Broken Chalk is looking for Project-Reporting-Social Media Specialist, Web-Content Editor and Proof Reader as Intern and Volunteer

Who We Are

Broken Chalk, in October 2020, was founded by a group of educators abroad who experienced and have been experiencing severe human rights violations in their home country (Turkey) and had to ask for asylum currently in several countries. Broken Chalk is an Amsterdam-based non-governmental organisation (NGO) committed to addressing human rights violations in the education sector. A multinational team of dedicated human rights advocates collaborates extensively on researching violations in every corner of the World.

The organization’s primary activities include removing obstacles to education, promoting peace and tranquility in society through intercultural tolerance, preventing radicalism and polarization, and eliminating educational opportunity gaps across different demographics.

You can also read more about Broken Chalk from our website: https://brokenchalk.org/

Broken Chalk is currently seeking Interns!

Available openings:

•        Finance (Internship) Stream

•        IT Stream

•        Legal Stream

•        Research & Journalism Stream

•        Communications and Creativity Stream

•        Projects Stream

•        HR & Procedures Stream

Kindly note that

▪Mode of internship: Not paid

▪Visa Sponsorship: Not Available

▪Mode of work: Remote

Only complete applications will be reviewed.

1.     Finance (Internship) Stream 

The role will emphasize the Finance Department within Broken Chalk.

This is the Department that manages financial activities. Within the Department, there will be two Teams: The Fundraising Team and the Finance Team.

 The Fundraising Team will focus on donor management and develop strategies to secure funding from various sources, such as individuals, corporations, and foundations.

Fundraising Team tasks:

Ø Donor page updates

Ø Assist in the organization of (online) discussions and meetings

Ø Liaising with clients or internal departments

Ø Developing and implementing fundraising strategies

Ø Writing grant proposals and donor reports

Ø Managing donor communications and acknowledgments

Ø The Finance Team will focus on accountancy and financial management, ensuring the organization’s financial health and compliance with relevant regulations.

Finance Team tasks:

Ø Assist in the organization of (online) discussions and meetings

Ø Liaising with clients or internal departments

Ø Budget preparation and management

Ø Financial reporting and analysis

Ø Processing invoices and payments

Ø Ensuring compliance with financial regulations and policies

Ø Conducting financial audits and risk assessments

The Stream will seek to recruit those with expertise in accountancy, grant applications, fundraising, donor management, and communications (with a focus on fundraising/finance). These roles will require strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and the ability to communicate effectively with both internal and external stakeholders. Candidates should be adept at using financial software, possess excellent organizational skills, and have a strong understanding of financial and fundraising principles.

2.      IT Stream 

The role will emphasize the IT Department within Broken Chalk.

This is the Department that manages IT activities. Within the Department, there will be two Teams: The Web Team and the Admin IT Team.

The Web Team will focus on the Static Website Content, the Website Design, and Uploading Content.

Web Team tasks:

Ø Producing new content and writing it in an exciting and appealing manner

Ø Sourcing images and artwork, and commissioning photographers

Ø Assist in the organization of (online) discussions and meetings

Ø Liaising with clients or internal departments

Ø Maintaining the site once it is live and ensuring the information is accurate

Ø Updating and optimizing website design for user experience

Ø Troubleshooting website issues and performing regular backups

The Admin IT Team will focus on WordPress and Microsoft 365 (MS365).

Admin IT Team tasks:

Ø Assist in the organization of (online) discussions and meetings

Ø Liaising with clients or internal departments

Ø Managing and maintaining WordPress sites, including plugins and themes

Ø Providing technical support and training for MS365 applications

Ø Ensuring data security and compliance with IT policies

Ø Conducting system updates and regular maintenance

Ø Implementing and managing cybersecurity measures

The Stream will seek to recruit those with expertise in WordPress, IT, computer science, MS365 admin, and cyber security. These roles will require strong technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and effective communication with both technical and non-technical stakeholders. Candidates should have a solid understanding of web development, content management systems, and IT infrastructure management.

3.     Legal Stream 

The role will emphasize the Legal Department within Broken Chalk.

This is the Department that manages Legal activities. Within the Department, there will be two Teams: The Internal Team and Third-Party Intervention Team.

The Internal Team will focus on protecting the company from any issues that may arise within the workforce

Internal Team tasks:

Ø Assist in the organization of (online) discussions and meetings

Ø Liaising with clients or internal departments

Ø Ensuring compliance with labor laws and internal policies (such as data protection)

Ø Handling employee grievances and disputes

Ø Conducting internal investigations and audits

Ø Drafting and reviewing company policies

The Third Part Intervention Team will focus on managing and resolving legal issues that involve external parties, such as clients, vendors, and regulatory bodies.

Third Part Intervention Team tasks:

Ø Assist in the organization of (online) discussions and meetings

Ø Liaising with clients or internal departments

Ø Managing and resolving disputes with external parties

Ø Overseeing contract negotiations and drafting agreements

Ø Ensuring compliance with industry regulations and legal standards

Ø Representing the company in legal proceedings and mediations

Ø Coordinating with external legal counsel as needed

Ø Intervention before the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France, concerning legal disputes which involves the right to education of children

The Stream will seek to recruit those with expertise in European law, corporate law, labor law, contract negotiation, dispute resolution, regulatory compliance, and legal research. These roles will require strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and the ability to communicate effectively with internal and external stakeholders. Candidates should have a solid understanding of legal principles and practices and the ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion.

4.     Research & Journalism Stream 

The role will emphasize the Research and Journalism Department within Broken Chalk.

This is the Department that manages content creation and research. Within the Department, there will be two Teams: The Articles Team and the Reports Team.

The Articles Team will focus on Current Issues and Educational Challenges

Articles Team tasks:

Ø Writing articles on Current Issues

Ø Writing articles on Educational Challenges

Ø Conducting thorough research

Ø Assist in the organization of (online) discussions and meetings

Ø Liaising with clients or internal departments

Ø Staying updated on relevant news and trends to inform articles

The Reports Team will focus on:

·        United Nations – Universal Periodic Reviews

·        United Nations – Calls for Input

·        Education Monitor: Around the Globe

Reports Team tasks:

Ø Conducting thorough research

Ø Assist in the organization of (online) discussions and meetings

Ø Liaising with clients or internal departments

Ø Compiling and analyzing data for reports

Ø Writing detailed reports on education trends and policies globally

Ø Coordinating the collection of inputs and feedback from various stakeholders

Ø Ensuring all reports meet quality standards and deadlines

United-Nations – Universal Periodic Reviews tasks:

Ø Monitoring and analyzing the human rights situation in various countries.

Ø Gathering data and evidence from multiple sources, including governmental and non-governmental organizations.

Ø Preparing submissions and reports for the Universal Periodic Review process.

Ø Coordinating with country-specific experts and human rights defenders.

Ø Tracking and evaluating the implementation of UPR recommendations.

Ø Participating in UPR sessions and related meetings, both virtually and in person.

Ø Engaging with stakeholders to provide updates and gather further input.

United Nations – Calls for Input tasks:

Ø Identifying and responding to calls for input from various UN bodies and special procedures.

Ø Collecting relevant information and documentation to support submissions.

