At the Power Stories meeting called Mysterious Happy Stories (Gizemli Mesut Öyküler), which is derived from the names of the storytellers, we followed the trail of stories ranging from Izmir to Berlin, from co-operatives to courier rights, from a lawyer's solidarity story in the refugee sector to the search for alternative economy. We had pleasant conversations with the audience.
Is a different economy possible?
We listened to Gizem Bülbüller explain how the "social solidarity economy", an alternative economic model she worked on as part of her doctoral thesis, can change the rules of the game in practise, and sought answers to the question of whether another economy is possible. We listened to how the examples of the social solidarity economy in Berlin and Madrid could also be possible in Izmir.
"I bought a motorbike, my life has changed"
Mesut Çeki, who started working as a motorbike courier during the pandemic, told the story of the injustices he and other courier workers suffered, how he fought against these injustices, how he organised this struggle and the days that led to the founding of the Courier Rights Association. We heard from Çeki about the problems couriers faced on the ground and how they organised themselves to solve these problems and improve working conditions. We also learned how couriers, who started to act together, supported the victims of disasters with their own resources during the earthquake on 6 February and the fire in Izmir.
The path from speechlessness to standing up for rights
We listened to Öykü, the last narrator of Gizemli Mesut Öyküler, explain how a girl who had never spoken until she was 4 years old became an advocate for the rights of refugees. Gizem Öykü Başkaya, who is now a lawyer, spoke about how the people she met during her work in the field of refugee rights influenced her and how these encounters strengthened her professionally. We learnt that it is possible to emerge from refugee and xenophobia and hate speech with solidarity and hope.
Power Stories “Mysterious Happy Stories” will meet the audience again on Tuesday, 17 September 2024 at Bostancı Mahallesi Playback Theatre Turkey Academy in Istanbul. We are expecting civil society workers, volunteers and everyone who is curious about the stories in the civic space to our meeting.
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What are Power Stories meetings?
Power Stories is the name for our meetings where we tell and listen to our own stories. As civil society workers, volunteers and enthusiasts, we come together for storytelling. At Power Stories", we hear first-hand real stories that have emerged in different channels of the civic space, reflect together with the storytellers' stories, and talk about how we can move forward together on the difficult paths that lead to change.
