Activity Report of the Executive Committee (2009)

January 1 – December 31, 2009

Publications:

 

  1. 107th issue of Working Environment magazine is published. The magazine which is a pioneer in its field has two important features: (a) The longest running magazine on occupational safety and health area (b) Its the only magazine that takes account child labour issues. Volunteers of the foundation are making contributions by both writing articles and by being in the editorial board.

  2. As the second book of our Science Series ”Safety and Health in Occupational Life” is published. The book has 224 pages and its about the hazards that surrounds the workers both in daily life and in working environment. The book also fills an important space in the mentioned field.

“Our Child Friend” Campaign

We’d sustained a campaign for the ones who would like to have our publications and / or donate to our efforts. A yearly donation of 40 YTL will make you “our child friend” who can easily follow our publications. We thank each and every one who inspired and helped us to increase the life standard of the working children by their donations.

 

Photography Contest on Child Labour:

 

The jury for the 7th child labour photography contest met at the head quarters of our foundation on Saturday the 22nd of March, 2009. With the participation of Ozan Sağdıç, Mehmet Aslan Güven, Erol Karaca and Prof.Dr. Ahmet Makal (foundation representative) as the members of the jury, the meeting proceeded as the works of photographers that are equal in quality competed with each other. The dean of Ankara University Political Sciences Faculty (AUSBF) Celal Göle, ILO Representative Gülay Aslantepe and the contest jury member Mehmet Aslan Güven gave a speech and emphasised the importance of these efforts in the opening of the photography contest exhibition which is prepared by the joint efforts of AUSBF Social Policy Research and Implementation Center and Fişek Institute. We congratulate the winners. Though its a shame that the growing photograph archive is the confirmation of the existence of child labour.

 

7th Child Labour Photography Contest Exhibition is also displayed at the Main Hall of Ankara University Faculty of Medicine Morphology Building between 2-5 June 2009. The exhibition has caught the attention of the students.

Child Worker Caricatures Contest:

 

Art has a very crutial role in increasing the awareness of the public and in transferring the experience in between generations. The efforts undertaken in the ‘Child Labour and Arts’ area put forward that also the number of practices in the caricature field is very low below the averages. Its decided with the Nezih Danyal Caricature Foundation that a contest which will encourage the caricature artists should be made from 2009 onwards. We would like to thank the members of the Selecting Board Tan Oral, Prof.Dr.Gürhan Fişek, Kamil Masaracı, İzel Rozental and Nezih Danyal and we also would like to thank the artists who drew the caricatures.

The first products of this initiative which dedicated Prof.Dr.Nusret H.Fişek was exhibitied on 19th November 2009. The big prize was won by an artist in the contest where other 60 caricaturists attend the contest with 92 caricatures; 35 pieces of 25 artists were displayed.

The works of the artists below were rewarded by being exhibited which were considered as worthy to be displayed in the contest where Muharrem Akten won the big prize: Ergül Aktaş, E. Yaşar Babalık, Mümin Bayram, Recep Bayramoğlu, Nuri Bilgin, Oktay Bingöl, Kenan Böğürcü, Enes Baran Demiray, Hicabi Demirci, Oğuz Gürel, Cemalettin Güzeloğlu, Mehmet Kahraman, İsmail Kar, Serpil Kar, Sait Munzur, Sezer Odabaşıoğlu, Erol Özdemir, Nihat Engin Özyılmaz, Muhammet Şengöz, Hakan Sümer, Şevket Yalaz, Kamil Yavuz, Kürşat Zaman, Mehmet Zeber.

 

Meetings and Artistic Activities:

 

Marbling Exhibition

  • 16-29 March (Selçuk Kayımoğlu)

    Photograph and Caricature Exhibition

  • 20-24 April : 7th Child Labour Photography Contest Exhibition (Ankara Universityi Political Sciences Faculty, Sütunlu Hall)

     

  • 2-5 June : 7th Child Labour Photography Contest Exhibition (Ankara University Faculty of Medicine Morphology Building Abdulkadir Noyan Confernce Hall)

     

  • 9-26 November : 1st Child Labour Caricatures Contest Exhibition (Ankara University Political Sciences Faculty, Sütünlu Hall)

    THINK-TANK

     

    • 19 November 2009 : A one day event is arranged with Ankara University Political Sciences Faculty Social Policy Research and Implementation Center under the title ” Think-Tank on Child Labour” . With the participation of the distinguished speakers and audience the event contributed to our works. We would like to thank our partner A.U. P.S.F.