Ø Drafting and submitting responses to calls for input in a timely manner.

Ø Engaging with thematic experts and stakeholders to ensure comprehensive and accurate submissions.

Ø Tracking the progress and outcomes of submissions and providing follow-up as necessary.

Ø Organizing consultations and discussions to gather diverse perspectives and inputs.

Ø Maintaining records and databases of all calls for input and related activities

Education Monitor: Around the Globe tasks:

Ø Researching and tracking global education policies, initiatives, and trends.

Ø Collecting data from international organizations, governments, and educational institutions.

Ø Analyzing educational outcomes, access to education, and disparities across different regions.

Ø Compiling reports and assessments on the state of education worldwide.

Ø Identifying best practices and innovative approaches to improve education systems globally.

Ø Collaborating with education stakeholders, including policymakers, educators, and advocates, to exchange knowledge and insights.

Ø Developing recommendations for addressing challenges and promoting quality education for all.

Ø Disseminating findings through various channels, including reports, briefings, and presentations.

Ø Monitoring progress towards education-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and advocating for increased investment in education.

The Stream will seek to recruit those with expertise in research, writing, editing, data analysis, educational policy, and global education trends. These roles will require strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and the ability to communicate effectively with both internal and external stakeholders. Candidates should have a solid understanding of educational issues, strong writing abilities, and the capability to produce high-quality content under tight deadlines.

5.     Communications and Creativity Stream 

The role will emphasize the Communications and Creativity Department within Broken Chalk.

This is the Department that manages all aspects of external communications and creative content. Within the Department, there will be four Teams: the Social Media Team, the Newsletter Team, the Media Team, the Press Release Team, and the Statements Team.

The Social Media Team will focus on Broken Chalks social media accounts

Social Media Team tasks:

Ø Assist in the organization of (online) discussions and meetings

Ø Liaising with clients or internal departments

Ø Managing Broken Chalk’s social media accounts and posting content

Ø Brainstorming campaign ideas

Ø Monitoring various social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter

Ø Engaging with followers and responding to comments and messages

Ø Analyzing social media metrics to improve engagement and reach

The Newsletter Team will focus on creating and distributing Broken Chalk’s newsletters.

Newsletter Team tasks:

Ø Assist in the organization of (online) discussions and meetings

Ø Liaising with clients or internal departments

Ø Writing, editing, and designing newsletter content

Ø Coordinating with other teams to gather relevant information and updates

Ø Managing subscriber lists and ensuring GDPR compliance

Ø Analyzing newsletter performance and reader engagement metrics

The Media Team will focus on producing multimedia content for various platforms.

Media Team tasks:

Ø Assist in the organization of (online) discussions and meetings

Ø Liaising with clients or internal departments

Ø Creating video content, including filming, editing, and post-production

Ø Developing graphics and visual content for various communications

Ø Managing the organization’s YouTube channel and other media outlets

Ø Collaborating with external vendors for high-quality production work

Press Release Team will focus on drafting and distributing press releases.

Press Release Team tasks:

Ø Assist in the organization of (online) discussions and meetings

Ø Liaising with clients or internal departments

Writing and editing press releases to announce significant events, milestones, and news

Ø Monitoring media coverage and reporting on the impact of press releases

Ø Coordinating with the Media Team to ensure consistency in messaging

Statements Team will focus on creating official statements and responses.

Statements Team tasks:

Ø Assist in the organization of (online) discussions and meetings

Ø Liaising with clients or internal departments Drafting official statements on behalf of Broken Chalk

Ø Responding to inquiries from the media and the public

Ø Ensuring that all statements align with the organization’s values and messaging

Ø Coordinating with legal and executive teams to ensure accuracy and appropriateness of statements

The Stream will seek to recruit those with expertise in social media management, content creation, multimedia production, public relations, copywriting, and strategic communications. These roles will require strong written and verbal communication skills, creativity, attention to detail, and the ability to work collaboratively across different teams. Candidates should have a solid understanding of digital marketing trends, media relations, and the ability to produce high-quality content under tight deadlines.

6.     Projects Stream

The role will emphasize the Projects Department within Broken Chalk.

This is the Department that manages the projects. Within the Department, there will be five Teams: The Anti-Scamming Team, the EP Election Awareness and Partnership Team, the EU Expertise offer Team, the EU Expertise Requests 1 Team, and the EU Expertise Requests 2 Team.

The Anti-Scamming Team will focus on identifying, preventing, and mitigating scam activities that could affect the organization or its stakeholders.

 

Anti-Scamming Team tasks:

Ø Assist in the organization of (online) discussions and meetings

Ø Liaising with clients or internal departments

Ø Monitoring for scam activities and reporting suspicious behavior

Ø Developing anti-scamming policies and procedures

Ø Educating staff and stakeholders on recognizing and avoiding scams

The EP Election Awareness and Partnership Team will focus on raising awareness about the European Parliament elections and encouraging informed participation.

EP Election Awareness and Partnership Team tasks: [RI5] 

Ø Assist in the organization of (online) discussions and meetings

Ø Liaising with clients or internal departments

Ø Creating and distributing educational materials about the European Parliament elections

Ø Organizing events and campaigns to promote voter awareness and participation

Ø Collaborating with external organizations to broaden outreach efforts

Ø Conduct research and analysis on voter trends and behaviors

Ø Develop and implement training programs

Ø Manage social media and online presence

Ø Coordinate with media outlets for broader coverage

The EU Expertise offer Team will focus on providing expertise and support for EU-related projects and initiatives.

EU Expertise offer Team tasks:

Ø Organizing and implementing EU programs

Ø Supporting research activities in a general sense

Ø Assist in the organization of (online) discussions and meetings

Ø Liaising with clients or internal departments

Ø Offering consultancy and expertise on EU policies and regulations

Ø Developing training programs and workshops related to EU matters

The EU Expertise Requests 1 Team will focus on responding to requests for expertise and writing proposals for EU programs such as CERV and AMIF.

EU Expertise Requests Team tasks:

Ø Writing proposals for EU programs, i.e. (CERV, AMIF, etc.)

Ø Organizing and implementing EU programs

Ø Supporting research activities in a general sense

Ø Assist in the organization of (online) discussions and meetings

Ø Liaising with clients or internal departments

Ø Coordinating with other teams to gather necessary information for proposals

The Stream will seek to recruit those with expertise in project management, EU policies, anti-scamming measures, electoral processes, research, and proposal writing. These roles will require strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to communicate effectively with various stakeholders. Candidates should have a solid understanding of EU programs and regulations, as well as experience in managing projects and writing comprehensive proposals.

7.     HR & Procedures Stream 

The role will emphasize the HR & Procedures Department within Broken Chalk.

This is the Department that manages Human Resources and Procedures in Broken Chalk. Within the Department, there will be four Teams: The Human Resource (HR) Team, the Procedures and Proofreading Team, the Accreditation Team, and the Translation Team.

The HR Team will focus on the internal aspects of Broken Chalk, hiring, and onboarding.  

HR Team tasks:

Ø Sending contracts

Ø Reply to emails

Ø Conducting Interviews

Ø Hiring Interns

Ø Conducting onboarding process

Ø Training interns

Ø Performance management

Ø Updating necessary information (interview data, intern performance data – hours, and more)

Ø Liaising with clients or internal departments

Ø Assist in the organization of (online) discussions and meetings

The Procedures and Proofreading Team will focus on ensuring the accuracy and consistency of all written documents and maintaining procedural standards.

