- 6 March 2024
- 1594 defa okundu.
Taiwan-Reyhanlı Centre for World Citizens
Dr. Chen-Yu Chiu (Cho) and his student team at Bilkent University programmed and designed the Centre to stimulate socio-cultural, economic and political integration and inclusion between Syrians and Turkish locals.
Reyhanlı is a small town in the south-eastern Turkish province of Hatay, which is adjacent to Syria. As the gateway to Aleppo in Syria, the town became the main entry point for asylum seekers during the escalating civil conflicts and subsequent Syrian war. In the past decade, the population in Reyhanlı has grown from 120,000 to 270,000 people. The recent Türkiye-Syria earthquakes in 2023 severely damaged most cities in Hatay, and Reyhanli has received an estimated 200,000 environmental refugees.
Cho and his student team at Bilkent University programmed and designed the Centre to stimulate socio-cultural, economic and political integration and inclusion between Syrians and Turkish locals. Research for the Centre’s architectural program and site investigation started in 2016, while the construction was between April 2020 and September 2021. Cho has continued volunteering as a donor and fundraiser, as well as serving as the Centre’s founding director and the principal architect. His team works closely with the Turkish government, NGOs, INGOs and the grassroots to realise a joint vision: to build quality, equality and sustainability of life for all. Today, the Centre runs a women’s association, cooperative and social enterprises, providing ongoing vocational, educational and recreational programs.
The successful establishment of the Centre and women’s association, cooperative and social enterprise results from the time-intensive collaboration between the Centre, Reyhanli municipality and the disadvantaged groups in the local communities. Cho’s team conducted a community survey over 3 years to identify and engage with the disadvantaged groups most suitable for participating in the Centre’s programming, design and construction process. Most participating groups were women and children, selected without discriminating whether they were from the Syrian or Turkish communities. The whole development initiative set the foundation for building trust and creating a larger yet more integrated and inclusive community. The Center’s managers, users and beneficiaries all participated in the centre’s establishment, thereby creating a social bond that promotes self-sufficiency. The joint ownership also created collective responsibility in generating income to fund the Centre’s activities. In effect, the Centre is not just a “transitional shelter” for people in need, but also a place that serves diverse functions, such as children’s education, women’s empowerment, community services, recreation and leisure. In 2023, the Center is engaging with >500 people, offering them basic living supports, and providing free educational and recreational activities to >300 children onsite.
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