change!

I had managed my first youth exchange with Aegean University of Greece in 2000. It was organized in the name of the Industrial Engineering Students Society in Dokuz Eylul University. As the first action we hosted 35 young people in Izmir and then we visited Chios, Samos and Mytilene with more than 20 participants. It was great times… Even we had named our projects in such an idealistic way; “In the name of peace”… That was the hot times, as there were some stupid conflicts between Turkey and Greece in those years such as Kardak conflict.

I was quite concerned with idea of “peace”, as that summer AEGEE organized “Peace Summit” Youth Forum in August 2000 in Kusadasi. Unfortunately I still regret that I did not have the opportunity to attend this course on conflict resolution and peace, as I was having a summer course in university that year. I have witnessed the effects of this project more on official level. The project helped the international community to realize the importance of bilateral and multilateral activities in conflict resolution and future peace building. As one of the results, EU opened an open call for Turkish-Greek projects.

By 2003 it was the time for the unique project “Turkish-Greek Civic Dialogue”… Young people from the both sides come together to celebrate the same culture, the same habits, the same gestures, the same traditions…

I still remember the night by the fireplace in the tent area of “KayaFest” in August 2003 in detail. I was teaching “zeybek” dance to my friends from the other side of the Aegean. In a moment they realized that it is indeed quite the same dance that they know! More and more people joined our circle around the fire… What a celebration it was… To see the friendly eyes of the people from the other side of Aegean Sea is always fascinating, especially when they are eager to share a future of peace and friendship together.

What is the outcome of international youth work?

I think the real outcome of international youth work is constructing those social bonds between the people... Young people get to know “the other”. Social bonds create empathy. People try to understand other values, traditions, concerns and feelings.

Young people start making friends and networking. Young people try to understand each other. Young people get inspirations for new questions and they question the truth which is told to them. They start to understand that there is no pure reality. By the time young people’s minds and lives change one by one… Friendship and peace happen…

Of course I am not optimistic all the time. I know that I am not very realistic at all. It is not going to be same effect neither for everyone nor every time.

The big brothers need conflicts… to let some groups to earn economical and/or political power… and conflicts will happen… but still even the possibility to have them less is quite promising, why not working for that!!?

It is even nice to dream about peace and friendship!!!

~~~~~~
Living a life of my own...
...

*^"#+&*

Savaşa Hayır Deyin...!

Barış Mümkün...

~~~~~~
Living a life of my own...
...

*^"#+&*

Cyprus - one

03/03/2007

Tales from the boundaries of existence

Cyprus

They call Nicosia as "the last divided city of the world". There is indeed a truth lying beneath. Mixed emotions are hidden in the middle of the Ledra Street from both sides. Hatred is in the roots nowadays. Different ways of discrimination and extreme-nationalism can be observed any time in daily life.

The fear of the unknown is developed between the societies since 1974. Unfortunately we look at the past we always see the seeds of hatred... Not many people remember the times of peace any more...

We can easily understand the hatred that was built on the tales of the past by the nationalist groups, the leaders and governments of the both sides… Nowadays Turkish soldiers are said to be only source of problem on the island. It would be too pleasing to know that. Unfortunately I do not agree with that...

