THE STUDY GROUP ON GIVING SUPPORT TO NGO’S, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS & ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF LOCAL PARTICIPATION MECHANISMS
Date: 10.02.2001-Tuesday
Place: Fisek Institute-Child Labour Foundation
Hour: 01:00-4:30 p.m.
List of the Participants:
Sami Kazici: TURMOB (Union of Chambers of Certified Public Accountants of Turkey)
Phone: (0312) 232 50 65
Fax: (0312) 232 50 74
E-Mail: samik@turmob.org.tr
Baris Toprak: TURMOB
Phone: (0312) 232 50 65
Fax: (0312) 232 50 74
E-Mail: barist@turmob.org.tr
Mehmet Toker: Izmit City General Assembly
Phone: (0262) 332 17 97
Fax: (0262) 332 17 98
E-Mail: kentkurultayi@superonline.com
A. Gürhan Fisek: Fisek Institute-Child Labour Foundation
Phone: (0312) 419 78 11
Fax: (0312) 395 22 71
E-Mail: agf@fisek.org
Senay Gökbayrak: Fisek Institute-Child Labour Foundation
Phone: (0312) 419 78 11
Fax: (0312) 395 22 71
E-Mail: gbayrak@politics.ankara.edu.tr
Zeynep Akinci – Dogu Ergil: TOSAM (The Research Centre on the Societal Problems)
Phone: (0312) 447 11 33
Fax: (312) 446 89 59
E-Mail: tosam@tosam.org
Bahar Yersel: The Anthropology Association
Phone (mobile): 0532 570 98 17
Phone (association): (0212) 266 38 33
Tülay Urganci: TOGIDEP
Phone: (0312) 212 88 00 / 1835
E-Mail: urgancit@dtm.gov.tr
Dilek Tugaç: Humanity Sun Foundation
Phone (foundation): (0312) 223 41 86
Phone (home): (0312) 222 72 30
Fax: (0312)222 02 73
E-Mail: igunesi@superonline.com
Gökhan Aytürk: Youth for Habitat International Network
Phone: (0212) 275 74 36
Fax: (012) 275 74 36
E-Mail: youthforhab@turk.net
Agenda of the Meeting:
1. Information about the studies and study groups which are involved in these issues nation-wide;
- LA (Local Agenda) 21’s – Action Plan – Communication Network
- National Habitat – Commission Studies of the Governance Group – Action Plan – Communication Network
- National Habitat: The Ministry of Environment
2. Achieving co-ordination among the groups that carry out studies on the basis of this program on a nation-scale; and discussing & evaluating the subject; - Improving the connections between non-governmental organisations and local governments.
3. The presentation of TOSAM on the educational package that it has prepared in order to present to the local governments and organisation;
4. Information about the studies that have been carried out on the basis of the amendment proposal regarding the Bill of Local Governments; and implementation of the studies on that ground.
1. Information
i) As for the informative phase, a presentation was held regarding the “Local Agenda 21 Project” that has been working since 1997. This project, that has started wide-spreading after Istanbul-Habitat II Conference, discusses the extent of the differences between cities in terms of how they proceed, instancing about the fact that some of them are in the process of establishing the City Councils, while some still discussing the project on a theoretical basis. The fundamental objective of the project is considering about the problems in a co-operative manner, improving the corporations among Centre-Local Governments and NGO’s and formation of a contemporary administrative model.
ii) It was decided that the approach that was ratified by the METU I. National Habitat Conference (September 2002) shall be wide-spread. Of the six groups that was formed under the auspices of the meeting, the “governance” group, differing from the others, was proceeded efficaciously during its works.
The opinions on the subject-matter has been started to develop by taking the local comments into consideration and evaluating these first, and then these studies have proceeded through the facilitative support of the Republic of Turkey’s Prime Ministry-Housing Estate Administration (TOKI). These studies became concluded as the reconciliation on the amendment proposal regarding the Bill on Local Governments was successfully sustained. As for today, lobbying activities are still being carried on in order to make the necessary amendments done.
The second subject having a priority yet still being worked in progress is the Bill on the Associations. There is a draft text upon which the Commission has come to an agreement.
iii) The report that was prepared by the Ministry of Environment without consulting to the NGO’s was presented.
The other issues that were discussed in the informative phase: the study on the functioning of the local governments that was carried out through the co-operation of Marmara Local Governments’ Union and Holland Local Governments’ Union; the projects of Youth for Habitat International Network aiming at youths; TODAY’s role on the implementation of UN governance projects; utilising from the officials of TÜRMOB for the study on local governments.
2. The Status of the Working Group and its Functions
Since the meeting with Ankara Trade Association (ATO) was postponed, it was discussed that ATO should back the NGO’s in Turkey and the extent of responsibility that it wills to undertake is insufficient. And this discussion was concluded with the general agreement over a second meeting.
3. The Presentation of TOSAM
The presentation of TOSAM was basically about the education package that covers modules, particularly about citizenship, leadership, transformation management, crisis management, effective communication methods, discussion techniques, problem and conflict resolution. It was prepared both in Turkish and English with the aims of better understandings on government issue and attending to an integral structure in terms of governor-governed relationships. The presentation was a collection of world-wide researches on that subject-matter.
4. Studies on the Amendment Proposal Regarding the Bill on Local Governments
In addition to the studies of the I. Turkey’s Habitat Forum on the amendment proposal regarding the bill on local governments, a study of the Turkey Municipalities Association was discussed. It was also touched upon that it is necessary to achieve co-ordination among NGO’s and to wide-spread the civil volition, and upon the ways in which the Study Group could be more effective at that point.