Forced Immigration and Diyarbakir DEVELOPMENT CENTER ASSOCIATION Turgut Özal Bulvarı Bayındırlık Cad. 343. Sk. Balek Apt. B Blok Kat: 1 No: 5 BAĞLAR / DİYARBAKIR Tel-Fax: (0412) 237 87 49 – 50 Web: www.kalkinmamerkezi.org e-mail: kalkinmamerkezi@yahoo.com ISBN: 978-605-89078-2-9 Edited by Development Center Association Graphic Design Etik Ajans Tel: (0412) 224 12 37 Print Gün Matbaacılık Reklam Film Basım Yayın San. Tic. Ltd. Şti. Beşyol Mah. Akasya Sk. No: 23/A K. Çekmece / İSTANBUL Tel: (0212) 580 63 81 contributions by Heinrich Böll Stiftung-Derneği Türkiye Temsilciliği
ABOUT DEVELOPMENT CENTRE Established in Diyarbakır in 2004, the Development Centre is a non-governmental organization engaged in studies, research and capacity building work which constitute the basis of its poverty alleviation programmes in both rural and urban areas. While its activities mainly take place in the province of Diyarbakır, the Development Centre is also involved in some regional and national-level events. The province and the region concerned comprise the most backward settlements in the country and this backwardness manifests itself in many spheres of life. In many provinces of the region, poverty and deprivation make themselves acutely felt. Deeply impoverished, rural people is worst affected by this adverse situation. The people of the region subsist, in general, in standards remaining much below both national averages and basic human necessities. Further, there is no indication at present that these problems could be radically solved in near future. What can be done in the short term is to mitigate the situation by mobilizing available scientific and technological means to the benefit of the people on the basis of an equalitarian approach upholding the principles of social justice. By capitalizing the co-existence of social and traditional structures in modern times and forms of organization, we consider it important to further develop areas of common use. It is among our major goals to launch plans and practices which provide grounds for means, opportunities and legal structures conducive to human development and develop policies accordingly. In the face of existing problems, the Development Centre targets at mitigating poverty and deprivation in urban and rural areas, improving the status of women and contributing to the social development of children. Further, it is also among our objectives to bring in social justice by mitigating deprivation, to protect natural environments by contributing to the formulation of sustainable development models and advancing development cooperation with both national and international nongovernmental organizations. The Development Centre seeks to contribute to the creation of a democratic society where people enjoy decent and quality life. It is planned to gradually scale-up region wise projects, practices and pilot works developed in this context. It is one of the pillars of our approach to cooperate in all initiatives with governmental organizations, local governments, universities in the country and abroad, non-governmental organizations, professional organizations, chambers, associations of producers and others. Ensuring the full participation of partners provides the ground for correct and effective work while, at the same time, making it possible to extend ongoing activities to larges masses of people. For all the time, the most essential and indispensable participants of this cooperation is of course the people living in areas where interventions have been planned or made. The Development Centre has so far accomplished projects on the following: • Rural surveys • Patterns of agricultural production in the EU countries and their adaptation to the region • Training of local development workers, • Study on forced migration and its implications, • Support to groups involved in forced migration, • Strengthening women in rural areas, • Capacity building in rural areas. The working style and organizational structure of the Development Centre envisage experience sharing, creating a tradition and culture of collective action and a participatory and transparent management. The centre observes these premises in its organization and activities. |