Social Good Summit 2019 İstanbul

Shortest Way to Good

November 6, 2019

"In the whole universe, there is no other planet that we can live in so comfortably and healthfully."
-Halit Ergenç

Organised annually since 2013 in Istanbul focusing on solutions for leaving no one behind, the sixth Social Good Summit was held on 25 October 2019 at Zorlu Performing Center by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and TBWA\FORGOOD.

With Halit Ergenç as the presenter of the full-day event, the First Lady Emine Erdoğan and Minister of Youth and Sports Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoğlu as well as many famous figures focusing on social good and architects of change from Turkey and the world talked about the shortest way to good.

Where do we stand at saving the world?

Presenting the Social Good Summit 2019 in Istanbul, Halit Ergenç in his opening speech said: “In the whole universe, there is no other planet that we can live in so comfortably and healthfully. On the other hand, five children die in every five seconds. Farmers commit suicide in India because of drought. Worrying or focusing on the negative side is not a solution. Do we have enough time? We have to focus on this.” Posing the question “Where do we stand at saving the world?”, Halit Ergenç invited everyone to offer a small solution as to make the world a more liveable place.

 “In what sort of a world do we want to live in 2030 and how can we achieve it?”
-Claudio Tomasi

UNDP Turkey Resident Representative Claudio Tomasi: “What sort of a world do we want in 2030?”

Indicating that leading experts from all around the world gathered in Istanbul for Social Good Summit in order to talk about the short-cuts for everybody to live more prosperously, happily and healthfully in a more sustainable world, UNDP Turkey Resident Representative Claudio Tomasi stated: “Indeed we are looking for an answer to a single question: in what sort of a world do we want to live in 2030 and how can we achieve it?”

"Most important warning is about the impending climate crisis."
-Emine Erdoğan

 

Speaking in the ‘Youth Power for the Good’ session moderated by UNDP Turkey Communications Officer Faik Uyanık; Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoğlu, Minister of Youth and Sports, said: “The youth have great potential. We must bring out this potential. Whenever I meet with young people, we talk about voluntary contributions. Above all, as long as the youth have their hearts on that, they will stop at nothing.” Following the session, Kasapoğlu came together and conversed with young people at the Ministry of Youth and Sports booth.

Emine Erdoğan: “We aim to provide jobs for 100,000 people through the Zero Waste Project”

During her speech on Zero Waste Vision, the First Lady of the Republic of Turkey Emine Erdoğan noted that the participants convened in the Social Good Summit to find the shortest way to good for a better world. Ms. Erdoğan said: “With our initiative, we are designing several thousands of years ahead, not only for 2030 or 2050. The predictions of scientists for the near future should also shape our current behaviour. The most important warning is about the impending climate crisis."

“It is possible to have fun together and leave no trace”
-Mert Fırat

 

TBWA Istanbul CEO Burcu Özdemir Kayımtu stated in the panel: “Participants might ask themselves why an advertising agency is here and making this organisation. We met with Needs Map in 2015 and we thought how good things it did and we had to contribute to it. In that process our paths crossed with UNDP Turkey. We, as TBWA Istanbul Office, are aiming to contribute to increasing the impact of such good works. For that purpose, we initiated Social Good Summit. We aim for Turkey to show social awareness in every platform and broaden this movement to the masses.”

UNDP Turkey Goodwill Ambassador Mert Fırat: “It is possible to have fun together and leave no trace”

Actor Mert Fırat, UNDP Turkey Goodwill Ambassador, and a co-founder of Needs Map, expressed in his speech at the panel ‘Have Fun, Leave No Trace’ that the festivals started to become punishments to cities due to the traces that they leave behind. He underlined that “It is possible to organise joyful festivals, have fun together and leave no trace!”

Musician Gökhan Özoğuz told about “25 Litres” documentary project in the panel. Özoğuz mentioned that water crisis is threatening the world’s largest cities and said that everyone should “take action to save tomorrow’s water” in order not to experience a drought in Istanbul in the future.

For those who missed the event, SGS 2019 sessions are available at sgsistanbul.org as recorded broadcasting in Turkish and English.