Participants who successfully completed the 2024 Minority Rights Academy became eligible to apply for the Academy’s sub-grant program together with their organizations. Following the evaluation of applications submitted under the sub-grant program, projects by five organizations working in different fields were selected for support.

Rengarenk Umutlar Derneği, which works to preserve the social and cultural fabric of Diyarbakır, implemented the project “A Journey Through Social and Spatial Memory in Sur”. The project organized workshops and memory walks for children and young people living in the Sur district. Informative activities on the historical, spatial, and urban past of minority communities that once lived in the area contributed to preserving its multicultural memory.

Working to make the cultural heritage of communities historically rooted in the Eastern Black Sea region more visible, GOLA Kültür, Sanat ve Ekoloji Derneği implemented “From Stones to Words: Tracing Laz Culture”. The project documented sites in Rize and Artvin, some of which remain among ruins while others have disappeared entirely. By tracing the remnants of Laz culture, the project created an accessible memory route and produced texts exploring the relationship between the remains of these sites and the Laz language. The project contributed to the preservation of both the Laz language and Laz cultural heritage.

Sivil ve Ekolojik Haklar Derneği, which works in the field of human rights and advocacy, implemented “Un Libro Abierto – Open Book” with the aim of addressing gaps in knowledge about Jewish religion and culture in Türkiye and combating prejudice. As part of the project, an “open book” on combating antisemitism and four educational modules were developed. The materials were designed for use at universities and in non-formal education settings and were made publicly accessible.

The “Antakya Local Arabic Dialect Language Cards” project, jointly implemented by Kültürel Değişim Derneği and Nehna, aimed to document endangered words and expressions used in the local Arabic dialect spoken in Antakya and its surrounding areas. Based on fieldwork, 100 words and 30 expressions were transformed into original digital cards and made publicly available as open-source resources to help preserve the region’s cultural heritage.

Beyoğlu Üç Horan Ermeni Kilisesi Vakfı, based in Istanbul, implemented “Legal Entity and Property Issues of Community Foundations in the Context of Minority Rights” with the aim of drawing attention to the legal entity and property-related challenges faced by community foundations, developing recommendations for addressing these issues, and strengthening advocacy efforts. As part of the project, a two-day symposium brought together experts working in the field to analyze the current situation, examine examples of legal proceedings, and identify areas for further collaboration.

The projects supported under the sub-grant program resulted in a diverse range of activities, from preserving the cultural heritage and collective memory of different communities to producing knowledge on minority rights and strengthening advocacy capacities. Updates on the projects of the four organizations supported under the 2025 Minority Rights Academy Sub-Grant Program will also continue to be shared as the projects are completed.