Gladly I have friends from both of communities who do not believe in those bullshit and want to live in peace together… I just hope…

~~~~~~
Living a life of my own...
...

Remembering Nazım Hikmet / Nazım Hikmet'i hatırlamak...

NAZIM HİKMET RAN

Happy Birthday Nazım! / Mutlu Yıllar Nazım!...

I LOVE MY COUNTRY

I love my country :
I have swung on its plane trees, I have stayed in its prisons.
Nothing can overcome my spleen
as the songs and tobacco of my country.

My country :
Bedreddin, Sinan, Yunus Emre and Sakarya,
lead domes and factory chimneys
are all the work of my people
who even hiding from themselves
smile under their drooping mustaches.

My country.
My country is so large :
it seems that it is endless to go around.
Edirné, Izmir, Ulukıshla, Marash, Trabzon, Erzurum.
I know the Erzurum plateau only in its songs
and I am ashamed
not to have crossed Tauruses even once
to go to the cotton pickers
in the south.

My country :
camels, train, Fords and sick donkeys,
poplar
willow
and red earth.

My country.
The trout which likes
pine forests, best freshwaters and the lakes
at the top of mountains,
and at least half a kilo,
with red reflections on its scaleless, silver skin
swims in the Abant lake of Bolu.

My country :
goats on the Ankara plain :
the sheen of blond, silky, long furs.
The fat plump hazelnuts of Giresun.
The fragrant red-cheeked apples of Amasya,
olive
fig
melon
and of all colours
bunches and bunches of grapes
and then the plough
and then the black ox
and then : ready to accept
everything
advanced, beautiful and good
with the joyous admiration of a child
my hard-working, honest, brave people
half hungry, half full
half slave...

tr. by Fuat Engin

><><><><><><><><

Nazim is a man of principles for me.

He believed in better world... A world of equality... A world of peace...

He was condemned of being a communist. He could not come back to his beautiful country. He was in love with his country indeed... He was a true patriot. The punishment of being away from his precious country was too harsh for him, but he did not give up his ideals.

He showed his mastermind in every small piece of sentence he wrote. He was a genius in literature, namely as a poet.

Long live Nazim... We will not forget you...

~~~~~~
Living a life of my own...
...

*^"#+&*

50 years of United Europe

Turning the common ideals into reality?

I celebrate all the Europe family on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of Rome Treaty.

Until it will be replaced by the European Constitution, the Rome Treaty of 1957 remains the Foundation of European Union.

I have a dream for a better world. I respect how Europe found a way to heal and reconstruct after the ruins of WWII. Even if I was against the globalization with the knowledge of the obstacles and disadvantages created by that, I am also convinced with the benefits created for the societies. I believed on the unity of Europe taking into consideration that the world should be a place of peace and prosperity.

The rule of law, democracy, human rights and equal participation were important assets of Europe. I witness the wealth and the living conditions in Europe. I believed in the values of Europe. EU has achieved a lot in regional development, social security, education and other social developments. Even education developed in EU come up with many good practices including the achievements in non-formal education and innovation.

Unfortunately nowadays I see a big intention to be closing inside in EU. I do not see the real signs of action for becoming a real power in the world. EU could not establish itself as a power in international relations, security, and energy issues. Climate change and sustainable development are still two big question marks for EU.

EU has tendency to become a “fortress” by closing its borders to any immigrants and xenophobia is rising. The discrimination inside the societies is rising rapidly. Fundamentalism is also increasing. As the role of civil society in EU is essential, new ways must be founded to attach the citizens into the politics and civic life again.

EU can not stop the enlargement in this very important stage. The candidature of Turkey is a important development for the future prosper and happy Europe. Turkey can provide the needed both active young human resources and natural resources.

We should search new ways on working together and sharing prosperity and peace in the region. Let’s work together for a common future!

We can achieve…Let's turn the common ideals to reality...

-*-~~-*-
Living a life of my own...
...

*^"#+&*

28 Şubat ve 1 Mart

Ne günler ama...

Sanki bir daha hiç gelmeyecek kadar uzak, daha dünmüşcesine yakın.

Yıllardan 1997... Sadece 10 yıl önce... 28 Şubat'ta tankları gördük Sincan'da... Demokratik seçimle iktidarın üstünden geçtiler demir paletleriyle... Sanki iktidar onlar, millet yoktu. Zaten belki de hiç olmamıştı ya bu topraklarda...

Yıllardan 2003... 1 Mart'ta o olmayan millet sokaklara aktı, sokaklar taştı. Barış şarkıları söylendi hep birlikte. Hayaller kuruldu güzel günlere dair. Yüzbinlerdik o gün... İktidarı millet başımıza yendik. "Barışa bir şans istedik"... Söktük ve aldık... Çünkü "savaşa hiç gerek yok"...

