Pioneer of the Millennium Development Goals: Ataturk

Location: Stevens Institute of Technology

Pioneer of the Millennium Development Goals: Ataturk
An International Conference

Keynote Speaker:
STEPHEN KINZER, professor of international relations at Boston University and author of Crescent & Star: Turkey Between Two Worlds.

The Light Millennium and the College of Arts and Letters at the Stevens Institute of Technology will jointly present a conference on the Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations and their relation to ideals advanced by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881-1938), founder of the Turkish Republic.

Keynote speaker Stephen Kinzer, the first NY Times Chief Correspondent to Turkey (1996-2000), author of the book Crescent & Star: Turkey Between in Two Worlds (2001), and Professor in International Relations at Boston University, explains in his book: “The origins of this transformation [may be found] by examining the life of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the Turkish Republic and still, despite his death in 1938, the most influential figure in Turkey’s history.”

The United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals include the eradication extreme poverty and hunger, the attainment of universal primary education, the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women, the reduction of child mortality, the improvement of maternal health, the combating of HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, the attainment of environmental sustainability, and the development of a global partnership for the development of international peace.

Atatürk regarded universal education and equal rights for girls and women as pillars of the society he wished to building in the 1920s. He established the Turkish parliament and constitution to advance his ideals. He created institutes in villages for poor children and universities where women would be encouraged to study. He adopted the Roman alphabet for the Turkish language and introduced western values, culture, and lifestyles. Atatürk advanced the notion of “Peace at home, peace in the world.”

As the closing section of the conference, a brief presentation and concert by the distinguished pianist Dr. Aysegul Durakoglu will demonstrate his influence on Turkish music.

According to the executive board of UNESCO in 1979 “Atatürk set an outstanding example in promoting the spirit of mutual understanding between peoples, and lasting peace between the nations of the world.”

Scholars and authors are invited to submit papers on the visions, principles, and achievements of Ataturk and/or the impact of his visions in the underdeveloped and developing countries in his time that are relevant to today.

Papers will focus on the MDGs in relation to those advanced by Ataturk.

A selection of papers may be published in a volume of conference proceedings. Papers should not exceed 3000 words. Abstracts and proposals should be limited to 300 words or less, providing a clear statement of the objectives of the Conference, their relevance to the Millennium Development Goals, especially in relation to underdeveloped and developing countries and global partnerships and international peace.

Proposals should be submitted by February 28th to Edward Foster, professor of American Studies, College of Arts and Letters at the Stevens Institute of Technology: efoster@stevens.edu, or to Bircan Ünver, Permanent Representative to the UN/DPI of The Light Millennium: event@lightmillennium.org.

In the following paragraph, Secretary General of the United Nations Ban Ki Moon, urges for achieving of the Millennium Development Goals by 2015: “Eradicating extreme poverty continues to be one of the main challenges of our time, and is a major concern of the international community. Ending this scourge will require the combined efforts of all, governments, civil society organizations and the private sector, in the context of a stronger and more effective global partnership for development. The Millennium Development Goals set timebound targets, by which progress in reducing income poverty, hunger, disease, lack of adequate shelter and exclusion — while promoting gender equality, health, education and environmental sustainability — can be measured. They also embody basic human rights — the rights of each person on the planet to health, education, shelter and security. The Goals are ambitious but feasible and, together with the comprehensive United Nations development agenda, set the course for the world’s efforts to alleviate extreme poverty by 2015. ”

The conference will contribute to the discussion of the Millennium Development Goals on the academic and global level as well as examine one of the most prolific world leaders of the 20th Century and founder of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk’s (1881-1938) visions, principles and implementations from the period of 1920s until his death in 1938.

Suggested topics for papers: Millennium Development Goals, International Relations & Global Studies, Middle Eastern Studies, Development and Sustainability, Women Studies, Environmental Studies, Comparative Studies, Education, The Least Developed and Developing Countries, Cultural Studies and Historical Approaches, Interdisciplinary, Democracy, Modernization and Secularism, Social, Lifestyle and Cultural Change, Science, Arts and Culture

For inquiries about the Conference or Proposals submit electronically, please email to: efoster@stevens.edu or lightmillennium.org

ABOUT THE ORGANIZERS:
The Light Millennium (LM) is a non-religious, non-political, not-for-profit (501-c-3), non-governmental (NGO), independent global public benefit multi-media and culture organization, has become associated with the Department of Public Information of the United Nations effective on December 12, 2005. Formed in 2001, based in Queens, New York. The initial concept of the organization was introduced over the Internet in August 1999. The first article of the purposes of the organization is: “To
provide an international platform for the free expression of ideas and experiences in order to foster a global connection among all people.” Full purposes could be found in the following link: http://www.lightmillennium.org/lm_mission.html