Center for Spatial Justice (Mekanda Adalet Derneg i, MAD) is a registered civil society organization working with the intention of living in fairer, more democratic, and ecological urban and rural spaces; to produce cross-disciplinary work; to gather, accumulate and share the knowledge that is innovative, qualified and public. Our Center whose team consists of architects, urban planners, legal experts, artists, videographers, designers, documentarists, and social scientists, brings together transnational knowledge and cross-disciplinary expertise with local communities, to help to (re-)produce spaces and practices of hope.

Against the expansion of top-down spatial interventions, aggressive mega projects, urban gentrification processes, and extraction and energy infrastructures in urban and rural spaces, we work with civil society organizations, grassroots communities, activists, students, academics and journalists. We push for an agenda to recognize the right to space and offer a common platform that would empower disenfranchised segments and agents of the civil society by adopting a wide range of methodologies including but not limited to guided walks, data visualization, action-research, video-documentaries, educational activities, and participatory design workshops.

AREA / SUBJECT OF THE FELLOWSHIP

Content production, editing, and translation for the projects regarding the interest areas of MAD.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED FELLOWSHİP ACTIVITY

beyond.istanbul is the periodical publication of MAD on specific spatial justice themes such as disability, commons, aging, urban political ecology, housing activism, etc. Even though the issues have been published in Turkish so far, some of the articles have been translated into English and we will continue the process of translation of the beyond.istanbul contents during 2020. In the same period, we will also launch the website of beyond.istanbul, which will be used to disseminate the contents of the periodical but also will be a hub regarding the news, events and written/visual productions on spatial justice issues.

We expect the fellow to be actively involved in the editing and proofreading of the translated articles of beyond.istanbul and creating content in English for the beyond.istanbul website. Since the fellowship entails only a monthlong period, we will designate the articles to be edited in line with the interest of the fellow and we will encourage him/her to produce original content for beyond.istanbul website on a topic s/he has preferred or has been working on. We also expect the fellow to be interested in spatial justice issues, urban politics, urban social movements, etc. We would like to have the fellow to make a presentation in his/her first week on the specific spatial justice issue s/he interested in the context of Armenia.

EXPECTED PROFILE 

  • Fluent knowledge of English (written and oral)
  • Experience in editing and proofreading
  • Knowledge of Turkish is a plus
  • Interest in spatial justice themes, urban politics and/or social justice issues

CONDITIONS OF THE FELLOWSHIP OPPORTUNITY

MAD office in Karaköy - İstanbul is open on weekdays from 10.00 am to 6.00 pm. We expect the fellow to conform to these working days/hours. The office is closed on weekends.

PROPOSED TIME FOR THE FELLOWSHIP

September 2020 - May 2021 (One month)