Daha başka bir dünya mümkün...

~~~t~H~e~K~h~A~n~2~3~~~

Life is an endless adventurE!...

*^"#+*

Hrant Dink'in ardından...

Hrant kardeşe... Fırat kardeşe... nar kardeşe... elveda...


Güle güle güzel insan…


Son iki hafta geçmedi, geçemedi... O ise çoktan kanatlandı, uçtu gitti...


“Fırat” çatlağını bulur.
Her insan toprağına döner.
Hayaller dünya durdukça yaşar.

Rahat uyu Hrant…

“İnsan insanca yaşabilmelidir” diyen sana nasıl kıyabildiler?

İnsan insanca yaşayabilmelidir!
Seni bu toprağın üstüne konduramadık.
Umarız her neredeysen orada rahat bırakılırsın.

Her son Yılmaz Güney’in “Umutsuzlar” filminde olduğu gibi olmak zorunda değildi…
Daha güzel günler gelecek…
O günler gelecek dünyada tüm fikirlere özgürlük verilecek.


Merak etme nar kardeş! Nar bir tane, ama içinden binler çıkar...

Hepimiz Hrant’ız… Hepimiz Ermeniyiz…

Çünkü hepimiz insanız!
02/02/2007

Hülyalı
Istıraplı
Renkli
Aşık
Namuslu
Temiz
...
Delikanlı
İnsan
Nar
Kardeş

Metin ÜSTÜNDAĞ


"Biz, yaşadığı cehennemi cennete çevirmeye talip olan insanlardandık."

Hrant DİNK

~~~t~H~e~K~h~A~n~2~3~~~

Life is an endless adventurE!...

*^"#+*

Remembering John Lennon / John Lennon'u hatırlamak...

John Lennon (09.10.1940-08.12.1980)

John was not just a simple young musician. He was a man that wanted to change the world for good. He was in my age when he tried to change... He dreamt of a better life in a peaceful, friendly world. He dreamt of a society of understanding and respect... He just did not dream, in addition he acted for the good he knew. He tried to share what he witnessed and what he dreamt. It is not dream we know it now, it is a reality… There is always hope...

“Life is what happens (to you) while you are busy making other plans. / Hayat siz planlar yaparken başınızdan geçmekte olan şeydir.”

“As usual, there is a great woman behind every idiot.”

“Love means having to say you're sorry every fifteen minutes.”

“Everything is clearer when you are in love...”

“We've got this gift of love, but love is like a precious plant. You can't just accept it and leave it in the cupboard or just think it's going to get on by itself. You've got to keep watering it. You've got to really look after it and nurture it. "

“I still believe that all you need is love...”

“Our society is run by insane people for insane objectives. I think we're being run by maniacs for maniacal ends and I think I'm liable to be put away as insane for expressing that. That's what's insane about it.”

“I'm not going to change the way I look or the way I feel to conform to anything. I've always been a freak. So I've been a freak all my life and I have to live with that, you know. I'm one of those people.”

“All we are saying is give peace a chance. "

IMAGINE (1971)
Imagine there's no heaven,
It's easy if you try,
No hell below us,
Above us only sky,
Imagine all the people living for today...

Imagine there's no countries,
It isn't hard to do,
Nothing to kill or die for,
No religion too,
Imagine all the people living life in peace...

You may say I'm a dreamer,
but I'm not the only one,
I hope some day you'll join us,
And the world will be as one.
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world…
You may say I'm a dreamer,
but I’m not the only one,
I hope some day you'll join us,
And the world will live as one.

Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...

You may say I'm a dreamer,
but Im not the only one,
I hope some day you'll join us,
And the world will live as one.

-I am a dreamer like you, John. Thanks for highlighting my way... We are going to make it a reality.-

”A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality.”

~~~t~H~e~K~h~A~n~2~3~~~

Life is an endless adventurE!...

*^"#+*