BiG-Der (Development with Knowledge)

The Introduction of BiG-Der BiG-Der (Development with Knowledge) is a new local association founded in Muğla, Türkiye, in August 2023. Its mission is to promote knowledge-based development at the local level by providing education and creating opportunities for all ages and segments of society. BiG-Der offers a wide range of programs and services, including vocational training, orientation, career planning assistance, school education support for youth, education on the efficient use of natural resources, environmental awareness, sports habits for health, the protection of arts, culture, and cultural assets, digitalization and the conscious use of digital tools, democracy awareness, and women's and children's rights. BiG-Der also provides values education based on scientific knowledge. Committed to inclusiveness, it ensures that all its activities are accessible to disadvantaged groups, people with disabilities, and immigrants. BiG-Der's mission is to promote knowledge-based development at the local level by providing education and creating opportunities for all ages and segments of society. BiG-Der plans to offer a wide range of programs and services, including education on the efficient use of natural resources, environmental awareness, and healthy sports habits. BiG-Der will educate people of all ages on the efficient use of natural resources, environmental awareness, and healthy sports habits. This training will be delivered through workshops, seminars, and other educational programs. Young people, the voices of the future, are adopting innovative approaches to environment l issues and climate change. They aim to raise public awareness. In doing so, they place great importance on international cooperation. Young people generally want to take action with their proposed solutions on awareness, sustainable living, and renewable energy. They emphasize the importance of civil society participation, the need to influence politicians, and the need to organize educational activities accordingly. They state that lack of knowledge, limited economic resources, and a lack of motivation among young people are significant challenges in achieving this goal. They also believe that social pressure hinders their ability to take action. BiG-Der strives to overcome bureaucratic obstacles and offer solutions to young people by gaining media support. We create opportunities for young people through projects regarding environmental issues, address their financial concerns through our career planning efforts, and support them in building their futures. Our local projects and campaigns are currently ongoing to this end. Tourism is the main source of income for Muğla, the capital of BiG-Der. Muğla is a city that hosts millions of foreign tourists every year. With our locally launched TOU-CLEAN project, we are running campaigns about pollution caused by the tourism sector and aim to raise awareness among the local population. This project is generally carried out by local youth outside the tourist season. The project emphasizes protecting wildlife and cleaning forests and beaches from litter and, in particular, water pollution. In 2023, we took the first step in our international youth work with the Ersamus+ Plus project GreenWalk (code ES02-KA152-YOU-). With the network we gained through these youth projects, we continue to implement environmental projects. We also participated in the YOU-154 "FrameUp!" youth project, where our volunteers received photography training. BiG-Der Youth Profile The young volunteers involved in our association's youth projects and youth exchange activities represent a variety of backgrounds. University students are the most common among these. These students are young people attending university in Muğla or surrounding provinces. Their education spans a wide range of fields, from engineering and educational sciences to social studies and medical education. Another group is high school students between the ages of 15 and 18. These young people, who work in coordination with our association and attend private and public high schools, also participate in projects aligned with their schools' needs and goals. Finally, there are NEETs, a group between the ages of 20 and 30 who remain outside of education and employment. While not officially employed, they work informally in agriculture and other temporary jobs. In addition to youth participants, BiG-Der also works with adult learners and professionals from diverse backgrounds. These include teachers, local entrepreneurs, and parents who take part in our lifelong learning programs and community workshops. Adults often contribute as mentors or trainers, supporting young people through guidance, skill-sharing, and intergenerational cooperation. Their involvement helps strengthen community ties and ensures that BiG-Der’s impact reaches all age groups.