Dear Dosts,While I was going to Mauritius to participate in the "1st International Convention on Challenged Students Empowerment" which was held on 17-19 December, 2008, I had some questions in my mind: "Why Mauritius? Why not a larger and well-known country?" However, after meeting the Convenor and the other people and also witnessing the care shown to the challenged there, the content of my questions changed a lot. Since that time, I have been asking the following ones: "Why cannot the developed countries internalize "peace"? Why cannot they support and behave to every individual citizen equally? Why cannot we empower the challenged ones and create self-confidence in them as they did in Mauritius?"
In fact, the answer of these questions were given in yesterday's daily Cumhuriyet by our dearest friend Figen Atalay: "There is a multicultural structure in Mauritius and they all leave in peace. Everyone celebrates every religion's holy day. On the island there are Hindu temples, mosques and churches. Once, the war between British and French had been solved through a different method: The wounded commanders of each army had been placed within the same hospital room and all the disagreements had been finalized."
Now a similar approach is on. The richest and the poor people live together in a great harmony. Social security is high; free health care and free education have been provided with the Government. The population is 1,200,000. You might have said that: "Ooo, it is very easy to govern such a small community!". However, in such a country, it must be something extraordinary to be providing everything free and establishing so many NGOs supporting the challenged. It is so much interesting to achieve this at such a country where the freedom was gained in 1968 and the Republic was founded in 1992'. The people in that wonderful country have succeeded in this and got the advantage of being the pioneer one among the other countries organizing the 1st International Convention for the Challenged Students. I especially congratulate my dearest Dost Coco (Mohundas Teeluck), his lovely family and his very hardworking team.
It seems to me that I will never forget that wonderful country. We still get very sincere mails from the island. Coco sends their loves and regards of his family while sending his Reports. If you ask about us; we have had many things to do in the near future. Firstly, we include the challenged students into the 6th International ICT Seagull Project. Every circle is expected to include one challenged student. The CMS Team has already been formed. I congratulate them in advance.
Within my earlier diaries, I had shared some photos from the Mauritius event. As far as I notice; music and swimming are the most popular activities for the challenged students. Art is another one. I will never forget about the Sega music and dance of Mauritius which lasted for hours and hours at the Convention nights. The students used to wear their lovely dresses and then dance for hours. After the presentations and streams, each challenged student got an Award which is a must of the "Quality-Focused Activities". It was a well-managed Convention. I will never forget about the lights of hope within the pupils of their eyes. A similar event was held last year by the TOFD in Istanbul and I had again admired the president Ramazan Baş and his team. My suggestion for the coming years to work and collaborate more effectively for the lovely challenged students.
Our aim is to train new Helen Kellers, Einsteins and Hawkings. But to realize this; the support of the society, the logical and supportive laws of the policitians, the love and support of the families, the knowledge and support of the teachers are the main ingreadients. The challenged students watched and listened to the Convention keynotes from the first raw and I admired their attitude towards the speakers' words. They have influenced me a lot.
Now what we expect from the national and international authorities and NGO leaders is to be sensitive to those lines and to watch the videos and photos we collected from the venue there. We all know that; WE ARE ALL ONE AND WE STAND TOGETHER! Please share your reflections through mailing. Here is my address: hayal@hayalkoksal.com
In fact, the answer of these questions were given in yesterday's daily Cumhuriyet by our dearest friend Figen Atalay: "There is a multicultural structure in Mauritius and they all leave in peace. Everyone celebrates every religion's holy day. On the island there are Hindu temples, mosques and churches. Once, the war between British and French had been solved through a different method: The wounded commanders of each army had been placed within the same hospital room and all the disagreements had been finalized."
Now a similar approach is on. The richest and the poor people live together in a great harmony. Social security is high; free health care and free education have been provided with the Government. The population is 1,200,000. You might have said that: "Ooo, it is very easy to govern such a small community!". However, in such a country, it must be something extraordinary to be providing everything free and establishing so many NGOs supporting the challenged. It is so much interesting to achieve this at such a country where the freedom was gained in 1968 and the Republic was founded in 1992'. The people in that wonderful country have succeeded in this and got the advantage of being the pioneer one among the other countries organizing the 1st International Convention for the Challenged Students. I especially congratulate my dearest Dost Coco (Mohundas Teeluck), his lovely family and his very hardworking team.
It seems to me that I will never forget that wonderful country. We still get very sincere mails from the island. Coco sends their loves and regards of his family while sending his Reports. If you ask about us; we have had many things to do in the near future. Firstly, we include the challenged students into the 6th International ICT Seagull Project. Every circle is expected to include one challenged student. The CMS Team has already been formed. I congratulate them in advance.
Within my earlier diaries, I had shared some photos from the Mauritius event. As far as I notice; music and swimming are the most popular activities for the challenged students. Art is another one. I will never forget about the Sega music and dance of Mauritius which lasted for hours and hours at the Convention nights. The students used to wear their lovely dresses and then dance for hours. After the presentations and streams, each challenged student got an Award which is a must of the "Quality-Focused Activities". It was a well-managed Convention. I will never forget about the lights of hope within the pupils of their eyes. A similar event was held last year by the TOFD in Istanbul and I had again admired the president Ramazan Baş and his team. My suggestion for the coming years to work and collaborate more effectively for the lovely challenged students.
Our aim is to train new Helen Kellers, Einsteins and Hawkings. But to realize this; the support of the society, the logical and supportive laws of the policitians, the love and support of the families, the knowledge and support of the teachers are the main ingreadients. The challenged students watched and listened to the Convention keynotes from the first raw and I admired their attitude towards the speakers' words. They have influenced me a lot.
Now what we expect from the national and international authorities and NGO leaders is to be sensitive to those lines and to watch the videos and photos we collected from the venue there. We all know that; WE ARE ALL ONE AND WE STAND TOGETHER! Please share your reflections through mailing. Here is my address: hayal@hayalkoksal.com
I would like to send my love and respect to the authorities who held a wonderful meeting in Mauritius. We hope that the obstacles should not be in brains and minds to help each other.
Hayal Köksal
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