The Societal Peace and Freedom Forum is a platform that brings together citizens, activists, artists, academics, students, journalists, and politicians to discuss the obstacles, limitations, and possibilities for achieving social freedom and peace. While aiming to create a space for democratic dialogue on long-standing unresolved issues in the country and the region, the Forum also calls for a transformation in the language of society, politics, and the media. The Forum emphasizes that peace is not only a matter of state policy but can only be achieved through the collective efforts of all segments of society, and therefore underline the need for the socialization of peace.
The Forum takes multicultural identity as a resource for building societal peace and freedom. In this regard, the Forum seeks to define the concepts of freedom and peace through indigenous, local and global experiences; to promote the active participation of young people, women, children, and groups that have been marginalized, excluded, silenced, or disadvantaged in peace processes. It also aims to identify methods and pathways for social recovery through art, culture, memory, and psychosocial support initiatives, and to transform these into sustainable projects that contribute to peacebuilding.
The Societal Peace and Freedom Forum is hosted by the Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality, in collaboration with a broad network of solidarity and support.