AlTERNATIVE CAMP
|
>View discussions about this entry Country: Turkey
Organization: Alternative Life Association
Sport: Other
Year the initative began (yyyy) 2007
YouTube Upload: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=alternativecamp
Project URL: http://www.muffydavis.com/index.asp?pgid=17
Positioning in the Mosaic of solutions
What is your signature innovation, your new idea, in one sentence? Alternative Camp is Non-Profit, volunteering based, international, local, barrier-free, integration and sports facility for all socially disadvantage
Describe your innovation. What makes your idea unique and different than others doing work in the field? 1- Almost 10 million disabled (%15 of population) are completly out of the community. they are socially excluded which force them to stay closed in their houses. Having no accessible environment and social facilities let them paralyzed, ignorant, insecure parasite.! Out of education and production. Per via Sport and accessibility they come from their “prisons” and get self-confidance and socialized.The most alternative and innovate thing is to convince them to come out and join to the Sport Camps without having no real support from the State, Government,Local Authorities etc. and having no money.!
Note: (in the field there were no other similar organization but now there are our copies which makes us very happy. we became a model) Alternative camp is based on volunteering and not buying the services but producing and/or creating it.! What are the existing barriers, the biggest problem, your innovation is hoping to address/change? • The mentality and prejudiuce on disability issue.
• The official policy ignores them. • The public opinion finds them pitty. • There are barriers everywhere. • There is no infra-structure. • Education level is very low.(%2 of disabled population) • There is no covering institiutions • There is no financial support for that issue. • There is no safe, reliable and accessible transportation which gives them no chance to join in community equally. Delivery Model: How do you implement your innovation and apply it to the challenge/problem you are addressing? We have an accessible main camp for people with special needs. And every year we find some other regions to be able to host mainly local people and show them how to apply that kind of project as a model. Thus we leave there our trace. We spread out our volunteer and alternative spirit all around the country.
we do presentations and advertisements about the camp and volunteering all over the country using all tools; media, TVs, radio, web, seminars, workshops, expos etc. (internationally as well). So far in last 6 years we had 2 main camp facilities and 7 temporary places in which we could organize around 190 different camps weekly hosting totally 4000 disabled and 700 volunteers and approx. 150 institiutions. How do you plan to grow your innovation? Especially hosting the institiutions, organizations gives us a big chance to attract and convince them to follow our model. They learn by experiencing how to implement a project without having big budgets. We support the associations and individuals to create their own “play ground”; camps, facility, gardens, village, whatever the local needs. We have a huge network and the people have the feeling of being a big family. Thus the outcomes of the project which they are part if it promote and provoke them each to do another step forward. We do not stop. The beginning plan is growing spreadingly..
Provide one sentence describing your impact/intended impact. -Develop and implement alternative and innovative projects for the most bleeding issue in Turkey.
-Bringing the forgotten “biggest minority/disabled” What impact has your innovation had to date/or what is your intended impact? Exactly who are the beneficiaries? The idea of this Project is , to rise the life quality of disabled youth , to provide facilities for their progress and self discoveries , conduct , encourage and by the way to contribute their location within social life.
-Universalizing voluntary consciousness and soul among the young, -To form voluntary etics, -To break social isolation and discrimination, -To be the leading dynamics, to alter “Major Minority” to an active ,participant and productive majority, -To form the mosaic of diverse needs and cultures, -To provide self-esteem by means of sports and generalize the equal participation opportunity, -To form an alternative holiday model for disabled and different need groups, AYDER and Alternative Camp have established all their system on “ not purchasing the service but producing it”. Their system is just like the effect of the Stone thrown to the water.Always targeting much more people and institutions.May be that’s the point in its 9 year success and continuity.In this f
Please list any other measures reflective of the impact of your innovation? With a continious follow of the campers, Alternative Camp can keep track of chancing the life of its guests. through their NGOs and/or families, theirselves etc. %70 of camp participants are not the same people anymore. Either they start a new education process, courses on different issues,or join to social life actively. Going dancing, cinemas, theathre, clubs and holidays especially. Mainly what happens is to feel theirselves as human first, then equal citizen. With a new self confidance and t
What are the main barriers to creating or achieving your impact? -Mentality
-Lack of tolerance for others -Prejuduice -Lack of legislations -Ignorancy -Bad impose of popular culture and tele-magazine on society!! How is your initiative financed (or how do you expect your initiative will be financed)? A.Camp has a very basic approach.It knows the requirements and defines the required service plans.Forms the working plan and budgets it.The most important budget cost item of all projects is personel.A.Camp has reduced this to minimum levels by establishing an international volunteering network.If you have human resource, your Project means to have started already.The other basic approach is to produce the remaining service rather than to purcase it , which leads to perform without a ready and huge budget.Every budget item can be produced in many ways and the family of participants raise.This approach has made A.Camp sustainable for many years. This is that opens up youngsters horizons and save them from the struggle of huge budgets and
If known, provide information on your finances and organization. AYDER has established every phase of its projects on voluntary participation.Because of this it has a different dynamic structure other than classical association-foundations.Doesn’t have offices in which dozens of employers work on salary.But have volunteers who get salaries and assurance orderly.