Procedures and Proofreading Team tasks:

Ø Read and evaluate written text for grammatical and typographical error

Ø Liaise with writers and editors to determine the composition of specific texts in a document

Ø Compare typeset proofs against the original copy to identify the mistakes or omission

Ø Analyze documents to ensure chapter titles match the list of contents

Ø Use symbols that are standard and recognized by printing and publishing companies

Ø Rephrase written text to ensure document structure and content are consistent

Ø Contact authors directly to clarify grammatical inconsistencies related to style and text choice

Ø Forward proofread materials for approval and publication

Ø Assist in the organization of (online) discussions and meetings

The Accreditation Team will focus on managing and maintaining accreditation standards for Broken Chalk’s programs and services.

Accreditation Team tasks:

Ø Liaising with clients or internal departments

Ø Assisting in the organization of (online) discussions and meetings

Ø Preparing and submitting accreditation documentation

Ø Monitoring compliance with accreditation standards and requirements

Ø Conducting internal audits and assessments to ensure ongoing compliance

Ø Coordinating with external accrediting bodies

The Translation Team will focus on translating documents and communications to ensure accessibility across different languages.

Translation Team tasks:

Ø Liaising with clients or internal departments

Ø Assisting in the organization of (online) discussions and meetings

Ø Translating written materials accurately and efficiently

Ø Ensuring consistency in terminology and style across translated documents

Ø Collaborating with other teams to ensure translations meet project requirements

Ø Reviewing and proofreading translations for accuracy

The Stream will seek to recruit those with expertise in human resources, editing and proofreading, accreditation processes, and translation services. These roles will require strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to communicate effectively with various stakeholders. Candidates should have relevant experience in their respective fields, strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to work collaboratively in a team environment.

Broken Chalk is diverse. We do not discriminate in hiring practices and actively seek a diverse applicant pool. We encourage candidates of all abilities, ages, gender identities and expressions, national origins, races and ethnicities, religious beliefs, sexual orientations, and those with criminal records to apply. We welcome all kinds of diversity. Broken Chalk is an equal-opportunity employer.

How to Apply:

Email your:

· CV/Resume

· Letter of interest

to hr@brokenchalk.org

Graduate of Afgan Turk school Husna said education gave me the courage to fight for an equal world and make an impact in the world.

Husna Jalal  Graduate of Afghan-Turk Schools 2014

Before I begin, I would like to thank the Broken Chalk organization for arranging this event.

On Teachers International Day, I would like to appreciate and thank the efforts and hard work of the most important pillars of our society, our teachers!

It’s an honor and pleasure to be here!

I want to talk a bit about myself. I am Husna and I am from Afghanistan. I graduated from Turkish schools in Afghanistan, and Turkish schools were established in Afghanistan two decades ago during a chaotic and critical time.

My Turkish sisters and brothers came to Afghanistan when education was most needed. These schools produced a generation of intellectual and aware Afghans, moderate Muslims and change-makers, and a generation that will build Afghanistan.

Unfortunately, due to the illegal and wrong decision of the Turkish Government, our schools were closed in 2018.

After the fall of Kabul and the re-emergence of the Taliban and their dark ideology, today, Afghan girls are deprived of their fundamental rights and are banned from going to school, and 66,000 teachers are not allowed to go and teach in schools.

Also, it’s worth mentioning tonight that an educated girl is equal to an educated society.

Today, due to my teacher’s hard work and efforts, I am standing in front of you. Education gave me the courage to fight for an equal world and make an impact in the world.

I appreciate your attention and have a great evening.

Husna Jalal  Graduate of Afghan-Turk Schools 2014

Girls Education after the Collapse of Kabul on 15th of August

During the peace talks in Doha in 2020, the Taliban emphasized the importance of education in several statements ‘because this is the basic right of all Afghans.’ They also wanted to ‘guarantee all human and legal rights of every child, woman, and man.’ In this, the Taliban presented themselves as a progressive force in favor of education for all citizens of Afghanistan, regardless of gender, even though in areas held under Taliban control, up until their recent resurgence, their record for girls’ education was poor and inconsistent.

Very few areas allowed girls past puberty to attend school; some prevented girls from gaining an education where the Taliban held influence over the curriculum and prioritized religious education at the expense of other subjects.

An estimated 3.7 million children are out of school in Afghanistan- 60% of them are girls. After the fall of Kabul and the reemergence of the Taliban and their dark ideology.

FILE PHOTO: Afghan women’s rights defenders and civil activists protest to call on the Taliban to preserve their achievements and education in front of the presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, September 3, 2021. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo

Today millions of Afghan girls are deprived of their fundamental rights. Women and girls were banned from schools and universities under Taliban rule between 1996 and 2001, and they are again forbidden from going to school in 2021.

According to the Taliban, “the education system is not Islamic enough, and schools should be segregated by gender, and Taliban will introduce a new dress code.”- Taliban has said.

Taliban have promised the people of Afghanistan; they will not prevent women from being educated or having jobs. But since the fall of Kabul, women cannot go out of their houses, and they are imprisoned in the four walls of their homes.

Taliban’s actions and words are not the same. For more than a month, Afghan girls have been banned from their fundamental right to “education,” and the world is not doing anything about this. Afghan women are paying the price of their fake promises, and they are being tortured mentally and physically.

Afghan women have been fighting for their rights in the last four decades, and they are fighters. They didn’t give up in the previous 40 years, and they will not give up today as well. We are not asking the world to give us western liberties. We are asking for solidarity in this fight against darkness.

 

Writer:A Civil Society Activist from Afghanistan.

WORLD TEACHERS’ DAY PROGRAM IN AMSTERDAM: “Netherlands gained, Turkey missed”

Translated from: Link

Due to World Teachers’ Day, teachers exposed to immigration from Turkey and started their teaching careers again in the Netherlands shared their stories in the program.

Many teachers who sought asylum in the Netherlands attended the meeting, which took place in the Broken Chalk Foundation’s Sara Burgerhart Activiteitencentrum (SBAC) conference hall in Amsterdam. Speaking at the panel moderated by the Dutch writer James Roolvink, Broken Chalk Foundation Co-Chair Ramazan İnce said that there have been many human rights violations in the last five years in Turkey and that everyone who is against the government of President Erdoğan, or anyone who is against him, has been declared a terrorist.

İnce gave the following information: “There are serious human rights violations against our educator friends living in Turkey. Life is getting harder for them every day. We must do something for them. We cannot continue with our lives by forgetting them. Therefore, we founded the Broken Chalk foundation. After the failed coup attack, the Turkish government has shut down more than a thousand private schools by statutory decree-laws in the last five years. According to the data collected by the National Education Union (Egitim-Sen), the government banned 41005 teachers from the profession, and their teaching certificates were revoked. These teachers cannot do their job. In addition, 16 universities were closed while 56000 students continued their higher education on the campuses, and 5342 people lost their jobs, among 2465 of which were academicians. All of this was done with the statutory decree by the AKP government. Broken Chalk reports on human rights abuses in education. We present our reports to the human rights organizations of the United Nations and the European Union. Broken Chalk organizes street protests to attract public attention and put pressure on governments. It publishes press releases about rights violations in the field of education.”

