Back in June of this year, the protests for Turkish Democracy were heating up. Prime Minister Recep Erdogen had taken a heavy handed, autocratic approach to a small band of protesters who were against a project to change a public park to a shopping development. That quickly backfired and exploded into protest.
As part of the struggle a group of protest leaders started a crowdfunding campaign to run a full page ad in the New York Times. They were trying to raise $53,800. They hit that goal almost immediately and ended their short, 7 day campaign with $108,371 in the register. The ad did run in the New York Times and the entire event was covered widely by the press.
With a surplus of funds the organizers went back to the crowd asking for suggestions as to what should be done with the remaining money. Surveying the crowd with the aid of Reddit, the recommendations were distilled down to a list of five:
- Monetary Aid / Charitable Contributions
- Advertising
- Documentary Film
- Supplies
- Internet Platform
Now jump to the present to catch up with what is going on today.
In a backers update Turkish Democracy in Action organizers have shared their next steps which will be commencing soon. Along with sharing how the funds have been utilized the organizers will share what the future holds for the nascent group.
Dear Friends and Supporters,
Per your directed donations and wishes, we have achieved quite a bit since this campaign was over.
We will give a public accounting of your kindest donations at the unveiling of our nonprofit in NYC on October 18, 2013. We will also talk about our tangible projects with respect to independent media.
This is just a beginning of a long marathon, but rest assured that your catalyst started a fire which is about to turn into a raging inferno in the march towards a better world.
Join us at this fantastic art exhibition if you are in the area:
GÜÇ BİRLİĞİ
Invites you to Art Exhibit and Event Series: What’s Happening in Turkey?: Hijacked Freedoms and the Search for Democracy.
Against a backdrop of nearly 200 never-before-seen photographs from the protests in Istanbul that depict civil disobedience in action, Guc Birligi (GB) intends to create a salon environment for thought leaders to discuss the tools, institutions, and methods necessary for functioning democracies.
The gathering is taking place in in New York City at 5 East 17th Street on the 8th floor @6:30PM.
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