Beşiktaş Municipality

Beşiktaş is one of the 39 districts in the Metropolitan Region of Istanbul, Turkey and it has a population of 178,938 inhabitants, according to the 2021 census. Beşiktaş is also a district with access to the roads to the bridges linking the two sides of Istanbul, making it the host of approximately 2.5 million people daily. Founded to meet the people’s needs in the district, Beşiktaş Municipality is a public entity with a mayor, six deputy mayors, 26 directors, and 2600 workers. In addition to administration buildings, we also have healthcare clinics, cultural centres, kindergartens, student residences, leisure houses, social service buildings, sports facilities, municipal police stations, and women's solidarity centre. In the Strategic Plan of , Beşiktaş Municipality has set a goal of effective, widespread, and qualified implementation of services for young people. For this purpose, we have developed strategies of establishing a Youth Assembly, holding cultural activities with young people, and cooperating with universities and non-governmental organizations. We give importance to both youth and EU projects and encourage local studies in the field of intercultural interaction and international cooperation. The problems and demands of young people living in the district are detected; and they are enabled to express themselves and take an active role in solving problems. As Beşiktaş Municipality, we are committed to the cooperation and development of the culture of partnership between youth and youth-related institutions, NGOs, private sector organizations, and volunteering organisations. From this point of view, with the Erasmus+ projects, we aim to support the development of an active citizenship culture, solidarity, and tolerance among European youth and to take an active role in shaping the future of Europe. Beşiktaş Municipality facilitates intercultural , international initiative and fundraising cooperation. In line with this objective, we became an accredited organization of the European Voluntary Service in 2016. European Solidarity Corps is an initiative to raise awareness of volunteering among young people in our district. Voluntary initiatives ensure the European youth to play an important role in creating a culture of active citizenship, unity, and tolerance, and in shaping the future of Europe. Another contribution is the empowerment of young people through mobility, non-formal education, and intercultural interaction between European countries. With almost 20 projects, we ed nearly 1500 young people and supported nearly 150 young people to benefit from European Union projects. In Beşiktaş, Istanbul, and our country, we support and promote volunteer work among young people. We aim to increase EU awareness amongst our youth and citizens and for youth to actively take part in shaping the future of the European Union. We want to include youth to be more included in democracy and decision making. Our Projects Beşiktaş Youth Across the Borders Project ID: 2017-1-TR01-KA European Volunteers from Beşiktaş Project ID: 2017-3- TR01-KA The Youth of Beşiktaş in Europe Project ID: 2018-2-TR01-KA Multicultural EVS in Beşiktaş Project ID: 2018-3-TR01-KA EVS for Youth of Beşiktaş Project ID: 2018-3-TR01-KA The Youth of Beşiktaş in Europe 6 Project ID: 2019-2-TR01-ESC The Youth of Beşiktaş in Europe 7 Project ID: 2019-3-TR01-ESC The Youth of Beşiktaş in Europe 8 Project ID: 2019-3-TR01-ESC Beşiktaş’ın Gençleri Avrupa’da 9 Project ID: ESC11 2020-3-TR01-ESC Partner Projects Multicultural Sound – Youth Exchange Project ID: 2017-3-ES02-KA Through the News – Training Course Project ID: 2017-2-ES02-KA Not Bulling, Let’s Art – Youth Exchange Project ID: 2018-1-ES02-KA Moving – Youth Exchange Project ID: 2018-2-ES02-KA Volunteering for Inclusion – Youth Exchange Project ID: 2019-2-ES02-KA North-South Cooperation for Local Youth Participation – Youth mobility Project ID: 2019-3-SE02-KA T. C. “Youth Centers – Models of Participation and Management” Project ID: 2020-2-ES02-KA Protect Project ID: 2020-1-UK01-KA Mind the Youth: Making Seminar Project ID: 2020-2-IT03-KA Youth Work at Municipality Level During Covid-19 Project ID: 2020-3-PT02-KA EqualART Project ID: 2020-3-ES02-KA Rural Youth Against Depopulation Project ID: 2020-2-ES02-KA Art ConnectiON Project ID: 2020-1-ES02-KA227-YOU-016686 Energy, Ideas, Action, Change (EIAC) Project ID: 2021-1-RO01-KA153-YOU-