4th Meeting, June 28-30, 2004 - Erzurum

This meeting will also be remembered as the first physical contact with the other Youth Voice groups. Bojona Skrobic (YV facilitator) and Borissa Goromja from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Igor Casapu (YV facilitator), Elena Catisev and Esfer Aliji from Moldova, Blerta Abazi and Alexandru Savciuc from Macedonia cheered the meeting.

On the first day, the Groups shared their experiences and exchanged their views on how the program could be more efficient. The afternoon session was filled with Ozgur Sardag's presentation, HR Asst. Specialist of the Central Bank of Turkey, on "Career Planning". The local youth NGOs and academicians from Erzurum University attended a roundtable session in the evening. The participants continued to discuss youth issues at the dinner hosted by the World Bank.

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 Mustafa Dalkilic's speech at the dinner

On the second day thematic groups paid visits to government agencies, university and primary school, municipality and worker's market to make interviews and field investigations.

Agriculture and Rural Development Thematic Group
First the group went to Hinis, a county 120km away from the city center, to meet with Murat Bulacak, mayor, to talk about Social Risk Mitigation Project. After visiting a livestock and a planting facility, the Group moved to Tekman, a county 180km away from the city center. The Mayor Kasim Yekeler had welcomed the members and told the social and youth issues at the county. The Mayor also attended the dinner at Erzurum Houses late in the evening.

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 Farm visit with the Mayor at Hinis

Employment Thematic Group
The group interviewed the unemployed people at the worker's bazaar waiting for a job, then went to the municipality to discuss youth issues with the civil servants. In the afternoon, Dursun Bingol, academician at the Department of Public Administration, informed the members about labor market and governance in Erzurum.

Education Thematic Group
First the group met with Ayten Ferah, Culture Chief of the Province Education Authority. After then went to the Aziziye Primary & High School, and learn the difficulties and problems in Erzurum from the teachers working in the school. Last visit was made to Osman Sabanci, academician at the Faculty of Education, to have an academic perspective on education issues.

Governance Thematic Group
The group paid a visit to Mustafa Dalkilic, deputy governor, and Selahattin Turan, from the municipality. "Governance and youth" topic was on the table. Fatih Cintiman, from the Province Directorate of Youth and Sports, told about the activities that they do in Erzurum. The group joined to the Employment Thematic Group on the visit to university.

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 Governance Thematic Group interviewing with Mustafa Dalkilic

On June 30, while the guests from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia and Moldova were paying a visit to Mustafa Dalikilic and telling him the impressions that they had in the last two days in Erzurum, the Youth Voice of Turkey evaluated the field studies and interviews they made in Erzurum and planned the future meeting.