SIRF (Society for Intercultural Research and Friendship)

WHAT IS SIRF? SIRF is a non-governmental organization which aims to provide voluntary service mainly for non-native students, who come to Turkey primarily for educational and other purposes such as; research, work, tourism, business, investment, investigation, health, and the like. It is also open for those who go abroad for the same purposes prior to education .It was officially established on June 14 th 1995 and has been actively working since then. WHY DOES SIRF EXIST? Sırf has come into being to fill a gap that our guest students are likely to feel. When most of these students representing many different countries and cultures first arrive in Turkey, experience numerous difficulties due to language, new environment, different social setting, adaptation problems, climate, eating habits, feeling homesick and so forth. Thus, in order to Orient them into Turkish culture and environment SIRF appears there as a true guide. WHAT IS THE AIM OF SIRF? Its first and main aim is to create a friendly atmosphere among these young people belonging to different countries, cultures, ethnic roots, colors, genders, ages and religions. To introduce them to Turkish environment and to each other, to them make feel at home taking all anxieties and sense of being a foreigner away, to make them good friends of each other and Turkey reaching out ultimate aim which is to create a peaceful world that everybody can enjoy being and living as human. WHAT ARE THE GOALS OF SIRF? To provide guidance for those who come to Turkey for the purposes mentioned above, To help them solve their problems such as accommodation, registration, adaptation and etc, Provide the same services for also those who go abroad for the same purposes, To create an intercultural peace atmosphere among the students studying in Turkey, To correct the misunderstandings among the world people of different cultures, To fight against discrimination, racism, separation, and apartheism, To cooperate with other NGO’s who share similar targets to reach these goals.