Turkish Youth Congress
I have attended a range of conferences during my undergraduate studies and furthermore in my current graduate studies, but there is an undeniable unique nature to attending a Turkish-organized conference pertaining to political, economic and social discourse in comparison to the general academic conference. I share an instant connection with majority of speakers, delegates and especially the organizers for having shared the same history and having faced similar allegations regarding the Turkish population within Canada.
However, as I mentioned, cooperation and support to be the most crucial aspects in ensuring the success of this conference, I want to express my disappointment in the lack of funding provided for this year’s conference, which significantly deflected the number of delegates present in Ottawa. Funding is crucial for ensuring that youth can engage in the conference without worrying about how much it will cost them. In general, youth have not attained a substantial level of financial stability, and thus many familiar faces were absent this year due to the additional cost of having to accommodate themselves in Ottawa. I want to stress the importance of supporting the Turkish youth conference once last time, as I strongly believe it holds potential for presenting new opportunities for youth seeking professional direction and assistance, particularly youth transitioning from academic life to professional life. I understand there may be legitimate reasons for withholding funding for a politically-driven conference where controversial issues regarding the current situation in Turkey may arise, however, as leaders and mentors, I believe it should be the Turkish community’s responsibility as a whole, regardless of one’s affiliation or views, in creating opportunities for Canadians of Turkish heritage to interact with one another and share their knowledge with one another, while simultaneously influencing youth to pursue similar leadership roles in the future.
