Declaration of Sentiments/Gün
Symposium:
Title:
- Declaration of Sentiments/Gün
Organiser/Presenter(s):
Statement:
Workshop Statement
Declaration of Sentiments*/Gün draws on the Turkish tradition of women’s social gatherings called “gün” (meaning day in Turkish). A gün is a ladies’ gathering for the purposes of conversation, activities and festivities accompanied by the serving of Turkish food. These meetings are informal hubs of social networks, where women come together to share concerns and skills, often generating a micro-economy that involves the collection of gold or money among the members. During ISEA2011 we are bringing together a number of Turkey-based women to start the basis of a cultural-exchange initiative. Guests are selected based on their contributions to contemporary culture in Turkey in a number of fields ranging from journalism, visual arts, music, literature, new media, crafts, and design. This gathering will be documented in a printed limited edition book. This book will provide the basis for an online platform which will bring Turkish women based in the United States and Europe to the conversation. With the event culminating in the publication of the printed book, we are hoping to springboard the traditions of Turkish women’s cultural production as a basis for extending the spirit of the Gün among networked women.
* Declaration of Sentiments: In 1848 Elizabeth Cady Stanton and several other women invited the public to the First Women’s Rights Convention to discuss expanding the role of women in America, and signed the Declaration of Sentiments, advocating civil, social, political, and religious rights of women.
