Dilara Gok: Building social cohesion between Syrian and Turkish communities
Dilara Gok, a member of the Mediterranean Women Mediators Network and co-founder of Conflictus, reflects on her work in conflict resolution and social cohesion. Drawing on her experience with Syrian and Turkish communities, she highlights the importance of listening to local needs and creating spaces where people can understand one another and address shared challenges.
The conversation explores the founding of Conflictus in 2014 and the programmes launched since 2016 with Syrian and Turkish communities, combining dialogue, creative drama and local action plans. Drawing on her experience as a victim-offender mediator in Istanbul, Dilara stresses the value of listening and dialogue in repairing harm and building understanding, noting that women already possess the knowledge and skills to contribute to peacebuilding but need to be heard, supported and given structures through which to influence decision-making.
The episode is part of #HerStories, the podcast of the Mediterranean Women Mediators Network, produced in collaboration with IAI and Women In International Security Italy, dedicated to the voices of women mediators and peacebuilders from the Mediterranean.