HUSNA JALAL FROM AFGAN KABUL TURKISH SCHOOL: I WANT TO BE THE VOICE OF AFGAN WOMEN

Husna Jalal, a graduate of the Afghan Turkish School in Kabul, who had to leave Afghanistan after the Taliban took over the country on the 15th of August, said, “Life has changed drastically after 15th of August for Afghan men and women. The young professional Afghans left the country, Afghans are starving and Afghanistan is now on the countdown of catastrophe without the support of the international community. I want to amplify Afghan women voices in Europe.” she said.

AUTHOR JAMES ROOLVINK: NETHERLANDS WON IN EDUCATION FIELD, TURKEY LOST

James Roolvink, the moderator of the Broken Chalk World Teachers’ Day program, said that it is significant for teachers who sought asylum in the Netherlands after the fictional coup to learn Dutch in a short time and start a new life. James Roolvink said: “For two hours, I got together with Ramazan İnce, Fatih OK, Zeynep Efil, Burhan Kasap, Kadir Tan, and Husna Jalal, teachers who work in different schools and jobs in different cities of the Netherlands. I want to say that the Netherlands won and Turkey lost. Because there is a shortage of 12000 teachers in the Netherlands, most refugees must be teachers in the Netherlands. I was together with seven teachers in the Broken Chalk program. We spent a conducive and successful two hours with them on my completely Dutch educational system without a translator. I am sure they will create a different situation for the Dutch education system. Especially their self-confidence and speaking Dutch without an accent were extremely impressive. I want to say that it was a very successful program for me personally. I wish these teachers success in their new lives.”

ŞAHİN: WHAT CAN WE DO FOR THE NETHERLANDS?

Stating that she came to the Netherlands 3 years ago, Neslihan Özcan Şahin said, “I was a science teacher. I had to seek asylum in the Netherlands for political reasons. After my extended stay at the asylum, we got home. I applied to the teaching project of the Municipality of Amsterdam. Then I completed this training. I got the right to work as a teaching assistant in the Netherlands. I have started teaching in Amsterdam at the high school level in the Netherlands. The Dutch people are amazed. Because you cannot do many things about language learning during the camp. We did not have a course. It took too long to get a residence permit. We came to the Netherlands for freedom. This country gave us our freedom. Now, we have only one aim is what can we do for this country and people. We discussed how we could help and be helpful in the Dutch education system in the Broken Chalk World Teachers’ Day program. I believe that every student has very different intelligence.

KASAP: I HAVE READ AND LISTENED TO MANY BOOKS IN THE NETHERLANDS. I RENEWED MYSELF

Burhan Kasap said that he took part in the Dutch Education system with a project he participated in. Dutch is a complex language. I followed language studies and courses closely for three years. I met with Dutch friends. I tried to read and listen to a lot of Dutch books. This is how I shortened my language barrier. I will now start working at a school in Den Haag city. Here we are trying to hold on to life. I came here for political reasons. We want to contribute something to Dutch society. I want to thank the Broken Chalk Foundation for giving us this opportunity. It has been a very effective program for me. We want to make severe contributions by using the chances that the Netherlands has offered for us. This was a start. I hope there will be more new programs in the future.

TAN: IT WAS A PLEASURE FOR ME TO LEARN THE DUTCH LANGUAGE

Kadir Tan learned the Dutch language in a short period of 3 years and started working as a French teacher in the Dutch education system. He said, “I am first involved in the Dutch education system as a French education assistant. Since I was a foreign language teacher in Turkey, I had sympathy for foreigners. I was doing my best to make my students love the foreign language French. It was my pleasure to learn the Dutch language. I learned Dutch not as an obligation but as pleasure while learning. It’s a bit of a challenge due to my age. I will be happy to teach French to my students in the Netherlands because the Dutch government gave me this opportunity. I want to teach in my country, but it was not fortunate. I am not angry with anyone.

I look forward to meeting my students with excitement. I learned that there is a tremendous teacher shortage in the Netherlands. In this respect, I fully believe that new young teachers will make an earnest contribution to the Dutch education system.”

OK: I AM TEACHING ENGLISH AT A HIGH SCHOOL

 

Fatih OK, who has been in the Netherlands for five years, described the process of starting teaching as follows: “It took a long time to take our place in the Dutch education system. After I learned the language, I started applying for jobs, and I got a job at a school in Hengelo, Netherlands. I continued to teach English in high school. I am pretty happy with my life right now.

Meanwhile, Broken Chalk organized an excellent program in the capital city of Amsterdam. In the program, we had the opportunity to share our experiences. Moderator James Roolvink asked us some good questions, and I found the program very useful for education. Hopefully, we can continue.”

İNCE: THE TURKISH EMBASSY DID NOT RENEW OUR PASSPORT

Ramazan İnce, who came to the Netherlands 3.5 years ago and said: “Our children were born in Nigeria. We were happy living in Africa. We had no problems with people in Africa. All people loved us. Now I would like to explain why we are in the Netherlands. And why we sought asylum here and why we left our family and friends behind. Our children’s passports were about to expire. The Turkish embassy did not renew our children’s passports. Then my wife’s and my passports were revoked. You may wonder why this is because the school where I worked belonged to the Gülen Movement. The AKP government under President Erdogan declared the Gülen Movement a terrorist organization. For this reason, our passports were canceled, and our children’s passports were not renewed. The AKP government is kidnapping teachers all over the world. The interior ministry said that Turkish national intelligence had kidnapped more than 100 teachers from 18 different countries. We could not get visas to other countries. If you work with the schools of the Gulen movement, you cannot get a visa. We had no other choice. Our children’s passports were only valid for three months. We had to do something before the passports expired. We tried to go to Romania via Amsterdam with KLM. It worked. We arrived in Schiphol and waited to miss our next flight. Then we went to the police in Amsterdam Schipol and sought asylum. The waiting time in the asylum centers was very long. I should do something. I sent many emails to schools. But unfortunately, I always received a negative response. They said ‘sorry’ because I did not have a residence permit. I tried to take Dutch lessons, but it was costly for me. I have completed three different IT courses. These were Data Science, Full Stack Web Developer, and Microsoft Azure Cloud Engineer. After my education, I did my internship at Fujitsu. Fortunately, Fujitsu offered me a permanent contract. And now I have been working as a systems engineer at Fujitsu for over a year.”