       

    Participations and Contributions:

    • 27-28 March : Prof. Dr. Gürhan Fişek attended a symposium as a moderator for apprentice forum and as a panelist under the title ‘The Rights and The Problems of The Working Children and Solution Proposals’, within the context of ”From the Window of Working Children Project ” which is supported by The EU and arranged by the MESEV foundation.

       

    • 17-18 April : Prof.Gürhan Fişek attended as a moderator to the International Conference on Tradesmen Craftsmen and Occupational Safety and Health arranged by the Confdereration of Turkish Tradesmen and Craftsmen and gave a speach on ‘Responsibility and Common Solutions’ at a panel with the title ”Problems and Solution Proposals in the Occupational Safety and Health Field’ in Antalya which is supported by the EU.

       

    • June 2nd: Prof.Dr.A.Gürhan Fişek gave a conference with the title ‘The Social Dimension Of Being a Physician’ within the context of Ankara University Medical School 2nd year Functional and Structural Anomalies Module Field Survey Education.

       

    • September 9th: Our foundation contributed and took part in the Hürriyet Newspaper’s ‘Independence Train for Human Rights and Freedom’ project by lending its child labour photographs, child labour atlas and slogans. Some of the slogans were:

      – Either I am not a child or you are not grown ups

      – What happened to the belief that kids do play

      – In everything you use there is my sweat and my labour

      – Child Rights : for which children?

      – I am my mother’s boy, and my workshop’s heavy duty worker

      The Independence Train departed from İzmir-Basmane train station. The train travelled more than 11 thousand kilometres, visited and stopped by 34 city and 8 county stations and arrived at İstanbul-Haydarpaşa on 29th of October, 2009. We would like to thank all the participants and the ones who made us a part of it.

       

    • October 8th:Prof.Gürhan Fişek, was invited to 5th National Mother and Child Health Congress arranged by Social Pediatry Association, Gaziantep University and Ministry of Health and gave a conference on ‘The Dimensions of Child Labour in Turkey’.

       

    • October 23rd: Prof.Gürhan Fişek was invited to a panel with the head title ‘The Role of Social Parties in Occupational Safety and Health’ in the Occupational Safety and Health Congress prepared by MESKA Foundation in İstanbul.

       

    Visits:

     

    • As every year, last year students that are interested in child labour subject of the Ankara University Political Sciences Faculty Department of Labour Economics and Industrial Relations visited our foundation and took information about our studies and practices.

       

    • 17 April-3 June: The students of Ankara University, Faculty of Medicine, second term, as a part of their public health education, visit the NGOs working on similar subjects. For the last 5 years, the Faculty included our Foundation’s activities such as occupational health services provided at Ankara-Ostim İvedik Organised Industrial Site ”Small Enterprises Shared (Common) Health and Safety Center” in the curriculum by regular visits to our sites. We would like to thank Prof. Recep Akdur and Yrd.Doç.Dr. Deniz Çalışkan for their positive approach to the problem.This study was realised through 8 seperate visits of approximately 80 students and it was very fruitful. We were truly encouraged by their positive and constructive comments.

       

    • June 4th: Harvard University Medical School Public Health program student Selin Tüysüzoğlu visited our foundation and got information about our studies.

       

    • October 9th: Within the Context of ‘Workers Together’ project implemented in Turkey with the participation of HAK-İŞ, DİSK, English and Italian Labour Union Confederations, a group of 35 attendants visited our Foundation’s Occupational Safety and Health Center located in Sincan Organised Industrial Area.

       

    • 21 December : Gizem Zencirci visited us who works as a research assistant at Massachusetts University is carrying out a study with the title ‘The Historical Progress and Change of Foundation Institutionally and The Works of Foundations’.

