In Gebze in January 2018 around 120 female workers at Flormar who took advantage of their constitutional rights and began unionizing, began picketing their factory. In order to cut off communication between the women and employees who continued working, the owners erected a tarp barrier and strung barbed wire at the factory's entrance. Many people, and women in particular, boycotted Flormar's products in support of these workers who were pushing back against the poor working conditions and sexism in their workplace.
In the United States, at a high school in Florida, an armed attack by a former student left 17 people dead. In response, students in 50 states held protest marches and sit-ins. Leaving 7,000 pairs of shoes representing children killed in armed attacks in front of the White House, they demanded restrictions on personal firearms, and launched the 'March for our Lives' campaign, which met with widespread support.
Dr. Gamal Albinsaid of Indonesia, a country where 60% of citizens have no health insurance, created a micro-insurance program to enable the poor to obtain health services. Called Garbage Clinical Insurance, the program provides health services to poor patients in exchange for garbage that they bring. The system survives with the money it earns from the sale of compost produced from organic waste as well as the sales of recyclable materials such as plastic water bottles and cardboard.
In Istanbul, Sicilya Demirspor, founded byAyşegül Selenga Taşkent and Delizia Flaccavento, forms mixed-gender teams in which men and women can develop the practice of struggling together, and play 'good football' through matches where -in contrast to industrial(commercial?) football- no score is kept, and there is no scorekeeping, foul language or referees. Holding competitions in which men and women participate as equals, even in villages, they demonstrate that sports can be an area of solidarity.
In the town of La Patrona in Mexico, women are distributing food and water to migrants trying to reach the United States. Waiting along the train tracks, the women toss packages of food which they prepare in advance, to those on the moving trains. Launched in 1995 by Norma Romero, the fifteen-member group is known as Las Patronas ('The Saints').
In İran’s capital Tehran, Vida Movahed protested the mandatory hijab by waving a white headscarf tied to the end of a stick. The protest inspired a widespread campaign: In the 'My Stealthy Freesom' campaign begun by Masih Alinejad, women shared photographs of themselves in white clothing holding white headscarves in their hands in the social media every Wednesday. Alinejad is also calling upon men to take part in this act of civil disobedience dubbed 'White Wednesday.'
In Turkey, the Kocaeli Solidarity Academy (KODA), formed by academicians of Kocaeli University who were fired for signing a peace initiative as well as still-employed academicians in solidarity with them, are providing classes and workshops free of charge to people from all social classes. In spring semester of 2018, KODA, in collaboration with the University Faculty Association, started an alternative academy which they named 'The School of Life' (Hayat Bilgisi Okulu).
In Kenya, the Umoja Uaso Women's Village formed by Samburu tribe member Rebecca and fifteen rape victims, provides shelter for women and their children fleeing patriarchal culture, domestic violence, rape, child marriage and female genital mutilation. Running a safari tourism camp as well as making and selling handicrafts, the village's residents maintain their society, created in order to foster solidarity and self-defense despite the attempts of men to stymie them, holding gatherings in which they encourage women in the surrounding villages to demand their rights.
In Israel,the 'Jewish Nation State Bill', conceived with the goal of removing the Arabic language from official status, was passed by Parliament on July 19. In response, various civil society organizations in Tel Aviv staged demonstrations together to protest the law. Thousands of Jews and Arabs gathered in Habima Square and challenged the law by taking part in a mass Arabic lesson given from the stage, and singing songs in Hebrew and Arabic with musical accompaniment.
In Istanbul, social services specialist İclal N. of the Kanuni Sultan Süleyman Education and Research Hospital, noticed that during her five months of duty, approximately 250 pregnant children had come to the Hospital, 39 of whom were Syrian and 38 of whom were under the age of 15, but no information on 115 of these children had been provided to the police or the social services unit. After shenotified the hospital administration and prosecutor's office, İclal N. was reassigned twice to other locations.
In the United States, following protests by hundreds of thousands of people against government policy of separating the children of immigrants from their families, President Trump promised that families would be kept with their children at immigration centers. But when the administration failed to take action for the more than 2,000 children taken from their families, a number of citizens launched protests in cities around the country with the slogan,#FamiliesBelongTogether. Nearly 600 women carrying banners bearing the slogan were arrested during demonstrations in Washington D.C.
A march started in Gyumri, Armenia by Nikol Pashinian on March 31, 2018, protesting the country's oligarchic structure and corruption, turned into colorful, creative and peaceful demonstrations attended by thousands of people of every age and walk of life; women and men, young and old. For nearly a month, the people of Armenia continued their demonstration demanding democracy, justice and transparency in a celebratory atmosphere of non-violence, inspiring defenders of human rights and democracy around the world.
Syrian doctor Amani Ballour runs a hospital in North Guta, one of the regions most severely affected by the war in the country. As a woman, she is subjected to discrimination and criticism as she carries out her profession, and some patients refuse to speak with her because she is a woman. Determined to remain in Syria under severe wartime conditions, Ballour believes that in order to bring about social change, it is vital that women maintain their presence and activity in this environment.
On July 24 at Gothenburg Airport in Sweden, 21 year-old Swedish student Elin Ersson was on an airplane carrying an Afghan migrant who was being deported. Declaring that this was illegal, Ersson refused to take her seat, remaining standing and holding up the flight until the deportation order was rescinded. The young activist's action, which was broadcast live on social media and received the support of fellow passengers as well, has gone down in history as a successful act of civil disobedience.
In Turkey, the UpSendrom project launched by Burak Acerakis brings volunteer specialists together with families who cannot get a medical certificate for their Down Syndrome child, or who get an erroneous certificate, or due to geographical reasons are unable to reach a specialized therapist. The word 'Down,' though referring to the doctor who discovered this genetic anomaly, creates a negative perception. This initiative, named 'UpSyndrome' in order to dispel this impression, is raising awareness of the rights of those with Down Syndrome.
The Environmental Protection Association, formed in Egypt in 1984, teaches women to read and write, and to make items from factory refuse. In the region of Cairo known as 'trash city,' women use the 7,000 tons of scrap fabrics discarded daily by factories to make and sell items like rugs, bath mats and tablecloths. At present, the Association is providing recycling education to almost 200 people.
Osman Kavala, adopting the principles of peace, equality and justice as a part of his life, and making invaluable contributions to independent civil society activities in keeping with those principles, founded the Anadolu Kültür ('Anatolia Culture'), through which he has supported and brought together countless people and organizations working for human rights, cultural rights and peace. In the midst of war, he held photography workshops as well as literature and cinema days. Traveling from village to village immediately following the 2011 Van earthquake, he drew up a list of needs, acquired the needed items and distributed them. In the summer of 2014, he went into action once again in order to provide for the needs of hundreds of thousands of Ezidis in refugee camps, who had fled to Turkey in the wake of ISIS attacks. He has been honored both in Turkey and internationally for his work in the area of human rights.
On October 18 2017 he was taken into custody. Though there is no indictment against him, he has been held for 332 days in Silivri Prison, and there has been an effort to obscure his life and work through false news and long-term imprisonment. We miss Osman Kavala deeply, and request his immediate release.