Mijn verhaal – 1

We kwamen drie en een half jaar geleden in Nederland aan. Dat was eind April 2018. We hebben in vier AZCs gewoond. Allereerst in Ter Apel, maar dat was maar voor tien dagen. Daarna verhuisden we naar Budel waar we drie maanden verbleven. Vervolgens naarGilze voor een maand. Daar hebben we ook ons interview met IND gehad. Als laatste kwamen we aan in het AZC in Leersum. Daar hebben we AZC bijna twee jaar gewoond. Onze kinderen gingen daar ook naar school. Daar hebben ze ook goed Nederlands geleerd. Mijn jongste zoon zit in groep 6, en mijn oudste zoon zit in de tweede klas van het Gymnasium. Het was echt moelijk om in de AZCs te winnen. Want we leefden met het hele gezin in een kamer. We deelden de keuken, badkamer en wc met andere gezinnen. Nu woon ik met mijn vrouw en twee zonen in onze huis in Bilthoven. Ik ben Turks van geboorte maar we woonden niet meer in Turkije sinds 2003. Ik heb als docent wiskunde en schoolleider in drie verschillend landen gewerkt: Ghana, Irak en Nigeria. Onze kinderen zijn in Nigeria geboren. We waren gelukkig v toen we in die landen woonden. We hebben geen probleem gehad met de mensen in die landen. Alle mensen hielden van ons.
Nu wil ik graag uitleggen waarom we hier zijn. En waarom we hier asiel gezocht hebben en waarom we onze familie en vrienden hebben achter gelaten. De paspoorten van onze kinderen waren bijna verlopen. De Turkse ambassade heeft de paspoorten van onze kinderen niet verlengd. Vervolgens werden de paspoorten van mijn vrouw en van mij geannuleerd of ingetrokken. Jullie zouden je af kunnen vragen wat daarvoor de reden was. Dat kwam omdat de school waar ik voor werkte bij de Gulen Beweging hoorde. De Turkse regering onder leiding van president Erdogan verklaarde de Gulen Beweging als een terroristische organisatie. Daarom werden onze passpoorten ingetrokken en de paspoorten van onze kinderen niet verlengd. De Turkse overheid ontvoert de docenten overal in de wereld. Het Ministerie van binnenlandse zaken zegt dat Turkse nationale inlichtingendienst meer dan 100 docenten uit 18 verschillende landen heeft ontvoerd.
We moeten iets doen om onze probleem op te lossen. Ik heb geprobeerd om naar andere landen te gaan waar er meer vrijheid en respect voor mensenrechten is. We konden geen visa voor andere landen krijgen. Als je met de scholen van de Gulen beweging werkt, dan je kan je geen visum krijgen. We hadden geen andere optie. De paspoorten van onze kinderen waren nog drie maanden geldig. We moesten iets doen voor dat de paspoorten zouden gaan verlopen. We probeerden naar Roemenië te reizen via Amsterdam met de KLM. Het werkte. We kwamen op Schiphol aan en dan hebben we gewacht om zo onze volgende vlucht te missen. Daarna gingen we naar de politie op Schipol, vroegen we voor asiel aan.
De periode van wachten in de AZC’s was erg lang. Ik vond dat ik iets moet doen. Ik heb veel e-mails naar scholen verstuurd. Maar helaas kreeg ik altijd een negatieve antwoord. Ze zeiden ‘sorry’ omdat ik geen statushouder was. Ik probeerde om Nederlans les te krijgen maar dat was echt duur voor mij. Ik heb drie verschillende ICT opleidingen gedaan. Dat waren Data Science, Full Stack Web Developer and Microsoft Azure Cloud Enginner. Na mijn opleiding deed ik mijn stage bij Fujitsu. Gelukkig bood Fujitsu mij een vast contract aan. Dat heb ik aangenomen. En nu werk ik alweer meer dan een jaar als systeem-engineer bij Fujitsu.
Ik ben lid van Broken Chalk en Amnesty International als vrijwillegers.

Wie is Broken Chalk?

In Turkije zijn er veel overtredingen van mensen rechten in de afgelopen vijf jaren. President Erdogan word elke dag meer dictator. Als iemand tegen hem of zijn overheid praat,  verklaard  hij ze als terrorist. Vaandag in Turkije, niemand kan tegen Erdogan en zijn overheid praten.

 

Mijn vrienden, vriendinnen en ik heben stichting Broken Chalk opgericht. We als opgerichten van Broken Chalk hebben veel overtreding van mensen rechten in onze land gehad. We zij nu blij in Nederland, en hier hebben we meer vrijheid en respect voor mensenrechten gevonden. Maar onze vrienden en vriendinnen die in Turkije wonen hebben overtreding van mensen rechten. Het leven werd elke dag moelijker voor hun. We moeten iets doen voor hun. We kunnen onze leven niet voort zetten door hun te vergeten. Daarom hebben we de stichting Broken Chalk opgericht. Na de mislukte coup aanval, in de afgelopen vijf jaaren, meerdan thousand  prive scholen werden gesloten door de Turkse overheid met decree law.  Volgens de gegevens verzameld door de Unie van Onderwijs (Egitim-Sen), heeft de regering 41.005 leraren uit hun beroep gezet, en hun docent certificaten werden geannulleerd. Deze docenten kunnen niet hun bereopen doen. Daarnaast werden ook zestien universiteiten, waar meer dan 56.000 studenten hoger onderwijs volgden, gesloten, waardoor 5.342 mensen, waaronder 2.465 academici, hun baan verloren. Alles door de Turkse overheid met decree law. Op een andere manier zijn alle bevengenoemde instellingen of mensen verbonden met de Gulenbeweging. Dat was de reden waarom ze werder gesloten of van het werk werden gestuurd.

 

We begonen als platform maar het was niet genoeg om onze werk te doen. Dan de afgelopen jaar in September maakten we deze paltform als sticting. Nu kunnen we meer dingen doen voor mensen rechten.

Broken Chalk stelt rapporten op over overtredingen van mensen rechten in het onderwijs. We dienen onze rapporten in bij de mensenrechten organisaties van de United Nations en de Eurpoen Union. Broken Chalk organiseert straatprotesten om de aandacht van het publiek te trekken en regeringen onder druk te zetten.Publiceer persberichten over de overtredingen van rechten in het onderwijsveld en stuur brieven naar de regeringen en vraag om hulp in de zaken. Organiseren en geven van trainingsprogramma’s voor de vluchtelingenleraren, enz.

We deden al onze werk met onze vrijwillegers. Als u wilt kunt u een vrijwilleger van Broken Chalk worden.

Press Release: OCTOBER 5 WORLD TEACHERS’ DAY With the theme “Teachers at the heart of education recovery.”

05.10.221

To download the Press Release as Word Document: TEACHERS’ DAY 2021-Press-Release-eng_V1

To download the Press Release as PDF Document: TEACHERS’ DAY 2021-Press-Release-eng_V1

 

Two years after the COVID-19 pandemic, many education systems still face significant disruptions. Students and teachers in more than 50 countries continue to be affected by the total or partial school closure. But whether students are learning face-to-face or remotely, teachers are at the center of the process. Education is at the center of building human capital. Although teaching is the utmost important job, they are underpaid.  Adequate payment is not the only problem they are facing.

Today, we celebrate the extraordinary dedication and courage of all teachers and their capacity to adapt and innovate under very challenging and uncertain conditions. They are at the center of global education improvement efforts and play a key role in accelerating progress towards an inclusive, equitable, and quality education for every student, in all circumstances.

 

According to research carried out among teaching unions in more than 30 countries across Asia, Africa, Europe, and South America by Education International.[1]

 

  • There is a rise in profit-making, low-fee private schools, mainly in Africa and Latin America, which pay low teacher salaries and compromise quality as operating expenditures are brought down as much as possible to maximize profits.
  • According to 50 percent of the unions; Violence in the classroom is making teaching unsafe.
  • The mass media promotes “either a negative or a very negative attitude” towards teachers, according to 39 percent of the unions.
  • Only one in three teachers report having access to continuing professional and leadership development (CPLD), and three-quarters see the CPLD they receive as poor quality.

