The idea of the White Feather was born during the first weeks of Gezi Park demonstrations in Turkey, in June 2013. The demonstrations showed a deep rooted discomfort with the intolerance, lack of freedom, pressure and use of police violence by the Turkish government.

 

This discomfort wasn't only visible in Turkey, all over the world people crowded the streets to call for more justice, more freedom, more respect for different people, for minority groups, for nature... Some protests have initiated changes, some are still going on, but for many people in the world it is clear that it is time for change, and that we can not expect change to come from governments, we have to BE the change.

 

One major issue faced by these change-aspiring people is that they are not formally organized. The old structures and values that define social systems and political parties seem to have lost their meaning and the hierarchy and dynamics of existing organizations don't seem right anymore. But if we can't use these value systems, how can we recognize each other, how can we form a network and use our numbers to realize our view of a better world?

 

The purpose of the White Feather is to fill this gap, not only in Turkey but in every country where people need to recognize each other and connect. It can be used to organize informal and formal interests groups. In any case, the values of the White Feather serve as a reminder for what we stand for, as individuals but also as the groups we participate in.