World Humanitarian Summit 23-24 May 2016 / Istanbul

First time in the history World Humanitarian Summit was held on 23-24 May 2016 in Istanbul, Turkey. The aim of World Humanitarian Summit was to developed solutions for the problems which current global humanitarian system faced with and to set up an agenda for the future of Humanitarian Aid. Once again Turkey had opportunity to share their experiences of humanitarian field to the international community.

It was also an important part to select Istanbul (Capital of Culture and Economy) as venue for such World summit first time in history. As known that Turkey is accommodating about 3 million Syrian refugees and Turkey is the 2nd largest country for making humanitarian aid but as per GDP it is first country in the world.

Participation of state heads made this summit richer. There was also a mini NGOs fair during summit. The Union of NGOs of The Islamic World (UNIW) also opened a stall, UNIW has 312 members from 63 countries in the world. So much International, National and Umbrella NGOs opened stalls in the fair and shared work experiences with each other’s. They got opportunity to consult about together work.

Another important part of this summit was workshops. In one of them UNIW Secretary General Mr. Atty. Ali Kurt made a speech in the session titled “Humanitarian Activities of NGO’s and INGO’s in Turkey and Activities About Vulnerable Groups”. Other speakers of this session were from AFAD, Red Crescent and representatives of international NGOs.

The summit was held in Istanbul Congress Center, Lutfi Kırdar International Convention and Exhibition Center. Please visit the website of the World Humanitarian Summit for more details  http://dizturkiye.org/t is

We present UNIW General Secretary Atty. Ali Kurt’s speech below,

Dear Respected Officials and Attendants,

First of all, I would like to thank our institutions and organizations who contributed this important meeting in Turkey and who supported it by their participation.

The mankind has been tested with basic human values ​​than ever in human history in this century.

The people feel suffocated under adverse circumstances such as natural disasters, flood, droughts and earthquakes, as well as under peripheral economies, political and ethno-religious conflicts in almost every region of the earth. These matters bring heavy tall and they are waiting for a helping hand.

Double standards, injustice in sharing of sources of the earth, unfairness coming from the depths of history of the world extents this wound further deeper.

We accept unconditionally whatever these reasons are, our conscience, our sense of obligation and our minds commands to us to bring aid, to help those oppressed people who lives in Islamic regions in the name of human dignity.

We have a culture that declares; “One person’s death unjustly is equal all the children of mankind’s death”. We don’t ask the religion, nationality, gender of these two kinds of people in this world, the oppressor and the oppressed! No matter what, the oppressed people and the victims are worthy of getting help as human beings. We need to be against the oppressor whoever is he, there should be full justice on this planet earth!

Against this severe trauma which humanity experienced, Turkish Republic fulfill its responsibility with dignity coming from its ancient culture. AFAD (Republic of Turkey Prime Ministry Disaster and Emergency Management Authority) and Turkish Red Crescent and Turkish NGOs doing successful and honorable activities all around the world.

We, UNIW, as an umbrella organization which has more than 300 NGO members from 63 countries, lead the establishment of Humanitarian Platform with support of Humanitarian Aid Organizations which draw their strength from AFAD and Turkish Red Crescent.

In this Humanitarian Platform, there were serious contributions made particularly to Syria and other Middle Eastern countries, to the Central African Republic and to the victims in Yemen. With the fundraiser Organization which held with the participation of all the Gulf countries, around $ 200 million were collected for Yemen. The Aid Ship were sent to that region with the support of AFAD, Turkish Red Crescent and tens of NGOs.

I would like to draw attention at this point. There should be coordination between the governmental or non-governmental Relief Organizations to solve the problems encountered in humanitarian aid activities.

It is very important to have information sharing between relief organization to catch maximum yield in similar charitable activities, to prevent recurring aids, to avoid skipping help in some regions, and to fulfil the needs.

We must admit that the most effective use of humanitarian capacity could be with the coordination of their works. We need a data bank, registration system and a serious plan which will not give harm to civil initiative and volunteer spirit even slightly.

In this context every step taken should make NGOs works and volunteer activities easier, instead of controlling NGO works. Transparency and common mind should be in all activities.

We have to beware of the attitudes that hurt volunteer assistance activities and Civil initiatives.

I would like to draw particular attention to these following points: Although, we run to the treatment of wounds caused by these disasters, the main act should be avoiding the reason of those problems.

Mankind today do injustice treatment to violate human dignity. Unfortunately, most of International authorities particularly United Nation shut their eyes to this corrupt system.

The main references were presented with bright sentences in legal texts and international decision-making authorities’ organizations, unfortunately wasted with approach of their benefits based on double standards and unjust.

For instance, some of these international decision-making authorities sat back and watch the unreasonable, unfair and unproportional war which continued for five years in Syria, caused approximately 500 thousand lives and almost half of the country population’s migration.

Even a no-flight zone solution which will relief the people over there still could not be resolved.

Today the security council authorities which allegedly being responsible for providing peace, unfortunately either active in bombardments in Aleppo or stay silent against this massacre of civilians and innocent people, so we cannot ignore the fact that they are responsible in the first degree of this massacre.

These kind of negligence and negative attitudes in human rights cause chaotic atmosphere in the world and creates negative consequences such as DAES, Shabbiha Organism. This makes our world more uninhabitable.

As an extremely strategic organization and an opportunity on behalf of institutions and human values; the United Nations; did not stand behind its’ word, so the unfair attacks happens in East Turkistan, Palestine, Kashmire and Arakan still continue to rise.

We know that the world has enough wealth for all of us.

Mankind, rich or poor, black or white, what nationality or faith they have regardless of faith deserve a dignified life.

Why the Universal Declaration of Human Rights remains unique to some people?

If the International Community want to plant a really peaceful life on earth, should ensure the justice and should prevent the looting of the wealth of the world.

In this context, the distorted structure of United Nations which works for benefit of five states only, and leads unfair approach in the world, should be stopped and all nations should ensure to get equal and fair representation.

We need to change our decision making mechanism and our goodness perception by just running to help with reflexive approach into a proactive point of view by preventing incoming destructions.

I pay my respect to all participants wishing to reach more peaceful, more collaborative, sharing and a fair world as immediate as possible.