Today, education is under attack in many countries. The attacks range from the bombing of schools to the killing of students and teachers. Rape and sexual violence, arbitrary arrests, and forced recruitment also occurred, instigated by armed groups. Attacks on education harm the students and teachers, but they also affect the communities in the short and long term.

 

To mention a few of these from many, [2]

  • More than 22,000 students, teachers, and academics were injured, killed, or harmed in attacks on education during armed conflict or insecurity over the past five years.
  • Between 2015 and 2019, 93 countries experienced at least one reported attack on education, marking an increase of 19 affected countries, up from 74 countries in the previous reporting period of 2013-2017.
  • Attacks on higher education were reported in 73 countries. Law enforcement, military forces, or pro-government armed groups used excessive, even lethal, force to disperse university students and staff protesting on campuses or over education-related grievances, primarily in situations of insecurity.

 

As Broken Chalk, we want to take the attention of the international, national human rights organizations, human rights defenders, stakeholders, educational foundations, and associations into the challenges of  Teachers In Turkey.  The teachers from Turkey have been facing human rights violations from their Government for a long time now. Turkish Government has taken the lives of the teachers, their families. Being tortured and losing their jobs are among that educators have been suffering. Teachers have been exposed to torture, put in prison, exiled, and lost their lives.

 

  • According to the data compiled by the Union of Education (Eğitim-Sen), Government dismissed 41,005 educators, including 33,965 teachers, 5,740 academic personnel, 1,300 administrative staff at educational facilities.[3]
  • Moreover, the Government revoked the teaching licenses of more than 23,464 teachers, who used to work for the private schools affiliated with the Gülen movement.[4]
  • One thousand sixty-nine private schools, 1550 university preparation schools, 301 private study centers, sixteen private universities were closed. [5]
  • The Turkish Foreign Minister has been boastful about the abduction of around 100 educators from 18 countries by the Turkish National Intelligence Agency.[6]

 

Due to unlawful and injustice practices of the current Government in Turkey, society’s oppression, cancellation of teachers’ diplomas, work permits, and passports, hundreds of thousands of people had to leave their country illegally by risking their lives. Unfortunately, some of them, including babies and children, lost their lives during their journeys across the Aegean Sea and Evros River.

 

As Broken Chalk,

  • We urge the governments to honor the teachers for their commitments to quality education and ensure students have the trained, qualified and empowered teachers they deserve.
  • We asked the Governments and armed groups to end attacks on education and refrain from using schools and universities for military purposes.
  • We asked the Turkish Government to give all the rights of Teachers back.

 

We continue to claim the rights of teachers through the national and international judiciary. We want to draw the attention of governments, stakeholders, non-governmental organizations, and human rights defenders to fight against the Human Rights Violations which educators are facing.

 

We wish all the teachers in the world a Happy World Teachers’ Day!

Broken Chalk announces it to the public with due respect.

Broken Chalk*

 

*Broken Chalk is a human rights organization and mainly concentrates on violations in the educational field.

[1] https://www.tes.com/news/seven-stark-problems-facing-teachers-globally

[2] https://protectingeducation.org/publication/education-under-attack-2020/

[3] https://stockholmcf.org/turkish-teacher-not-assigned-over-his-alleged-links-to-gulen-movement-killed-in-workplace-accident/

[4] Source: https://stockholmcf.org/turkish-teacher-not-assigned-over-his-alleged-links-to-gulen-movement-killed-in-workplace-accident/

[5] https://www.ecoi.net/en/file/local/2035329/ACCORD+Turkey+COI+Compilation+2020.pdf, https://stockholmcf.org/turkey-celebrates-teachers-day-as-tens-of-thousands-of-dismissed-teachers-jobless-or-in-prisons/

[6] https://www.aa.com.tr/en/politics/over-100-feto-members-brought-back-to-turkey-cavusoglu/1205603

Cover Picture is from: https://en.unesco.org/sites/default/files/styles/commemoration_header/public/commemorations/world-teachers-day-2021-cover.png?itok=18IrYAVc

TÜRKİYE HALK MAHKEMESİ DURUŞMASINDA KARAR AÇIKLANDI

15 Temmuz 2016 Darbe Girişimi sonrasında Türkiye’nin muhaliflere işkence yaptığı iddiasıyla İşviçre’nin Cenevre şehrinde kurulan ‘Türkiye Halk Mahkemesi Duruşması’nda karar açıklandı. Mahkemeye Türkiye’yi temsilen savunma makamı adına davet edilen Türkiye Hükümeti katılmadı.

TÜRKİYE’NİN İŞKENCE YAPTIĞINA DAİR RAPOR YAYINLADILAR

Başkanlığını Prof.Dr.Francoise Barones Tulkens’in yaptığı Türkiye Halk Mahkemesi Duruşması heyetinde Yargıç Dr. Johann van der Westhuizen, Prof.Dr. Giorgio Malinverni , Prof.Dr. Ledi Bianku , , Angelita Baeyens, John Pace yer aldı. Mahkemenin raportörleri ise Prof. Dr. Clara Burbano Herrera, Jasmina El Kadduri , Martijn Vermeersch , Esther Theyskens oldu. Raportörler ilk gün sonunda Türkiye’nin 15 Temmuz Darbe Girişimi yargılamalarında işkence yaptığına dair raporu basına duyurdu.

 

KARAR RAPORU

“Tribunal, Türkiye’de sistematik işkence uygulandığına karar vermiştir. 22 Temmuz 2016’da Türkiye hükümeti, işkenceyi yasaklayan anlaşmadan bir süreliğine muaf tutulmak istenmiştir. Böylesi bir muafiyet söz konusu dahi olamaz.”

 

‘TÜRKİYE İŞKENCE KONUSUNDA ULUSLAR ARASI ANLAŞMALARA UYMADI’

“Tribunal, tanıkların yanı sıra, eşleri ve çocuklarının da tecavüz ve işkenceye tabi tutulacaklarına dair anlatımları ciddiyetle incelemiştir. Tribunal, Türkiye Hükümeti’nin işkence konusunda uluslararası anlaşmalara uymadığını tespit etmiştir.”

 

TÜRKİYE, “ZORLA KAÇIRMALARDA” DA SUÇLU BULUNDU

“Tribunal, Türkiye Hükümeti’nin ‘Zorla kaçırılmalar’ konusunda suçlu bulmuştur. Türkiye Hükümeti’nin zorla kaçırılmalar ve zorla yok etmelerin söz konusu olduğu açıkça görmüştür.

Tribunal, Türkiye’deki Basın ve ifade özgürlüğü konusunda devlet eliyle yapılan bir baskıyı net olarak görmüştür.”

  

‘CEZASIZLIK, İŞKENCE VE ZORLA KAYBETME OLAYLARINI PEKİŞTİRİYOR’

“Türkiye’de insan hakları ihlalleri soruşturulmamaktadır. Devlet görevlilerinin işledikleri suçlara karşı harekete geçilmemektedir. Türkiye’de cezasızlık, işkence ve zorla kaybetme olaylarını pekiştirmektedir.”

