In the neighborhood and at school, what are the dynamics that bring young people, especially young men from Turkey and Syria together or put them into confrontation? What kind of problems do young people deal with at school? How do they spend their time outside of school and work? What are their thoughts on education and the future? The project which was carried out in two districts of Istanbul between September-December 2020, intended to reveal the dynamics in everyday life of young people from Turkey and Syria, as well as determine the factors that bring these two groups together or put them into confrontation both in the street or at school. Another aim of the project was to make a contribution to social pedagogical interventions that can be developed to reduce tension among youth groups. Within the scope of the project, for which 14-20 years old young men were identified as the target group, field studies are carried out focusing on young men from Turkey and Syria in Sultanbeyli and Küçükçekmece, two districts of Istanbul that hold large Syrian population, and a report covering the research findings is published. Photography workshops are held in two districts with young people who participated in the field study and an online panel is organised on December 16, 2020, where research findings are shared and discussed.

The project is realized with the support of Heinrich Böll Stiftung Association and carried out in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Uğur Tekin, (İstanbul Kent University), Prof. Dr. Deniz Yükseker (independent researcher) and Dr. Neşe Şahin Taşkın (Maltepe University).

As part of the project “Everyday Life Experiences of Young Men from Turkey and Syria”, photography trainings are organised in Küçükçekmece and Sultanbeyli to open up a space for young people to express themselves and to bring forward their own points of view. In the trainings, which were planned as a preliminary step of social pedagogical interventions that can reduce peer bullying and tensions among young people, it was aimed for young people to take photos reflecting their individual lives and topics of interest. Trainings are carried out by Sinan Daşpınar, a photojournalist at Istanbul Aydın University News Agency. After educational sessions where basic information about photography was given, photo shoots were made in two districts. Photographs produced by the young participants are planned to be exhibited in two districts this spring.