       

    • Mine Kanol who is a post-graduate student at Leeds University in the ‘Country Development Sciences and Education’ program who also wants to write her dissertation on ‘Child Labour in Turkey’ visisted our foundation.

       

    Bazaars and Fairs We Participated :

     

    The NGOs that we have invited at Bazaars which we organize, usually invite us back as a sign of solidarity. Also other organisations who are interested in our Foundation and our activities invite us and they show their support and contribution. We thank all these organisations and our volunteers who work with devotion for the promotion of our Foundation.

    • “Association for the Support of Contemporary Living” Bazaar

       

    • “Turkish-Amerikan Cultural Association” New Year’s Bazaar

       

    • “TEMA Foundation” Bazaar

       

    Our Foundation received a free stand offer in ‘Handicrafts and Handmade Presents Exhibition’ organised by Forum Fuarcılık (Exhibition) that took place at Atatürk Culture Center. Products made by both our foundation volunteers and especially the mothers of our ‘Youth House for Girls’ took serious attention at the fair which also contributed to the promotion of our foundation. We would like to give our special thanks to Forum Fuarcılık which is also a foundation enterprise, for their sharing attitude.

    We were given the opportunity to open a Bazaar at Ankara Justice Palace; It was very important for our foundation’s publicity and also the products of our volunteers are utilised.

    Our foundation received a free stand at a Bazaar organised by Turkish American Association. This created new chances for gatherings. We would like to thank to all the parties and people who gave us these opportunities.

    Contributions:

     

    • Cooperation with TISK, concerning actions for working children: In İstanbul, the “Project for Shared (common) Health Unit for Workplaces” and “Bureau for Working Children” covering all child workers in Pendik Industry Site, is passed on to the team of TİSK and our foundation supported the health services during January-December 2009 by donating useful examination instruments.

       

    • İzmir Life Laboratory administrated by Dr.Meltem Ağzıtemiz and Dr.Ali Ağzıtemiz continued to cheer with their donation and their chaplet which was sent to our Child Labour Photography Contest. We would like to thank them for their interest and contribution.

       

     

    On-Going Projects:

    • Our Shared Health and Safety Center practices at Ankara Ostim (İvedik), Sincan and Modern Keresteciler (Sarayköy-Kazan) Industrial sites still continue as it was before. These practices keep on going even in the existance of financial crisis as a consequnce of mutual participation and cooperation with the surrounding environment. The importance and the essentiality of these practices are adopted by both the workers and employers.

       

    • Our child labour activities around our ‘shared health and safety centers’ changed its direction and aim after the compulsory education was raised to 8 years. We can define these areas as ‘child protected areas’. Its hard to find children below the age of 15 and even if there is its easy for us to discern. However, children between the ages 15-18 (according to the definition of labour law as youngsters) who are coming to the industrial sites became our new point of attention. We are giving special importance to these groups in our activities.

       

    • Another study we accomplished this year was Child Labour in Media’. Şafak Tartanoğlu’s study can be reached from our website; Also the same study was presented in Turkish Universities’ Labour Economics and Industrial Relations Departments meeting in Antalya.

       

    • Our Young Girls House activities continue. As these activities raise social contribution at the same time as a multiplier effect it provides new opportunities for publications and research studies.

       

    • Working Environment Magazine reached its 107th issue. Its important for us and we would like to emphasize that sustainability is attained with the cooperation. We would like to thank our graphic designer Süleyman Yücel for his effort during publication process.

       

    • ‘Libraries Campus’ which is a part of Prof.Dr.Nusret H.Fişek Science and Art Environment still continues to serve. The fact that the libraries can be reached from internet increases its visitors and the number of people who benefit for academic studies.

       

     

    Cooperations with Other Organisaitions:

     

    • Cooperation with Turkish Confederation of Employers (TISK), concerning actions for working children: In İstanbul we still support TİSK’s activities on “Project for Shared (common) Health Center for Workplaces” and “Bureau for Working Children” which covers all child workers in Pendik Industry Site. We would like to thank General Secretary Bülent Pirler, Research Assistant Zübeyde Çelebioğlu, Project Manager Dr. Nezih Varol.