‘TÜRKİYE’DE SİYASETİN YARGI ÜZERİNDE CİDDİ ETKİSİ VAR’

“Türkiye’de darbe girişiminden sonra ihraçlar yoluyla yargı üzerinde sindirme politikası izlenmiştir. Türkiye’de siyasetin yargı üzerinde ciddi etkisi vardır. Türkiye hükümeti basın özgürlüğü konusunda uluslararası yükümlülüklerini yerine getirmemektedir.”

‘TÜRKİYE’DE GÜPEGÜNDÜZ, KAMERALAR VE TANIKLAR ÖNÜNDE ZORLA KAÇIRMALAR YAŞANIYOR’

“Yurtiçi ve yurtdışında MİT aracılığı ile zorla kaçırma olayları yaşanmaktadır ve Türk hükümeti bu durumu kabul etmektedir. Türkiye’de güpegündüz, kameralar ve tanıklar önünde zorla kaçırmalar yaşanmaktadır.”

 

‘İNSAN HAKLARI İHLALLERİYLE İLGİLİ YARGI SÜRESİ SAĞLIKLI YÜRÜMÜYOR’

“Türkiye’de, devlet görevlileri tarafından işlenen suçlar konusunda isteksiz davrandıkları ve bu suçların cezasız kaldığı görülmektedir. İnsan Hakları ihlalleri ile ilgili yargı sürecinin sağlıklı yürümediği görülmektedir. Bu da vatandaşların yargının bağımsızlığı ve adalete erişimini engellemektedir.”

‘TÜRKİYE, CEZASIZLIK KONUSUNDA ÜZERİNE DÜŞEN SORUMLULUĞU YERİNE GETİRMEDİ’

“Tribünal, Türkiye devletinin, cezasızlık ve adalete erişim ile ilgili üzerine düşen sorumluluğu yerine getirmediği net olarak görmüştür. Tribünal’in kaygı ile belirtmek istediği nokta şudur: Mevcut hukuki çerçeve yeterli teminat noktaları sunuyormuş gibi görünse de bu teminat, Gezi Parkı olayları ve 17-25 yolsuzluk soruşturmaları sürecinde maalesef işletilmemiştir. Yasalarda yapılan sürekli tadilatlar, yargı bağımsızlığını azaltmış ve yaralamıştır. Şubat 2013’teki HSYK yasasında yapılan değişiklik HSYK’nın bağımsızlığını ortadan kaldırmıştır.”

 

‘4560 HAKİM VE SAVCININ GÖREVDEN ALINMASI YARGININ SİNDİRİLMESİ ANLAMI TAŞIYOR’

“4560 hakim ve savcının HSYK’nın hazırladığı bir liste ile görevden alınması, yargı önüne çıkarılmaksızın terör örgütü ile ilişkilendirilerek görevden el çektirilmiş tutuklanmış ve/veya ihraç edilmiştir bu da yargının korkutulması ve sindirilmesi anlamını taşımaktadır.”

‘İŞKENCE VE ZORLA KAYBETME, SİSTEMATİK VE ÖRGÜTLÜ’

“Darbe girişiminden bu yana işkence ve zorla kaybetme olayları sistematik ve örgütlü bir şekilde gerçekleşmiştir. Ağır insan hakları ihlallerinin sonuçlarının uzun vadede mağdurların hayatlarını etkileyecekleri açıktır.”

‘İNSANLIĞA KARŞI SUÇLAR KATEGORİSİNDE VE SANIKLAR AĞIR CEZA ALABİLİR’

“Türkiye’de 15 Temmuz 2016’dan sonra Türkiye’de yaşanan insan hakları ihlalleri, işkence ve zorla kaybetmeler ve insan kaçırmalar münferit (bireysel) olarak görülemez, Tribünalin görüşü Türkiye’de işlenen bu suçların, yaygın ve sistematik olarak yapıldığı şeklindedir. Tribünal sırasında yapılan tanıklıklar ve sunulan raporlar, uluslararası yargı makamlarına ulaştırılırsa, tüm bu suçların ‘İnsanlığa karşı işlenen suçlar’ kategorisinde değerlendirilir ve sanıklar ağır cezalar alabilir.”

(TURKEY TRIBUNAL) TÜRKİYE MAHKEMESİ HAKİMLERİ VE ÖZGEÇMİŞLERİ

Turkey Tribunal’e katılan ve bunun karşılığında herhangi bir ücret talep etmeyerek gönüllü olarak yargılamaları gerçekleştiren hakimlerin özgeçmişleri ve Hukuk kariyerleri ise şöyle:

 

Başkan Prof. Em. Dr. Françoise Barones Tulkens
1976-98: Université de Louvain la Neuve’de profesör
1998-2012: Strazburg’daki Avrupa İnsan Hakları Mahkemesi?nde yargıç ve daha sonra başkan yardımcısı
2012-2016: BM Kosova İnsan Hakları Danışma Paneli Üyesi
2013-2018: AB Temel Haklar Ajansı Bilim Kurulu Üyesi
2016-2017: “Monsanto Tribunal Mahkemesi » başkanı

 

Dr. Johann van der Westhuizen
1976-1998: Pretoria Üniversitesi’nde İnsan Hakları Merkezi profesörü ve kurucu direktörü
1999-2004: Güney Afrika Yüksek Mahkemesi Transvaal Şubesinde Yargıç
2004-2016: Güney Afrika Anayasa Mahkemesi eski Hakimi

 

Angelita Baeyens
Halihazırda Robert F. Kennedy İnsan Hakları Uluslararası Savunuculuk ve Dava Takibi Başkan Yardımcısı
2012’den beri Georgetown Üniversitesi Hukuk Merkezi’nde Yardımcı Hukuk Profesörü
2012-2014: BM Siyasi İşler Bakanlığı Siyasi İşler Sorumlusu
2006-2012: Inter-American İnsan Hakları Komisyonu’nda hukuk görevlisi

 

Prof. Em. Dr. Giorgio Malinverni
Halen Avrupa Konseyi İdare Mahkemesi Başkan Yardımcısı
1965: Cenevre’deki Uluslararası Araştırmalar Enstitüsü’nde Doktora
2011: Zürih Üniversitesi tarafından fahri doktor unvanı verildi
1974-1980: Cenevre Üniversitesi Hukuk Fakültesi’nde Profesör
1990-2006: Avrupa Hukuk Yoluyla Demokrasi Komisyonu (Venedik Komisyonu)
2007-2011: Avrupa İnsan Hakları Mahkemesi Hakimi (Strazburg)

 

Prof. Dr. Ledi Bianku
Halen Strazburg Üniversitesi Hukuk Fakültesi ve Siyasal Bilgiler Enstitüsü’nde Doçent
2008-2019: Avrupa İnsan Hakları Mahkemesi Hakimi
2006-2008: Venedik Hukuk Yoluyla Demokrasi Komisyonu Üyesi
Sabikan, Arnavutluk Sulh Hakimi Yüksek Okulu ve Tiran Üniversitesi Hukuk Fakültesi’nde (Arnavutluk) insan hakları, AB hukuku ve uluslararası kamu hukuku dersleri verdi.

