25 August 2022 | 2485 Times Viewed
On August 24, 2022, we held a two-session workshop titled “Civil Society Issues and Solutions in Turkey” in collaboration with our Civil Society Think Tank unit.
In the first session of the workshop, which focused on civil society issues and solutions in Turkey, the relationship between civil society, the state, and politics was discussed under the themes of meaning, scope, and interpretations.
Strong emphasis was placed on the regulatory, supervisory, and supportive features of civil society within the context of political science, sociology, and philosophy.
The second session addressed topics such as financial sustainability, financial management, and transparency in civil society organizations. These issues were discussed in relation to digitalization, sustainability, fund management, and financial autonomy. In this session, the institutional structures, internal mechanisms, operations, and organizational/structural challenges faced by CSOs were highlighted, and proposals and solutions were provided to overcome these challenges.
You can access the full report of the "Civil Society in Turkey: Issues and Solutions Workshop," which includes the topics discussed and participants' views, here.
Key points emphasized during the discussions included:
• CSOs must be autonomous.
• CSOs should function as a balancing mechanism between the market and the state.
• CSOs should maintain a balance in the power and profit relationship. They should not be focused on power like the state or profit like the market, but should maintain a distance from power while being non-profit organizations.
• Civil society and CSOs cannot be thought of independently from politics. How CSOs position themselves in relation to politics is an important point that needs further reflection.
• Civil society and CSOs should not serve as tools for establishing the cultural hegemony of politics.
• The primary reason for the existence of CSOs is their commitment to social benefit.
• Civil society attempts to fill the gaps left by the state, and CSOs are organizations that define and attempt to influence this space.
• New definitions and interpretations of civil society and CSOs can be made based on new global trends, systems, and emerging shifts.
Suggestions and solutions included:
• The need for CSOs is increasing due to the changing conditions of today.
• CSOs fill important gaps in areas where the state and the market cannot enter.
• The state and the market need the work and presence of CSOs.
• A specialized, project-oriented CSO structure needs to be developed, and consensus and platform-based structures should be established within CSOs.
• Organizational issues in CSOs, such as volunteer/amateur versus professional work, can be overcome with internal training, mentoring, and consultancy support.
• The institutional operations of CSOs need to be well-planned from their establishment to the operational phase, and their goals and focuses should be clearly defined.
• CSOs require financial expertise in areas such as donation models, fundraising, fund management, and fund diversification.
• An CSO fund pool could provide a solution to meet the funding needs of CSOs.
• The use of funds in the independence of CSOs is a critical area, and regulatory adjustments must be made to ensure this independence.
• The infrastructure of CSOs should be developed in accordance with new possibilities and conditions. Innovative approaches, especially in digitalization, will increase youth contributions to CSOs as volunteers.
• Local-focused solutions and approaches, such as micro-management, are important.
• CSOs must measure, evaluate, and audit their activities transparently to maintain their autonomy and reputation.
• Volunteering should be segmented, and different volunteering training and activities can be organized for different age groups. Volunteering activities can be promoted in schools.
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