       

    • ”From the Working Children’s Window” project is consulted by our foundation which is carried out by EU and Vocational Training and Health Association (MESEV) and also supported them on the sypmosium made.

       

    • Two different activites arranged together with Ankara University Political Sciences Faculty Social Policy Research and Application Center. The first one is 7th Child Labour Photography Exhibition which reached students at Cebeci Campus on 23rd April. The second is Child Labour Think Tank and 1st Child Worker Caricatures exhibition on 19th November.

       

    • The efforts undertaken in the ‘Child Labour and Arts’ area put forward that also the number of practices in the caricature field is very low below the averages. Its decided with the Nezih Danyal Caricature Foundation that a contest which will encourage the caricature artists should be made from 2009 onwards. The first Child Labour Caricatures Contest become an important attempt where distinguished pieces of caricatures came together.

       

     

    Young Girls’ House and Voluntary Labour Studies:

    The activities started at Ankara Türközü Boztepe Slum in 2003-4 continue with all its pace. 80 girls that are attending years 4-8 in primary education attended our activities. A condition concerning compulsory attendance who wants to be a part was put. This activity gains the love and attachement of young girls. Also, the integration with local people and the opportunity created for local women’s handcraft products and the creation of ways to overcome the problems was very important. Not only the girls but also their mothers benefited from the library inside the Young Girls House which has more than 3000 books. Our aim is to support girls so that they can continue their education. We would like to thank our volunteers Jale Şengül, Oya Fişek, Feyza Cengiz, Esra Önder, Özlem Kayhan , Damla Gürhan, Filiz Temel and Başak Ballı.

    Our volunteers who attend to our weekly routine workshops that work with great devotion are gaining everyone’s admiration.These efforts that continue with great solidarity and friendship are good examples of praising ‘voluntary labour’. We would like to thank our volunteers Ayla Altaygil, Ayten Altınay, Ayşe Kandamar, Banu Pehlivan, Buket Öktem, Dönsel Akalın, Duygu Berberoğlu, Emel Kılıçaralan, Gül Arcak, Gül Ballı, Hülya Durukan, U.Jale Şengül, Kıymet Uğurman, Mürşide Mahmutoğlu, Neşe Beyazıt Pola, Nuray Ocakçı, Nursan Esen, Oya Fişek, Özgül Yeşilbaş, Perihan Soyoğlu, Rahime Enes, Selma Demirbay, Semra Karaman, Serap Türkmen, Tülin Koca, Türkan Keskin, Ülkü Elmas, Yasemen Gökçe. They create an important income source and they also help the publicity of efforts given. Also, the mothers in Boztepe contributes to hand craft production.

    Research and Development Activities on Occupational Safety and Health

     

    There is a huge lack of information and shortcomings in practice in the field of occupational safety and health in our country because of deficieny in sharing experiences and emination of knowledge. Fişek Institute since its foundation years played an important role in the field by its pioneering activities and practices. It brings happiness to see that our Shard Occupational Health and Safety Center activities contributes to the legislation process.

     

    Mustafa Tasyürek’s ”Puzzle- Getting to Know The Danger” series and articles are getting published frequently in our Working Environment magazine. Onur Sunal prepared files about Ocuupational Safety and Health in more than 30 different sectors which are displayed on our website. Also news about OSH gives our followers an opportunity to keep-up with the latest developments. We would like to thank to Onur Sunal and Mustafa Taşyürek for their creative works and thank to H.Doruk Fişek and Didem Kamoy for putting up these works on our website.

     

    Social Policy Group’s Activities:

     

    The social policy group which adopts Prof.Dr.Nusret Fişek’s community medicine approach and Prof. Dr. Cahit Talas’ social policy approach provided 5 important contributions.

    1. Social policy articles produced as a part of the foundation main page has received 31.000 visitors yearly. The one third of these were from abroad who can read Turkish.

    2. The 100th issue of Working Environment Magazine made all te volunteers proud. The social policy group put a lot of effort in this issue so that it can be published in a way which would reflect the importance of this issue. The past has been reviewed, the place of the magazine within the field discussed.

