The HDV Minority Rights Academy, implemented by the Hrant Dink Foundation, has been completed as a two-stage program consisting of in-person and online sessions. The first phase took place in Istanbul between 23–26 May 2025 as in-person sessions, during which topics such as the concept of minorities, the historical development of minority rights, minority rights in international and national law, comparative minority policies, and advocacy mechanisms were addressed.

The second phase of the Academy continued with four online sessions held between September and November 2025, with the participation of eight experts in their respective fields. The first session focused on cultural heritage and property rights, examining the property issues faced by non-Muslim minorities, legal processes concerning minority foundations, and practices related to the protection of cultural heritage. The second session addressed the theme of environment and minorities, exploring the concept of ecological justice, the ecological injustices experienced by minority groups, and possible solutions. The third session focused on language rights, evaluating the scope of language rights under international law and the legal framework regarding mother-tongue education in Turkey. The fourth and final session, centered on minorities and intersectionality, examined the intersections of different identities and concluded with a discussion on minority rights advocacy in Turkey.

Participants who attended all sessions and completed their final written assignment became eligible to graduate from the Academy. Graduates gained the right to apply for the Minority Rights Academy Sub-Grant Program. A total of nine applications were submitted to the 2025 Minority Rights Academy Grant Program, and following the evaluation of the Selection Committee, four projects were selected for support. Coming from diverse fields, these projects aim to raise awareness and strengthen advocacy in the field of minority rights. Updates regarding the projects awarded grant support will continue to be shared in the coming period.

Grant Recipients and Their Projects:

Çocuklar İçin Adalet Derneği - Educational Justice in Times of Conflict: Access, Discrimination, and Repair
Ortadoğu Sinema Akademisi Derneği - Intergenerational Women’s Memory: Oral History of the 1915 and 1938 Experiences
Yayla (Gola) Kültür, Sanat ve Ekoloji Derneği - The Missing Piece of the Laz Cultural Movement: The Feurstein Archive
Yurttaşlık Derneği - Youth, Dialogue, and Encounter at the Edge of the Border Project

At the online closing meeting held with the Academy graduates, the process was evaluated, and participants also had the opportunity to share their experiences by reflecting on the knowledge they gained in the field of minority rights and the impact of the Academy on their own work.

This project is financed by the European Union.