1/7/2008 Av. Ahmet Kemal Şenpolat
http://www.onlarinavukati.blogspot.com.tr/2014_01_01_archive.html
Institutionalizing in Animal Rights Movement and HAYTAP
I wanted to rewrite this text because of a question always being asked.
If you are aware, we’ve long been struggling to form a national organization throughout Turkey.
Unfortunately, local activities are not sufficient. Our name could still not go beyond the level of animal-lover.
From time to time, I think that we tell and listen on our own.
I bet most people agree with this.
Instead of having achievements, we usually get bad news every
week and the applications we make are evaded by authorities with diplomatic or
absurd reasons.
Yet, as we always emphasize, the thing we should do immediately is a serious organization and institutionalization.
We don’t have a meaningless ideal such as “let everybody unite
under one roof”. We all know each other.
However, if we manage to be under a strong and organized national voice, though we may still not be able to prevent the cruelty toward animals, we will slow them down and reach a result.
Let’s be realistic. Most citizens are unaware of our yahoo
groups, HAYTAP or other miscellaneous names, the dogs dumped into the forests,
the real convicts of scabies, the animals kicked out of the houses, shelter
savages, experimental animals, laws, or the activities we do. We are
still known as animal-lover associations that shout a lot but do nothing.
The only easy way to defeat our bad fortune that we’ve been
struggling to change for years is to be able to explain a right case with right
people to average citizens and the state mechanism. If you notice, we are
organizing panels, attending fairs, involving academicians from various
disciplines in the matter, trying to create public opinion by delivering
brochures and booklets, appear on media with a different point of view, and
cooperate by establishing commissions and clubs within different NGOs.
Be sure that we are not defending the wrong, but we are unable
to express it to the ignorant authorities. Our marketing is unfortunately
insufficient and weak. Especially in an atmosphere like Turkey where the agenda
is changing all the time…We are unable to explain our product (ideal). Thus, I
believe that increasing in number and being organized is the only way to get
over these problems.
Of course, there are many people and associations who settled
down in early days and do not want this strong organization - so that their
orders can continue and they can remain the first and the truest…we know
that…but sometimes our actual goal is forgotten: is it simply running an
association or helping animals?
These people do not want anybody to put a spanner in their works,
but whenever the hell raises between them they certainly include our e-mail
addresses in the cc parts…even the group addresses…which means they want to be
neither with nor without us.
For instance, even there are people who want HAYTAP to remain as
a cyber communication group…in other words “I don’t like this organization of
HAYTAP and the volunteers working there, but what can I do? A vast number of
people follow the group’s e-mails. Let it die in its cyber form as it was born
cyber, too.
So be it, I’d understand.
But is the mentality of “let it be small as long as it is mine” right - just like the mentality of political parties?
Appearing on the relevant pages of popular newspapers on the
weekends doesn’t serve anything except satisfying ourselves. Similar to the
readers of a sports page or an astrology section or the columnists who focus
merely on the pages that they are interested in, we only focus there…we suppose
everybody reads that, too…
We play and sing on our own…let’s be reasonable.
Is this a solution?
No.
There are hundreds of associations in the market already. What good can one more do or what happens if one of them goes out of the market?
However, if we bring these local actions together under a strong
national voice, we’ll win in the long term. We can’t do much in the short term,
anyway. Everyone lingers on materiality. Nothing happens without money, either.
Even the ones who donate are the same people and groups. We can’t come out of
our shell and express ourselves. Maybe there are many people who set heart on
us, but they don’t know whom to trust or which name to believe.
Well then, why HAYTAP? - Because many people – vets in the
municipalities, presidents, and authorities from diverse fields – have already
been watching this platform. The number of people watching as activists is the
most here, as well…
If there is an active, crowded and activist organization
already, why establish a new one?
Isn’t it a total waste of energy?
That means creating a new competition environment with a new
association - when we, all NGOs, should be gathering under a federation instead.
No serious media support behind us…no money…no international
connections…
But there can be a national organization…its name is, honestly
speaking, not that much important.
If I establish my own association, too…definitely
there will be 3-5 people who will follow me in this community…here you go: a
new competition environment.
Let me also emphasize that no one has to love each other. It’s
only natural that everyone wants to work with the people they love and trust
the most.
Yet, we are a handful of people who get together for common
purposes…playing tricks behind people’s back but still benefiting from the
cyber organization or coming up with narcissistic emotions such as
“we know this many
journalists, we have this many important people’s e-mail addresses”
or
“nobody has my
experience, come and learn from me”
or
“I was looking after animals
when you were just born”
or
“I am ‘one’, you all are ‘zero’, my website is superior to yours”
…makes everybody laugh.
Think about how serious we are taken until these correspondences
reach authorities…After that, nothing we demand or write is taken notice of.
When you are with them, they behave well to you and pat on your back, but at
the end do whatever they want behind your back.
If you could come this part of the article with patience, I
don’t doubt the affection of the reader toward animals.
If we go on with this mess, you be sure that no animals will
remain on Istanbul streets and even in the shelters till 2015; and the
remaining will only be touristy… horse slaughterhouses will settle in the
country, illegal animal trading and animal ranches will mount up, companies
that cater gambling under the name of hound racing will pop up, narcotizing
animals in cooperation with associations will be normalized, we will only see
dreams on the newspapers, fur industry will put down its roots throughout the
Anatolia…These are not imagery…these are facts…these are what they talk about
and plan to do behind the scenes…because they have money, connections, and
co-media support as well.
There has to be a resistance element against them that can work
as a brake. This is only possible with a single and institutionalized name.
Should you not love the people in charge, I’d understand. Did you resent their
words one spoon a time, I’d understand. Had you narcissism inside, I’d
understand. Maybe you are not appreciated or feel that you been forgotten, I’d
understand that, too.
Nevertheless, in the end, we are people who believe in one
common mission. Everybody sees that we can go nowhere by crying and
complaining. What can you do if they come and poison all the animals in your
shelter one night? Which law, which media, which organized social activity,
which e-mail addresses do you trust?
We may shout for a few weeks…that’s all. We can’t do anything. Those state authorities in suits are still leading by the nose.
We need to confront the state as a single heart, a strong name.
I believe in this…The other way around hasn’t been successful in any part of
the world, and in any case, the state always prefers disorganized and weak
forces that fight with each other.
Besides, what is the so-called “state”? Authorities who are
appointed for specific tasks and have the right to sign documents…
About this matter, they can’t be as sensitive as us. It’s just a
structure that consists of people who wants nothing but receiving salary at the
end of the month and catching the ring at the end of the day, thundering and
roaring behind the armors provided by the state authorization.
I believe that standing against this structure is only possible
with the cooperation of local and national forces. The remaining individual and
local actions may save that particular region, but will be insufficient for
ending the dramas in Mamak, Antalya and Bandırma, changing the law, closing
down the pet shops, and preventing animal fights, or other macro level services
such as the bear in Bingöl, the wolf in Malazgirt, rabid animals in Kıraç.
In the end, unless you can turn this action into a non-governmental
action, a dynamo that works nation-wide and go on working alone and private,
you’ll only be beneficial for your egos not animals. If you don’t know how to
share; if the concept of morality hasn’t developed – say you’ve made hundreds
of movies or organized countless panels to small groups – this only serves
propagating one another.
You’ll discover the wheel again and again; can never get to the
invention of writing level. You can’t leave anything for the coming years upon
which new ones can be put.