ATLAS Research, Culture and Civil Society Association

ATLAS Research, Culture and Civil Society Association is an independent, non-profit civil society organisation based in Diyarbakır, Türkiye. It brings together researchers, youth workers, media practitioners and civil society actors who share an interest in creating more inclusive spaces for young people to participate, speak, create and connect across social, cultural and geographical boundaries. Our work grows out of the social and cultural realities of Diyarbakır and the wider region, while remaining strongly connected to European and international debates on youth participation, migration, diversity, democratic citizenship and human rights. We are particularly interested in young people whose voices, languages and experiences are often underrepresented in mainstream public, cultural and media spaces. A key part of our practice is creating spaces where young people are not only participants but also producers of knowledge, media and public discussion. Through initiatives such as NextGen Kurdî, we develop youth forums, public conversations, street interviews, digital media content and other participatory formats that allow young people to discuss the issues that shape their everyday lives. Our activities are designed to be accessible, multilingual and locally grounded, including work in Kurdish language varieties alongside Turkish and other languages where relevant. ATLAS also has a strong research and knowledge-production dimension. Our team brings experience in social research, migration and diaspora studies, digital ethnography, human rights, youth studies, media and civil society. We seek to connect academic knowledge with community experience, using research not only to understand social problems but also to inform practical activities, public dialogue and more inclusive forms of participation. Our approach combines non-formal learning, cultural and media production, research, dialogue and community engagement. We are particularly interested in themes such as democratic participation, linguistic and cultural diversity, anti-discrimination, intercultural dialogue, migration and belonging, digital participation, media literacy and the relationship between young people and public institutions. International cooperation is an important part of how we understand our work. Through Erasmus+ and other European and international programmes, we aim to build long-term partnerships rather than one-off project relationships. We are interested in working with organisations that value reciprocity, local knowledge and meaningful participation, and that are open to developing projects together from the design stage. We are especially interested in youth exchanges, training and networking activities, capacity-building initiatives, research-informed youth work and collaborative projects that connect local experiences in Diyarbakır with wider European and international perspectives. We are also keen to exchange methods and experiences with organisations working on youth participation, non-formal education, human rights, culture, media, migration, inclusion and democratic citizenship.