    3. The ‘Magnifier’ parts which was published within the first 31st issue and after the 100th issue still continues. The volunteers of the social policy group on one hand promotes the academic environments for contribution on the other hand they are editing the issues one by one. It is aimed to give more importance on the subjects which was not covered earlier or given less importance and aimed to handle from different prespectives which can be a result of any reason by reviewing all the past issues. In accordance with this aim topics such as, ‘population and population policies’, ‘health policies’, ‘media’, ‘child labour’ and ‘poverty’ are covered.

    4. The group took charge on the organisation of Fişek Institute’s joint event with Ankara University Political Sciences Faculty Social Policy Research and Application Center at Ankara University Political Sciences Faculty Aziz Köklü Hall on ‘Child Labour Think-Tank’.Apart from the organisation activities some members of the group gave presentations.

    5. Apart from these contributions, members of the group, continue to write for Working Environment Magazine. Also on the 6th of November the members attended a radio program, where subjects such as young girls house model, approach to child labour, Working Environment Magazine, social policy, occupational safety and health are discussed.

    Relations with the Media :

     

    We would like to thank to the members of media who wrote about us and contribute to our foundation’s mission by publishing them.

     

    • A.Gürhan Fişek spoke about his new book ‘Safety and Health In Occupational Life” in a radio program produced by Zehra Karabel with the title ‘Under The Same Roof’ at TRT-1.

       

    • Yön Radio : A.Gürhan Fişek spoke about the contents of the new published books of the Foundation within the Science Series context (‘Think-Tank Against Violence’ and ‘Safety and Health In Occupational Life’) and the hazards that the working children face in working life on ‘My Brother The Wind and Sea’ program produced and presented by Emel Kılıç.

       

    • April 23rd: Gülbiye Yenimahalleli Yaşar who was a guest at ‘This Land’s Voice’ program talk about our foundation’s activities.

       

    • April 23rd: Dr. Nezih Varol who was a guest at ‘Offbeat with Evren’ program talk about our foundation’s activities.

       

    • May 1st: Prof.Dr.A.Gürhan Fişek, attended the ‘Economic Diary’ program at TRT Ankara Radio and gave information about the Foundation’s opinion on topics such as child labour and occupational safety and health.

       

    • June 11th: Sadık Aslankara made appraisals about the book Think-Tank on Violence at Cumhuriyet Newspaper’s book supplement.

       

    • August 28th: Prof.Dr.A.Gürhan Fişek who attended ‘One Step Ahead’ program prepared by Güler Nasif spoke about his experiences on occupational safety and health and child labour at TRT Ankara Radio.

       

    • October 27th: News about 1st Child Worker Caricatures Contest’s results are published in the first instance on Cumhuriyet Newspaper and displayed on many websites.

       

    • November 2nd: Prof.Dr.A.Gürhan Fişek gave his opinions about ‘Protection of Youngsters at Worksites’ topic at The Voice of Youth radio program produced by Murat Çoküreten at TRT Diyarbakır Radio.

       

    • November 3rd: Taner Akpınar, Emirali Karadoğan and Onur Sunal spoke about the Fişek Institute Science and Action Foundation for Child Labour’s approach to social policy problems and Working Environment Magazine at the Radio-Ankara (TRT)

       

    • November 5th: Prof.Dr.A.Gürhan Fişek spoke about ‘The Effects of Economic Crisis on Working Children’ on an economic radio program produced by Fethiye Öztürk at TRT Ankara Radio.

       

    • December 10th: Sky-Türk and Halk TV channels telecasted interviews made with Prof.Dr.A.Gürhan Fişek about the grizu explosion happened in Bursa where 19 miners lost their lives.

       

    • December 27th: On Ulusal Channel an interview with Prof.Dr.A.Gürhan Fişek with the title ‘958 thousand Child Workers’ was telecasted.

       

     

    Our Data-Processing Activities :

     

    Internet, still continues to be the main publicity tool of our Foundation. All the news about the foundation’s activities, announcements, photographs and full text of the documents are placed on our website fastidiously. Parallel to the enrichment of our foundation’s history as a result of activities made, our websites are growing every year.

