The first Angela Burdett-Coutts (Queen of the Poor) award, organized by IGAM in 2021 in the field of migration in Turkey, was awarded to ARSA Association President Dr. Given to Zakira Hekmat.

 

The Research Centre on Asylum and Migration (IGAM) 2021 Angela Burdett-Coutts Award winner;

Afghan Refugee Solidarity Association President Dr. ZAKİRA HEKMAT:

“The world and my country are both thirsty for peace”

(Award ceremony speech)

Dear teachers, ladies and gentlemen watching us

Hello all,

I am honored to be here today and grateful to have been deemed worthy of this award.

I was very impressed when I read the life story of Angela Bourdett Coutts, I would like to thank the family of İGAM (Asylum and Migration Research Center) honoring this meaningful award and Metin Çorabatır, the Architect of the award, my esteemed teacher who nominated it, our esteemed jury and volunteers of Afghan Refugees Solidarity Association.

When I first started working, I was not very optimistic. I never expected that I would be this successful. Schools for girls were closed during the Taliban era in Afghanistan and women's rights were ignored. I finished school under difficult conditions and took the exam for the scholarship given by Turkey. I was very happy and excited as I am today when I heard that I won, therefore I came to Turkey.

Since we have always seen war in our country, we started our activities for Afghan refugee children and women living in Turkey with my husband in 2009. We wanted the dove of peace to be our ambassador, leaving the culture of war and weapons behind and heading towards pen and education. Afghan Refugees Solidarity Association (ARSA) was officially established in 2014.

We provided services to 24 thousand 595 people in 2020

Within the scope of this association;

  • We organize volunteer activities in different provinces across Turkey, including our main office in Kayseri,
  • We provide information, livelihoods, protection, training in various subjects and translation services to newcomers about their rights and obligations in Turkey,
  • We ensure their access to basic rights and services (health, education, etc.),
  • We distribute information brochures and organize meetings to help newcomers integrate into the local population. We organize social cohesion events to break prejudices,
  • We provide assistance in finding shelter, financial support, etc. for vulnerable groups,
  • We organize activities to strengthen social cohesion and public peace, and contribute to academic studies on refugees and law,
  • We have been involved in humanitarian activities voluntarily for 12 years.

We carried out 187 activities in 2009-2020, and we provided services to 24595 people only in 2020, despite the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Our association works as a network-based organization in the country and has 370 volunteers in 58 different cities. Refugees are active in the community and always on the ground with our volunteers.

Every war is destruction and death!

Every war, whatever its name, is a destruction and a death. It rots our humanity and conscience. It brings diseases, deaths, child deaths, disabled people, women's rapes and many more sufferings...

Today, millions of people are dying of starvation and neglect. According to the report published by the UN Refugee Organization UNHCR, as of 2021, the number of people fleeing war, persecution and conflict has exceeded 82 million 400 thousand.

Today, both the world and our country are thirsty for peace. The security situation in Afghanistan was also discussed at the NATO summit. Unfortunately, NATO and US Forces have been withdrawing from Afghanistan recently. They say, 'We have now reached our goal', what is this goal exactly? If they talk about stability, peace and security, why do they take people from Afghanistan who work with NATO and US Forces to their countries?

I want everyone to know that with the international forces leaving Afghanistan, the country will fall into the hands of the Taliban again and they will bring the old dark days. I was a child in the time of the Taliban, they set fire to girls' schools, they killed anyone who was holding a book and a pen. Girls and women were deprived of their civil rights, It was a crime to even leave the house, and my school was closed, too, I studied secondary and high school secretly at home. All the people of Afghanistan are worried that these days may come again.

Even now, while peace negotiations continue, the Taliban targets minority groups in Afghanistan and attacks schools, hospitals and civilians, and many civilians who never committed any crime are killed.

Refugees who left their country should not be sent back to die again!

It should be ensured that refugees who left their country for the reasons I mentioned will not be sent back to die again. It would be beneficial for the decision makers to consider the files of refugees from a different perspective in the interviews by taking these into account.

The awards are given for the purpose of promoting and creating awareness, however, it also brings responsibilities, it increases expectations more and it requires us to work harder.

The title of the Peacebuilders of the Year that I received last year (2020) by the HASNA organization and the Angela Bourdett Coutts award this year (2021) have made me very proud, I want it to be made clear that I am very aware of how difficult it is to achieve these.

I hope, with this award, many institutions and organizations will change their attention and perspective towards the minority groups, non-Syrian refugees. As an association, we carry out activities for all refugees without any discrimination. As an association, we carry out activities for all refugees without any discrimination. However, I can't help but say that most of the funds and grants are for Syrian refugees (nearly 100%). Thus, institutions and organizations in Turkey can provide services to specific refugee groups within the projects, which creates discrimination among the disadvantaged groups in accessing services.

Distinguished guests,

In your presence, I would like to thank the Republic of Turkey. I am proud to be in this country. I would like to express my endless thanks to Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality, KAYMEK (Kayseri Vocational and Training Courses), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Red Crescent, Red Crescent Community Center, Asylum and Migration Research Center (IGAM), other non-governmental organizations and philanthropists who supported us at the beginning of the road.

I am eternally grateful to my father and my dear mother, who gave birth to me, created a virtuous personality from a needy baby, supported me in everything I needed and instilled in me the art of loving people, the responsibility, the self-sacrifice, sensitivity and, sharing all my happy moments and all my pains, opening all my ways on the way to progress. These valuable people, my parents, who said, "My beloved daughter, try to be as humble as you get higher in your career." When they sent me to Turkey.

I would like to thank all my teachers who have educated me since primary school, for their patience and self-sacrifice, for giving the first seeds of education and science, for raising me socially-tolerant, helpful and humanist.

I would especially like to thank my Erciyes University Faculty of Medicine professors for providing a quality higher education and medical knowledge and skills. Thanks to you, the education I received was not limited to medical education but also your other things you taught are about understanding of life and outlook on life. I am grateful to you for serving people and humanity in every field and everywhere and for teaching us how to fight dogmas.

My dear son and daughter, do not think that I have forgotten you in this heavy work pace. I know that despite their young age, you perceive everything that is going on around you. I know that I left you alone under and interrupted our games by constantly saying "Mummy is going to heal the sick man." Pardon me for doing that. Thank you for letting me go every time and for running to me with your unchanging warmth, for giving me a taste of motherhood, which is a very tender feeling.

Dear guests, why did I leave my husband as last in this thank you speech? The answer is obvious. Because he has a contribution to all the things I have mentioned so far. Your presence is the greatest support I have received in my student life, in my humanitarian activities and in my private life. I cannot finish by counting the support you have shown me so far. You taught me things that are not written in any book, I learned to live together with you I would like to thank you endlessly for supporting me in every second, for being proud of me, for stopping me when necessary and for always being by my side.

Your friendship is the greatest reward I can ever get.

I would like to thank the Asylum and Migration Research Center (IGAM) team who organized this beautiful program and everyone who participated in the program on the holiday.

Kind regards