“Raising children with required values and as useful members of the society requires high qualities. Therefore, women, being the nation’s mothers, need to be more enlightened and progressive than men.”
Mustafa Kemal ATATÜRK
Presented by Mirat YAVALAR, Co-Founder & Treasurer,
ATATÜRK SOCIETY OF AMERICA
(UN – DGC – CSO)
at conference PEACE, WOMEN, SECURITY & SECULARISM
Towards the 19th Anniversary of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) on Women and Peace and Security
and
In support of the SDGs#5, #16 and #17
The Salvation Army Intl. Social Justice Commission, New York City
On Thursday, April 11, 2019
I will limit my presentation, for the short time allowed, to the closely-knit subjects of laicism, and gender equality in laws as well as in social practice.
For the Atatürk Society of America, laicism means distancing the religious authority from the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.
Laicism is to treat all believers and non-believers equally, and leave religion in the private domain of the individual to practice it freely.
It is not irreligionism, as its critics with ill intentions claim it to be. Laicism is governance with reason and science.
As such, laicism is the foundation and security of women’s rights.
Social, political, and speech freedoms, hence women’s rights and gender equality can be established and maintained only in a laic democratic society.
When Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey, succeeded to motivate the Turkish people to end the religion-based state (Sharia Rule) and founded in its stead a laic democratic republic in 1923, his main principles were freedoms, rationality, progress towards the contemporary civilization, and peace.
The Atatürk Society of America is a staunch advocate of these political theories:
Sovereignty unconditionally belongs to the people (that is democracy).
Secular governance and secular education ensure people’s sovereignty, individual freedoms, and political rationality.
Peace assures national and universal progress.
Civilization is common to humanity.
As regards to women’s status in society, we promote Atatürk’s following ideas:
(I quote):
“Progress and civilizing process are scientifically improbable or impossible, if a society’s all men and women are not oriented towards the same goal.”
“Raising children with required values and as useful members of the society requires high qualities. Therefore, women, being the nation’s mothers, need to be more enlightened and progressive than men.”
“A nation satisfied with the modernization of only one gender loses half of its power.”
“The recognition of women’s rights will be a part of that process.” (referring to the democratization)
“This (referring to women’s right to vote and to be elected) is the most important of the reforms.”
As a matter of fact, the Turkish Women were given right to vote in 1933, only 14 years after the USA in 1920, and several decades earlier than Switzerland in 1971.
National and international civil society organizations specialized in these fields have a very important role to play in the dissemination of these principles.
We strongly support and co-operate with the United Nations and its affiliates for the promotion of these ideas.
_ . _
Mirat YAVALAR, Co-Founder & Treasurer, Ataturk Society of America (UN-DGC-CSO)
The Atatürk Society of America (ASA) is founded in 1995 in Washington DC for promoting, through lectures and publications, Atatürk’s political theories in nationhood, democracy, freedoms, and universal progress and peace. The UN Department of Information recognizes ASA for the dissemination of peace and human rights principles.
Atatürk’s thoughts, which he implemented, are in summary:
Sovereignty unconditionally belongs to the people.
Secular governance and education ensure people’s sovereignty and political rationality.
Peace assures national and universal progress.
Civilization is common to humanity.
UNESCO 20th General Conference resolved (3/1.5), “… eminent personalities who worked for international understanding, co-operation and peace, should serve as an example for future generations, …he (Atatürk) set an outstanding example in promoting the spirit of mutual understanding between peoples and lasting peace between the nations of the world, having advocated all his life the advent of ‘an age of harmony and co-operation in which no distinction would be made between men on account of colour, religion or race’.”
_ . _
Photo Album of the Multi-Participatory Session on:
Peace and Women and Security, and Secularism – 2
UNSCR 1325 & SECULARISM event Concept Note: WE AIM TO BRING BACK THE “SECULARISM” CONCEPT INTO THE DISCUSSION IN CORRELATION WITH THE UNSCR 1325 AND SDGs TO THE UN GROUND
Event photo credit: Demet DEMIRKAYA, The Light Millennium
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