“Doğal Afet Yönetimine Genç Bakış Projesi” (Youth Perspective on Natural Disaster Management) project idea emerged after the earthquake centred in Kahramanmaraş on 6 February 2023. As is known, Türkiye is a country prone to natural disaster risks due to its geography; however, the awareness level of our people and institutions regarding disasters is low. In Türkiye, major disasters resulting in significant loss of life and property occur every ten years. Our project selected the target group as young people between 18 and 30, particularly due to the potential long-term impact on future generations. For the project participants, an announcement was made on the web platform “TURNA” created by the Turkish National Agency. A total of 50 young participants were selected from those who had a disaster experience (search and rescue personnel, health workers, or humanitarian aid volunteers), those who live in disaster-prone provinces but lack experience (university students, etc.), and young participants who were affected by the 6 February Kahramanmaraş earthquake. Within the project’s scope, online informational meetings were held monthly, and in October 2024, a three-day “Workshop” was held. During the activities, the youth voiced the problems they observed in Disaster Management and proposed solutions. Within the framework of the European Union Youth Strategic Objectives, our project has engaged in activities that support youth participation, active involvement, and democratic participation.
General Overview
Thematic Category Correspondence
(50 points max)
How does this initiative (project, event, material) correspond to the thematic category
The “Youth Perspective on Disaster Management” project is a grant-funded initiative under the European Union Erasmus+ Programme (KA154 – YOU). In this context, the “Youth Participation and Democracy” category of the Eurodesk Awards suits our project’s activities. During the “Workshop” activity organised within the project, Eurodesk information sessions were held, and European opportunities were shared with the participants. Their questions and concerns were addressed. As Pendik Municipality, we ensure to provide information to youth in every project we implement as the Eurodesk Contact Point. Specifically for this project, since it focuses on “Youth Participation,” young people aged 18-30 were informed about Erasmus+, the European Youth Portal, the European Solidarity Corps and solidarity projects.
Impact
(30 points max)
How did your project impact young people / your community?
Our project supports active participation and democratic involvement for young people, and activities have been organised within this scope. One of the project’s main activities was the 3-day “Workshop” during which participants were allowed to voice their opinions, especially on issues such as disasters affecting the entire community. Young people were included in identifying the problems they observed. Afterwards, solution-oriented discussions were held, and solutions were generated together with other participants. In addition, team-building games were played, and the young people’s empathy skills were measured, increasing their sense of collaboration and commitment to finding solutions together. The young people were actively involved in nearly every aspect of the project, including design, presentations, meeting spokesperson roles, organisation, and content creation. Through the responsibilities assigned to them, their sense of accountability was enhanced. This project’s impact on the youth will also bring potential benefits for future projects.
Green Focus
(10 points max)
Did your project have any green focus and/or did you implement any eco-friendly measures when organising it?
The meetings in our project were held online on a monthly basis, allowing the 50 participants to take part without needing to travel, thus reducing their carbon footprint and minimising harm to the environment. Additionally, the “Workshop” was conducted at the Pendik Municipality Youth Camp. Our camp is entirely situated in a natural environment. Outside of the programme, participants were encouraged to engage in nature walks and various sports activities. In general, young people living in urban environments were provided with the opportunity to connect with nature, and awareness-raising activities were organised to promote respect for the environment.
