Social Good Summit Istanbul 2018 was held in Hilton Bosphorus Conference Hall, with a large participation from business people, academicians, civil society, press and arts community. Participants listened to panel discussions on various issues all day, and were informed on the importance of cooperation.

The event started with the presenter Halit Ergenç welcoming the participants. In his opening remarks, Ergenç drew attention to the climate change and said: “We are the last generation who can save the Earth. Our children after us will not be able to do anything. The situation is indeed tragic.” He also made an emphasis on the Sustainable Development Goals:

“We have 17 items of sustainable development for us to save the world by 2030. If we can fix those problems on the 17 items, we can live on this Earth longer.”

- Halit Ergenç

Taking the floor after Ergenç, UNDP Turkey CO Director Claudio Tomasi highlighted the purpose of the event being held since 2018 and asked the participants: “What sort of a world do we want to live in 2030?”

“We have come here today to imagine how the world will be like in 2030, and elicit your ideas on the likely state of the world in 2030.”

– Claudio Tomasi

UNDP Turkey Communications Officer Faik Uyanık and the Minister of Youth and Sports Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoğlu talked, as the first panellists of the day, on Turkey’s achievements in global humanitarian action and the importance encouraging youth to volunteering. Following Uyanık and Kasapoğlu, Doğan Holding CEO Begüm Doğan Faralyalı underlined that the private sector should assume responsibility for a sustainable world.

“Each of us can work as a sustainability ambassador. We can formulate our plans and goals, and work towards a better world.”

– Begüm Doğan Farayalı

Following Faralyalı’s speech, the Summit continued with the panel on “Women’s Empowerment”, with panellists Koton Board Member Gülden Yılmaz and Lawyer Avukat Ece Güner Toprak. Yılmaz and Toprak emphasised the importance of women’s participation in the world of work. Subsequent panel themes were “Artificial Intelligence for Humanity”, “Social Good and Technology”, “Good Advertised?” The importance of making social good visible was discussed.

“Another important thing for change is to create awareness. If we wish to mobilise masses for change, we need to create awareness, and this requires the power of advertising.”

- Toygun Yılmazer, TBWA\Istanbul Vice-President

UNDP Turkey Goodwill Ambassador Mert Fırat was another participant at the Summit. He told about the Need Map for which he was a co-founder. Accompanying him were Bicyclist Women Initiative leader Zeynep Arapoğlu and Facebook Public Policy Director Nilay Erdem.

"When we build a need-based community to meet a certain need, that community grows by itself.”

– Mert Fırat

The panel on “Technology for Humanity” was moderated by Re:Coded Founding Partner Alexandra Clare with panellists Shahed Alali Alghrsi, Mahmoud Mousa and Turkcell Vice-President for Marketing Ismail Bütün. Then, Mert Fırat appeared again in the next panel, with panellists musician and DasDas partner Harun Tekin and UNDP Turkey Communications Officer Faik Uyanık.

“Personal problems, when combined adequately with motivation, turn into social good.”

– Harun Tekin

The panel “Sustainable Development through Tourism” was moderated by TV Ekonomi Director Gökay Otyam, with Fettah Tamince, Chair of Rixos Hotels Group and a sponsor of the event. The panel on “Music and Arts for Global Goals” had Yekta Kopan as the moderator, and Zorlu PSM General Director Murat Abbas and IKSV General Director Görgün Taner as panellists. At the panel on “Funding Social Good”, IDEMA Founder Ali Ercan Özgür, EU Ministry’s Project Implementation Director Bülent Özcan, ICE Turkey Director Burçak Çullu and Sustainable Finance Geneva President Fabio Sofia offered information on how new social good entrepreneurs could find funds. The panel on “Good for Social Food” featured Life Food Incubation Community Director Rama Alkalas, Tider Founding Chair Serhan Süzer, and Chef Ebru Baybara Demir.

“Food being delicious is as important to me as its being healthy and sustainable. We are all responsible for the soil where the crop grows, the farmer who grows it and the conditions under which the crop grows.”

- Ebru Baybara Demir

The Chair of Trustees Ece Çiftçi to tell about SosyalBen Foundation and its volunteer ambassador, actress Gökçe Bahadır met at the panel on “Quality Education for All Children” moderated by TBWA\Istanbul General Director Burcu Kayımtu. At the next panel, the moderator was UNDP Turkey Assistant Resident Representative Seher Arıner, and the panellists Impact Hub Founding Partner Semih Boyacı, Fazla Gıda CEO Olcay Silahlı and E-Bursum CEO Mesut Keskin evaluated the rising interest in social entrepreneurship.

“Social entrepreneurs develop inclusive and sustainable business models to create social good.”

– Semih Boyacı

At the panel “New Platforms for Social Entrepreneurs” moderated by Seher Arıner of UNDP; Buğra Çelik of IMECE, Atelier Founding Partner Engin Ayaz, Sustainability Steps Founding Partner and General Coordinator Emrah Kurum came together. The panel on “Working for the People and the Planet” moderated by SDSN Turkey Director Bahar Özay, the panellists were WWF Turkey General Director Aslıhan Durukan Pasinli, TAGES CEO Leyla Arsan and Ogliv Foundation Founder Ferhan Geylan.

“The biggest threat to the world is climate change, and we are the last generation to solve this and other problems. If we fail to handle it, we cannot leave any future for our children.”

– Bahar Özay

The panel on “Digital and Sustainable” moderated by Ali Ercan Özgür brought together Outlandish Founder Matt Kendon, Matthias Zwingli of Digital Switzerland and UPS Turkey Country Director Burak Kılıç. And the panel on “Talking the Language of Future; Coding Today” had Founder of Gelecek Şimdi and journalist Ozan Onat as the moderator and Habitat Turkey President Sezai Hazır and Turkey Vodafone Foundation Chair Hasan Süel as panellists.

“We accord great importance to the multiplier effect of education, and we have decided that if we include coding in children’s agenda from age 7, they may create own solutions by algorithm logic instead of ready solutions.”

– Hasan Süel

Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Communications Manager Sıla Alıcı made a presentation titled “Open Data for Humanity”. In the next session, UNV Regional Programme Specialist for Eurasia Dmitry Frischin and SOGlab Founder & Design Director Göksel Gürsel met on the panel “Digital and Sustainable”. Turkey PR Association (TUHID) Chair Gonca Karakaş participated in the Summit at the panel on “Communication of Sustainability” moderated by Burcu Kayımtu.

Making a short speech at the Summit, TRT World News Program Director Fatih Er said: “We wanted to host such a project as a media organisation, because we believed if we did not assume responsibility, none would either.”

P&G Turkey and Caucasus Chair Tankut Turnaoğlu made a joint presentation with actress Serenay Sarıkaya at the panel on “Play to Recycle”, and said: “In terms of sustainability, every step we fail to take steals from the future of our children. If we go on like this, by 2050 we need 4 planets. Therefore, sustainability is a duty on companies like us.”