An art project in Turkey is bringing together people divided along ethnic and religious lines. Twenty-four Kurdish and Turkish young adults have worked together to create documentaries and photographs about life in Turkish cities. The results are now on display in the southern Turkish city of Diyarbakir. The art project is called BAK. Latife Ulucinar is the coordinator. "People, especially young people, living in different parts of Turkey don't know each other," she said. "Face-to-face [meeting] is important. We want to give some possibilities to these young people to experience the city.” The project members chose the following issues: The 1923 population exchange between Greece and Turkey; Roma people; and the tattoo culture. Many works also featured the Kurds’ years-long battle for minority rights. “Zilan,” a video documentary, recalls a massacre of thousands of Kurds and the exile of many more by the Turkish state in the 1930s. “I found out that many killed were relatives of mine. The affected villages were very familiar,” said co-director Derya Gumus. “I met people who survived. [They were] the last witnesses. Even though I live there, I learned it very late as well, so I wanted to tell this.” Gumus admits that working with a partner from a different background was not always easy. Her partner was originally from the Black Sea region, but now studies in the western city of Izmir, which is one of the main hubs for refugees seeking to enter Europe. That experience, Gumus says, helped to provide common ground. Overcoming ethnic divides between partners became harder when fighting between the PKK Kurdish rebel group and the Turkish government resumed last July. Diyarbakir, one of the BAK host cities, witnessed some of the worst fighting. The conflict affected some projects. For example, "The Resort of the East: Hazar" aimed to show an aspect of Kurdish life rarely seen: normality. Photographer Murat Kartal said he and his partner wanted to show the holiday habits of the region. But, he said, the growing violence caused problems. “I saw that our efforts could be in vain,” he said. “The clashes started and I questioned this, ‘What am I doing here?’ When we finish this project and exhibit these photographs, we see the preciousness of peace.” Many observers warn that the deepening ethnic conflict, especially among the young, presents Turkey with one of its greatest challenges. But those who participated in BAK say they took a small step in bridging that ethnic divide. I’m John Russell. Dorian Jones wrote this story for VOANews.com. Jim Dresbach adapted his report for Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story exhibit – n. an object or a collection of objects that have been put out in a public space for people to look at tattoo – n. a picture or word that is drawn on a person's skin by using a needle and ink massacre – n. the violent killing of many people hubs – n. the central and most active parts or places common ground – n. something that people agree about even if they disagree about other things resort – n. a place where people go for vacations
from Voice of America http://ift.tt/1XgjkqN
via IFTTT
الاشتراك في:
تعليقات الرسالة (Atom)
المشاركات الشائعة
-
As President of the United States, Donald Trump shakes a lot of hands. But look out. If you shake Trump’s hand, you might get pulled off y...
-
Even in the world of medicine, what is old is new again. Thousands of years ago, Egyptians used it to sterilize drinking water. Ancient Roma...
-
00:00:02 OPRAH WINFREY: "Hattie Mae, this child is gifted," and I heard that enough that I started to believe it. 00:00:08 ...
-
An unpublished United Nations report says that North Korea sent materials that could be used in chemical weapons to Syria and missile techno...
-
Olayemi Samson is a Nigerian entrepreneur. He is turning plastic waste into useful things like clothing, school bags, car covers and shoes...
-
Learn from your hosts, Anne and Jonathan the meaning of momentous. from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2a2yXS4 via IFTTT
-
Zimbabwe wants small business to be able to get credit to start or grow a business. If the country’s Parliament approves a bill proposed l...
-
South Korea’s government proposed on Monday to hold military talks with North Korea to reduce tensions between the two countries. The South ...
-
Tensions between North and South Korea have increased sharply since the North’s announcement that it tested a nuclear weapon for the fourt...
-
The first-ever direct China-to-Britain freight train arrived in London last week. It was the latest evidence of China’s efforts to redevel...
ليست هناك تعليقات:
إرسال تعليق