City of Be?ikta? ‘European Local Democracy Week’ Walking Tour

The principles of democracy and republic constitute the basis for a modern society ideal. Respecting human rights is not only the responsibility of governments, but also the responsibility of societies and citizens that form societies. When the society and the individuals that form the society are aware of and know about human rights, they feel the responsibility to turn such awareness into action and to put it into practice. For this reason, survival of democracy depends on conscious participation of citizens. The culture of democracy and human rights is not only a civil order but also a lifestyle for society and individuals. Bestowing equal rights to every individual, preventing discrimination, equality and justice provided a basis for the development of the notion of constitutional state. Based on the 2018 theme of the European Local Democracy Week, which is “Citizen Participation, Consultation and Commitment: for a Thriving Local Democracy”, the Be?ikta? Municipality organized a city tour with the participation of the citizens of Be?ikta?, non-governmental organizations, neighborhood representatives, and the staff members of the Municipality. The objective was to increase awareness about the history of the values and venues that symbolize Be?ikta?. For instance, where does the name of our district “Be?ikta?” come from, what is the importance of Be?ikta? in the history of our republic, etc. The marching tour, which provided the attendees not only with the answers to such questions but also with the opportunity to get to know about the legendary personalities and events in the history of Be?ikta?, continued all along the shore of Be?ikta? and ended with the visit of the Be?ikta? JK Museum, the largest and first officially-registered sports museum in Turkey. At the end of the tour, family photos were taken as a celebration of the European Local Democracy Week.