 

Dr. John Pace
Uluslararası arabuluculuk ve uluslararası anlaşma prosedürleri ile ilgilenen uluslararası insan hakları hukuku uzmanı
2000-2002: New South Wales Üniversitesi Avustralya İnsan Hakları Merkezi Direktörü, şu anda Diplomasi Eğitim

 

Haber : Fethullah Alabaş

Report on Turkey Tribunal Hearing 1

One hearing in this week’s Turkey tribunal exposes the insecurity and the lack of respect for the fundamental rights of the press by the Turkish government

In the Turkey tribunal held over this week, there have been presentations of reports as well as testimonies of key witnesses on issues concerning Turkey. One such issue in which a report was presented and witness was heard was concerning the press freedom of Turkey.

In this article, the focus will be on the victims who have suffered human rights violations on account of disagreeing with the Turkish government and expressing dissent in order to encourage democracy and hold the government accountable for its actions.

One victim who was a journalist who testified in front of the judges who are a part of the tribunal claimed that the police applied charges such as insulting the president, Propaganda for the terrorist organization, overturn the Turkish govt through an armed rebellion, and being a member of a certain opposition movement and propaganda against the Turkish state. All of these charges combined attracted a combined prison sentence of 22.5 years by Turkish law.

As if these points are not enough the contention of the individual is that fleeing the country was the only option because some of his colleagues expressed fears that he could be part of a government-mandated hit list or what in the words of the individuals was an assassination list. While it couldn’t be ascertained for certain whether the individual was a part of the hit list or not at the time of fleeing the country, the individual did confirm that the name was a part of the hit list two years ago and that the Turkish media went so far as to display the name of the individual concerned in front of the media.

The victim who worked for a magazine in Turkey was one among the many at the time who exposed corruption in the government in 2013. Due to this four ministers had to resign. Since this time the Turkish government has been involved in silencing the voices of journalists who write against the government on various issues such as LGBT rights in Turkey, corruption among many issues. The victim is one among the many journalists.

The serious nature of the claims in front of the judges of the tribunal shows that the Turkish government is willing to do anything to ensure that journalists tow their line. The allegations of the government maintaining a potential hit/murder list and people’s name, in this case, a journalist’s appearing on the hit/murder list are very serious allegations that require the immediate and urgent attention of the international community, if required there needs to be an investigation to understand these claims. Everything has to be done to hold the Turkish state accountable for its actions against journalists. Only then can journalists can practice journalism without pressure. While the hit/murder list is the gravest allegations of many, other developments cannot be ignored. The shutting down of media platforms, the fleeing of journalists to the West, arrest of journalists without any charges, etc also needs to be taken into consideration in the context of Turkey.

Impunity and Turkey – a tale of the unaccountable

Hearings over this week seemed to confirm the terrible situation concerning impunity in Turkey. Two victims and both of their tales show the terrible situation of the unaccountable who commit crimes with impunity in Turkey.

One of them was an LGBT rights activist who wanted to ensure that the Turkish state does everything it can to protect the rights of the LGBT community. According to the individual, the situation of the LGBT community in Turkey is terrible, and face atrocities at the hands of the Turkish state. Crimes by the state such as rape and torture against the LGBT community are fairly widespread in Turkey.

When the activist started covering this the activist faced the full might of the Turkish government. The individual testified in front of the judges that in one instance the police placed the gun in the mouth of the individual. The clear attempt was to intimidate the activist so that there is no challenge to the Turkish government.

The same activist also testified yet another instance where the police dragged the individual out of an airline in Istanbul Airport Turkey and beat the individual on the airport tarmac. A group of some 20 people was involved in this particular incident, exposing the sheer lack of fear that criminals have in Turkey. This can be termed as impunity because at the heart of such an attack is to display the brazenness of criminals in order to intimidate and warn everyday people against expressing dissent against the Turkish government. Impunity is also a gory display of power in order to inform the world and people in Turkey that nobody can do anything to hold people accountable.

The other incident of impunity is when a man testified in front of the Turkey tribunal that police officers informed the man that his brother was killed by a bomb explosion only to find out that police officers had murdered the individual’s brother. The testimony of the individual regarding this was that there was a witness to the incident. Press given photographs it was not a live bomb it was a murder.  Police officers were taken under custody and released three days later. Court refused the arrest of police officers. The court accepted that police had not murdered and let off the officers on account of lack of evidence.

These are two cases but they show one thing. Neither the courts, nor the police, nor the government is accountable for impunity that was in ugly display in these two cases. Therefore, the situation in Turkey is that impunity in Turkey is the tale of the unaccountable where a regime shields and protects criminals to only protect its image and ego.

Stand for Rights & Stand for Humanity

I wish you to be safe. I wish you are not at risk of being jailed without concrete evidence or tortured by police for weeks or threatened with your loved ones. I didn’t even mention being fired in an unexplained letter, the confiscation of your money and all your assets in the bank, the cancellation of your passport and work permit, the branding as a traitor. If you, as an ordinary citizen, experienced it all overnight, at first glance you would think it must have been a nightmare.

About one million and five thousand people have had these nightmares for more than five years. These people are punished and labeled as members of an armed terrorist organization in Turkey. Really, who are they? Terrorists or victims? Turkey Tribunal seeks the truth with all its transparency.

The Turkish State is invited to Turkey Tribunal, but they neither responded nor participated in this invitation. It is not a surprise. The interlocutors are not the Turkish media, the blind executive, legislative and judicial powers in Turkey, or the police agencies dependent on the Erdogan regime. Instead of; previous member of the Scientific Committee at the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights, previous judge of the Constitutional Court of South Africa, vice-president of International Advocacy and Litigation at Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, vice-president of the Administrative Court of the Council of Europe, associate professor at the Faculty of Law and Institute of Political Sciences at the University of Strasbourg and more are independent addressees. Unlike many judges and policies Erdogan has bought in Turkey, none of them will be paid for their contributions to the tribunal or five days, lawyers, judges, human activists, educators, academics, journalists, and more will be the voice of thousands of victims in Turkey and stand up against human rights violations. They will share how they were severely and illegally tortured. Electric shocks, Palestinian hanging, robbery, excessive beatings, and enforced disappearances in police custody… Johan Heymans, who is active in the League for Human Rights, Johan Heymans reveals the events in Turkey with evidence-based reports. These reports coincide with witness statements.

 

Johan Heymans

 

What if your government regime labels you as a member of an armed terrorist organization overnight? As evidence, they use not any weapons but your licensed books at home, your account in a bank named Bank Asya, the name of the school your children attend, and the newspaper you read. But what if you liked your country, spent most of your effort contributing to your country, and were associated with treason simply because you disagree with the opinions of politicians?

What if you were a prestigious worldwide academic, educator, journalist, or the like, stood up for human rights for all, and were imprisoned without any legal documents? What if your government regime sends its units to illegally smuggle its citizens abroad?

All this is discussed with evidence and witnesses. As stated, the Turkish Government is still invited, the authorities are silent. They are silent because they have committed crimes. What about us? We can stand up for rights. “Because silence is the greatest enemy of fundamental human rights.”

Broken Chalk