An Enlightenment Project and Turkey's Forgotten
History: The Village Institutes (Köy Enstitüleri)
Co-presented by "Öykülü Geceler"

The Sanctuary at St. Peter's Church
619 Lexington Avenue
(Corner of 54th Street)
New York, NY 10022

Friday, April 30, 2004
7:00 pm
Saturday, May 1, 2004
5:00 pm


Tickets: $10 (valid for both programs).

PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A TWO-PART PROGRAM PRESENTED IN TURKISH


On April 17, 1940, the Turkish Parliament passed a law establishing the Köy Enstitüleri, or Village Institutes, arguably the most ambitious educational effort the country had embarked on to date. The headlines of the daily newspapers announced the event as a giant step forward in education for the young Turkish republic.

The primary goal behind the establishment of these institutes was to educate some 20,000 children in Turkey's numerous villages and give them the opportunity to become teachers who would then go on to advance the cause of rural education. Students of the institutes also received hands-on experience in agriculture, construction, and electronics, as well as domestic crafts such as sewing and knitting. Turkey proudly proclaimed that the institutes were so progressive that even nations of the 'modern' world had taken note of them. However, after deeming that the institutes were becoming a locus of unwanted political activity and debate, the Turkish government abandoned the project.

As time passed, the Village Institutes faded from the memory of the Turkish public. However, the names of approximately 200 graduates who went on to become prominent authors and contributors to the Turkish literary scene have survived. These graduates include Mahmut Makal, Fakir Baykurt, Dursun Akçam, Talip Apaydin, Mehmet Basaran, Emin Özdemir, Adnan Binyazar, and Osman Sahin.

The Moon and Stars Project and Öykülü Geceler, a New York-based organization that was established in 2002 to help introduce and promote Turkish culture, art, literature and science in North America, are proud to present this two-day program in remembrance of Turkey's noble effort to promote rural public education. The event will be realized with the participation of Talip Apaydin, Varlik Özmenek, Pakize Türkoglu, and Osman Sahin. There will also be a reception, book signing sessions, screening of Can Dündar's documentary, The Village Institutes, and an exhibition, Yarim Kalan Mucize (The Unfinished Miracle), made possible by the support of Yeniden Imece, a journal founded by graduates of the Village Institutes.

Our special thanks to Can Dündar, Kemal Kocabas and Yeniden Imece.