For CSMD, 2017 was such a productive year; in which we, as association, were able to share knowledge and experiences through various significant activities as well as were able to achieve meaningful partnerships and cooperations while we kept producing and sharing.
In 2017, we implemented four significant projects. We diversified our workshops and activities with a project called “Transforming Our Language”, into which we integrated students of faculties of journalism andcommunications and media workers of various newspapers. Within the scope of this project, we published our periodical journal called “Şifalı Bilgiler/Relief Info” and our publication “Doğru Kelimeleri Kullanmak /Using Right Words” and we launched and circulated them amongst our followers.
Within the scope of our project we started to implement in 2016 titled as “Sexual Violence Thrives in Silence, Let’s Talk and Take Action!”, we continued our raise awareness workshops on sexual violence and sexual abuse for professional groups in Antalya, Manavgat, Cyprus and Mardin in 2017. We also continued our Sexual Violence Concept Discussions and added new concepts to our blog: https://bunuyapabiliriz.tumblr.com/
CSMD has launched its project: “What’s Up What’s Not?!” within the scope of its activities for youth. As a part of the project, our team got together with young people and Psychological Counseling and Guidance teachers at workshops on safe relationships, dating violence and peer bullying with the participation of 3500 high school students during the year. As a result of these workshops, which were organized with young people as a part of our first youth project, we published a research report: “Şiddet Bir Sınırı Aşmaktır: /Violence is; Exceeding a Boundary” and a practical handbook: “Working with young people on safe relationships” for professionals working with young people. As a result of the high request from all over Turkey, we sent those publications to the educators from 41 different cities.
In 2017, we launched the project: “Change Starts With Me” with individual donations. Thanks to our volunteers who ran in the Istanbul Marathon in order to raise funds for our association, we held full-day workshops under 3 basic sections to the groups applied us. We have been making efforts for “Change Starts With Me” project to become a sustainable program with its own resources implemented by the association every year as a program aiming a social transformation.
Our association, which struggles to pursue legal actions against the language and acts of sexual violence reproduced in the sports fields and tribunes while filing complaints legally, has also contacted with the football clubs and submitted a list of requests it developed towards the clubs for ensuring a violence and sexism-free and equal zones. In May 2017, CSMD held the symposium on
Sexual Violence and Gender Discrimination in Football with the support of Association of Sports and Physical Activities for Women (KASFAD) and Kadir Has University Sports Studies Research Center and brought academics working in that field, students, referees, prosecutors, journalists, sports attorneys and sport psychologists together. At the symposium, different perspectives form different disciplines were shared on both sexual violence and sexism, homophobia and similar discrimination in sports fields as well as on protective-preventive studies for young athletes in infrastructures.
This year, Association for Struggle Against Sexual Violence had cooperation with local administrations and held Capacity Building Workshops for Kadikoy Municipality staff working with children on providing a protective and preventive approach in cases of sexual abuse.
The hundreds of people who interacted with the association and reached us with necessary guidance in various matters; we provided them with information, resources and materials. We received feedbacks that reinforce our work and us. This year we will also be working on Digital Activism with Global Fund for Women’s support.
There is always more to do together. We will continue our struggle and fight with sexual violence without any fear, silence, hierarchy, obedience, compromise, exclusion, shame, isolation and alienation!
For a social transformation, hoping a violence free communication and solidarity in 2018…
Association for Struggle Against Sexual Violence (CSMD) – December 2017
