Description of organisation

The Association for Supporting Contemporary Life (Çağdaş Yaşamı Destekleme Derneği – CYDD) is a non-governmental organization which was founded in 1989 to ensure equal opportunities in education for women, young people and children. CYDD’s purpose is to contribute to the development of society by creating projects that provide concrete solutions for the country’s problems. CYDD carries out its projects through the collaboration of professional staff, volunteers, relevant institutions and organizations. CYDD works towards its goals while taking care to protect its non-partisan position.Our principles are:• Respecting universal children’s rights, women’s rights and human rights, and the realization, protection and development of the democratic, secular and social state of law in a society• Promoting the development of individuals in the legal, political, economic, cultural, social and physical sphere, to ensure that they can benefit from all human rights and freedoms• Increasing community’s awareness about environmental issues and cultural heritage.Since foundation, we have provided scholarships to 54,650 girls in elementary and high schools and to 62,497 students in universities, with the funds coming both from individual and institutional contributions. We have positively discriminated girls in supplying scholarships to encourage them to stay in school and pursue their education and prevent underage marriage. Our Association has now 105 branches all around Turkey and Izmir Branch is the third largest unit. The mission of CYDD İzmir Branch is in line with our headquarter’s mission of contributing to bring Turkey to the level of contemporary civilization by being a modern secular democratic society through modern and scientific education which is a universal human right. The organization strives to be the voice of the citizens by staying independent of politics but also voicing opinion where deemed necessary. In our activities special attention is given to;** Economically underdeveloped areas of Izmir** Sub-urban areas which have received domestic migration** Disadvantaged areas particularly both for girls and women.