-6 persons are in this concept. -12 active association directors and founding members -15-20 istanbul district active volunteers -and when it comes to all volunteers and support network, We may have hundreds in a very short time. What is the potential demand for your innovation? This field has not been completed
What are the main barriers to financial sustainability? Institiutional Support
What is the origin of this innovation? Tell us your story. Founder of Alternative Camp, unique accessible place where the disabled are intagrated into society fully and equally. Since 2002 Alternative Camp has been providing a complete volunteer-based services for all socially disadvantaged groups and individuals. Volunteers and guests are from all over the world.
http://www.alternativecamp.org/ Founder of Alternative Life Association with which many alternative and innovative projects have been developed and implemented for a barrier-free social life for those who are socially excluded. http://www.ayder.org.tr/ Ercan TUTAL,since coming back home after his studying in Germany, has been trying to create a social change on disability issue which is one the most chronically bleeding problems in Turkey. For E.TUTAL the paths towards a better world means; accessibility for all, barrier-free tourism, sport for social change, full and equal participation, social responsibilities, volunteering and alternative solutions. • Studied "English and Italian Language and Literature" in Tübingen, Germany… Please provide a personal bio. Note this may be used in Changemakers marketing material. AWARDS
• Presidency "Golden Love" Award at December 3rd International Day of the Disabled Contact Information:
ERCAN TUTAL
Founder&Director Alternative Life Association (NGO) Discussions about this entry |
||||
| Attachments - please click on each image to see it full size: |
|---|
  |
Ercan TUTAL.doc |
Hi Ercan,
I like how you try to "leave a trace" and get local communities to learn from you, so that your camp is not just a one time event. Can you tell us a little more about how that works and what impact you´ve made so far?
Jasper Nicolaisen
Free University Berlin
University Challenge
ALTERNAT?VE CAMP / TURKEY
2002-2007
“Alternative Camp Project” has been running the first and unique non-profit sport, training , vacation and integration camp in Turkey for people with disabilities, special needs and disadvantaged groups since 2002. And it continues its long journey with invaluable support from various organisations, institutions, private firms, and individuals.
Since the inauguration in June 2002, over 4000 guests with different disabilities and 700 volunteers from all over the world), - 150 different organizations (foundations, associations, schools, rehab centers, sport clubs etc..) - have visited Alternative Camp. Each group comes through an organization or institution working for people with disabilities and special needs. Alternative Camp provides a volunteering based- FREE of CHARGE services to all disability groups in Turkey. Foreign groups are also welcome by only paying a minimum contribiution to the coasts of the facility. People with physically challenged and also with schizofrenia, autism, spasticim, mental retardation as well as socially disadvantaged youngsters have benefits from the project .
The project, in line with its goal to enhance life quality of people with disabilities, has achieved to provide a barrier-free, alternative rehabilitative training and vacation camp for the target groups. Groups consisting of 20-25 people got the opportunity to enjoy many activities during the week. They received scuba training and practiced in the pool and open water. They tried wall climbing for the first time, went horse riding, went on a boat trip and swim in beautiful bays of Bodrum and Izmir. They danced for hours, sung songs, learned english, did origami and various other handcrafts. They have got the opportunity to experience many alternative sports and recreative activities for the first time in their lives, rediscovered their potential.
Whilst enjoying their time, our guests are assisted by enthusiastic, committed volunteers coming from all over the world. We collaborate with international volunteering organizations and universities .So far 700 young volunteers from all over the world (Japan, S.Korea, England, USA, France, Bulgaria, Russia, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Finland etc)joined the camp until now to share their energy with us in all ways and they made this project possible.
Alternative Camp Project has established sustained relationship with reputable universities, namely Uludag , Eskisehir ,Akdeniz University, and Sabanci University. Thus the camp has become a practice field for the related academic world. Additionally, we have conducted seminars , trainings and workshops(abroad aswell) on disability issues and our experiences.. in cooperation with universities.
Alternative Camp has a wide vision and defines itself as an international project. In August 2003, we were invited to Ireland for Special Olympic World Games.
.Here are some recent achivements of Alternative Camp:
-Scuba diving workshop for/with disabled in Poland
- Project ?ntroduction in Italy
-Social Responsibility Award in Turkey
-3rd December2003 World Disability Day Special Award By President,Ankara
-3rd December2003 World Disability Day “Special Thanks” Certificate by Prime Minester,Ankara
-Special Social responsibility Award in Sofia
-World Bank Creative Marketplace Ideas Competition Award
-The Best Social Responsibility Award in Istanbul
-UNDP “Best Practice For The Youth” Award
Since oppening Alternative Camp welcomes the groups with mental retardation and disadvantaged children from Europe per via “EU YOUTH EXCHANGE PROGRAMME”.(Youth from Israel, Irland, Germany, Estonia, Malta,Belgium etc)
Our project has got wide coverage in media (TVs,Radios,Newspapers etc..)with general activities as well as alternative events and organisations. This helps us to reach different parts of society and get more support every day. And using media properly we are trying to raise awareness about dissability issues in the Society.
We, all together, put our energy and spirit to provide the “`biggest minority of the world” with the opportunity to enjoy freedom without barriers, to rediscover their potentials, thus leaving the camp more enthusiastic and courageous.
We are greatful to every individual and group who has been travelling with us on this long, challenging but rewarding path.
You're to be commended, Ercan, for taking on this issue of the segregation of the disabled in Turkish society. This isn't unique to Turkey, of course, for we seem to exclude the disabled to varying degrees in a number of different cultures and societies around the world. In addition, Turkey is such a bridge nation between east and west, between Asia and Western Europe, so that what happens there has influence on those policies affecting the disabled which will emerge in other nations.
If I understand your description correctly, Alternative Camp doesn't have a large internal budget but instead relies on the institutions where it takes its programs to fund them. If this is so, would it be worth asking those groups which have benefitted so far from Alternative Camp to contribute some small amount so that your outreach can extend even to other organizations which might not be able to fund your programs on their own?
Steve