Since we were mapping the new ways of learning, we started to communicate with the main actors of our #research to start a #discussion, and #exchange_of_practices. Our new series called News from the cracked fields will be actively sharing the news from our collaborations via our Telegram channel, to start creating a #network for mutual learning rooted in our differences and communalities. 

 

 

As our project intends to create a platform seeded by video interviews, we made our first dialogue with the #City_Detective (Şehir Dedektifi) from #Istanbul, #Turkey, a #civic_initiative that focuses on the child's #right_to_live in a healthy and safe environment. They support #active_citizens who want to take a part in #decision_making processes in their #city, and increase #children_participation in spaces. They also develop #rights_based_tools on children's relationship with the city. 

 

The interview was held by our group member Liana Kuyumcuyan, with Gizem Kıygı and Nur Akdemir from the City Detective. The main points of the interview were highlighting the structure and current work of the civic initiative, and learning their tools that developed as an additional way of learning to the traditional system of education. 

 

"The studies we made showed us that the space was ignored during the traditional system of education. So we started to use the space as the teacher."  -Gizem Kıygı

 

Since Istanbul is a mega-city that continues growing, different age groups confront different difficulties while engaging with the city. As these challenges increase, it starts affecting the daily life of the citizen, which might end up with drawing back. To enhance the engagement with the city in early ages would be the best way to teach children to be active and aware citizens, and to know their rights to use the public space. The City Detective works on sharing this knowledge via their #mapping_projects, #city_walks and #documentation that tackles the #problematic_areas in the city, and also #public_transportation which is not seen as a space, but contains a lot of engagement with the children.

 

 

City Detective marks our first mile-stone in building a network from the #cracked_fields as well as a valuable learning experience! 

Stay focused for receiving new interviews from different geographies with a different focus on the ways of learning! 

Join us in #looking_through_our_cracks across our borders!