    With the expansion of the Foundation’s main website’s volume, each year certain parts are getting unfit to the foundation’s website’s casts and declare their freedom.

    Tens of photograps/pictures/caricatures which was spreaded all over to our websites different parts have a nicer presentation at one place at Prof.Dr.Nusret H.Fişek Science and Art Hall. This selection of pictures where the majority consists of exhibitions can be reached from http://galeri.fisek.org.tr.

    The study ‘Child Labour in Media’ whose survey part was made last year is being presented in a website peculiar to its nature. News clippings can be reached according to the year, paper its published, reference, punto, page number, level of relevance and many different features by searching. The site reveals child labour in Turkey from different newspaper’s different point of view.

     

    Utilisation From The Internet :

     

    The number of people that visited our websites, the volumes and allocations are as follows:

    WEB sites

    Average daily VISITORS

    Maximum Daily VISITOR Number

    Average daily Kbyte

    Foreign daily VISITORS (%)

    YEARLY Sum of VISITOR

     

    Numbers

    Child Labour in MEDIA

    83

    107

    24,98

    30,31

    11.933

    Child Labour BIBLIOGRAPHY

    163

    217

    11,44

    45,54

    48.253

    Brain Drain

    109

    147

    5,08

    13,43

    32.575

    Foundation’s MAIN websites

    643

    729

    105,12

    24,27

    187.415

    Shared Occupational Health and safety services

    81

    105

    7,52

    14,81

    26.680

    Occupational Safety Net

    639

    824

    418,66

    16,14

    178.799

    LIBRARY

    489

    575

    34,42

    11,96

    147.533

    SOCIAL POLICY

    136

    173

    3,96

    29,77

    31.817

    SUM

    2.343

    2.877

    611,18

    665.065

    Foundation’s most visited three websites are respectively, ‘Foundation’s main page’, ‘occupational safety net’ and ‘library’. Total visitor numbers of these three sites are over a hundred thousand (Total : 513.767). This number consists of 77.25% of all the visitors.

    According to the frequency of visits Foundation’s main site (child labour) is ahead though from the point of the matterial downloaded occupational safety service net (occupational safety and health) is in front. From the point of average number of visitors Foundation main page and according to the number of maximum visitors ocupational safety net is ahead. The race in between these two websites shows us that there is a balance with respect to the foundations main interest areas and also it shows that there is a great impact on society.

    On the other hand, considering the fact that ‘occupational safety and health’ and ‘child labour libraries’ located at ‘Libraries Campus’ are the only libraries in their field, it can be seen that the level of acceptance (adoption) is on a far higher level.

    When child labour in media and child labour bibliography which are the extensions of the foundation’s main page are added, the number of people benefiting from the foundation’s websites on child labour subject reaches 247.661.

    The pages that attracts the most number of visitors from abroad are respectively ‘Child Labour Bibliography’, ‘Child Labour in Media’ and ‘Social Policy’ pages. We can see that these are more specail fields and the first two are attracting a narrower field of interest. These are followed by Foundation’s main page;1 of 4 visitors are from abroad among all pages, considering that only the main page is in Turkish and English this becomes more interesting.

    The visitor numbers of occupational safety net falls drastically on Saturday and Sunday. Besides, the hour of visit becomes important in between the visitors of these two pages; the visitos of occupational safety net makes more visits during the working hours.

    TABLE

    The Distrubution of Page Numbers Downloaded

    by the visitors according to the hour of

    the day and web page

    The Hours of Day Foundation Main Page Occupational Safety Net
    – 08.00

    640 (% 28)

    358 (% 17,5)

    09.00-17.00

    977 (% 43)

    1209 (% 59)

    18.00 +

    654 (% 29)

    473 (% 23)

    This gives us a clue about the features of the visitors. Visitors in the field of occupational safety and health mostly enter from their offices and they visit out of their occupational interest. The child labour field embraces the visitors who are researchers or students that has special interest (every day, every hour).

    We would like to thank H. Doruk Fişek and Didem Kamoy who raises the allure of the websites with new pursuits and who updates the websites and also we would like to thank to all our volunteers who are supporting us for the enhancement of the content.