Borusan's "Dialogue With The Refugees" Project Receives UNDP Special Prize
01 May 2018
Borusan’s 2016 Sustainability Report built around the theme “The World is Our Home” brought Syrian refugees and Borusan workers together. The report that aimed to raise awareness of the need to build common ground for dialogue received the Golden Compass UNDP Special Prize.
The 17th Golden Compass Turkish Public Relations Awards organized by the Turkish Public Relations Society (TUHID), this year awarded Borusan with the UNDP Special Prize.
Cultural Bridge
Syrians and Borusan workers came together for the workshop built around the theme “The World is Our Home” and aimed at creating a ground for dialogue by using common words from two languages.
In the workshop carried out with the contributions of Support To Life (Humanitarian Relief) Organization, Borusan employees participated in a collective art process with Syrians from different career fields such as graphic designers, communication professionals, pharmacists, linguists and painters. Out of 6500 common words, Turkish and Arabic words that express environment, love and common dialogue such as “HELLO,” “HUMAN,” “CONVERSATION,” “LOVE”, “PEACE,” “SORROW,” “NATURE,” “LAUGHTER” and “WORTH” were picked and pressed on recycled wastepaper.
Syrian artists Abd Alatif Algimou and Khayyam Zedan, both graduates from the Academy of Fine Arts in Damascus and internationally recognized as the creators of many artworks, turned these common words into works of art. These exercises made it clear once more that it is possible to build strong bridges of dialogue over culture and arts.
“Not prejudgements but common dialogue will bring us together”
Borusan Holding’s corporate communication director Sule Yucebiyik made the following statement regarding the project: “There are more than 3 million Syrians in Turkey. Finding the ground for dialogue opens a way to understand our Syrian neighbors, to know and to build a healthy relationship with them. We believe that we can build a sustainable future by knowing each other through arts and our common culture, not over prejudgments. Arts and communication will save the world!”
The 17th Golden Compass Turkish Public Relations Awards organized by the Turkish Public Relations Society (TUHID), this year awarded Borusan with the UNDP Special Prize.
Cultural Bridge
Syrians and Borusan workers came together for the workshop built around the theme “The World is Our Home” and aimed at creating a ground for dialogue by using common words from two languages.
In the workshop carried out with the contributions of Support To Life (Humanitarian Relief) Organization, Borusan employees participated in a collective art process with Syrians from different career fields such as graphic designers, communication professionals, pharmacists, linguists and painters. Out of 6500 common words, Turkish and Arabic words that express environment, love and common dialogue such as “HELLO,” “HUMAN,” “CONVERSATION,” “LOVE”, “PEACE,” “SORROW,” “NATURE,” “LAUGHTER” and “WORTH” were picked and pressed on recycled wastepaper.
Syrian artists Abd Alatif Algimou and Khayyam Zedan, both graduates from the Academy of Fine Arts in Damascus and internationally recognized as the creators of many artworks, turned these common words into works of art. These exercises made it clear once more that it is possible to build strong bridges of dialogue over culture and arts.
“Not prejudgements but common dialogue will bring us together”
Borusan Holding’s corporate communication director Sule Yucebiyik made the following statement regarding the project: “There are more than 3 million Syrians in Turkey. Finding the ground for dialogue opens a way to understand our Syrian neighbors, to know and to build a healthy relationship with them. We believe that we can build a sustainable future by knowing each other through arts and our common culture, not over prejudgments. Arts and communication will save the world!”
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