As a group of high school students who founded the Youth Diplomacy Association, we decided to create a youth movement that brings today’s leaders together with tomorrow’s leaders, in which young people prepare for the future with their own hands and are represented by their own will, without intermediaries. We set out to build an organisation in which young people have a say at every stage, from planning to implementation and from the front of the stage to behind the scenes; one in which they are not left in the shadows, pushed into the background or treated as a means of publicity. This idea came to life in the Youth Diplomacy Association.
In Türkiye, particularly in recent years, we have seen considerable interest in diplomacy and international relations, above all among high school and university students. Yet this valuable interest cannot always be channelled into high-quality, in-depth work. As the Youth Diplomacy Association, we aim to connect this interest with high-quality initiatives and to place existing activities on a stronger and more meaningful footing. We believe that young people who are attentive to international affairs matter greatly for our nation’s future. We believe that young people who can read the world accurately, interpret developments soundly, and remain open to the world while preserving their identity and values are the strongest guarantee of a prosperous and independent future.
As young people interested in international relations and diplomacy, we will at times hold book discussions together, at times run workshops, and at times organise conferences where we, as tomorrow’s leaders, sit at the same table as today’s leaders. As an expression of this approach, we will hold the Bosphorus Diplomacy Forum, the largest and most comprehensive youth organisation in the field of diplomacy in Türkiye, and so make our claim in this field. As young people attentive to international affairs, we hold to the ideal of being a sincere youth movement that thinks together, produces together and grows together.
Dear friends,
We, the team of the Youth Diplomacy Association, are young people who aim to develop ourselves in diplomacy and international relations. Our aim is clear: while developing ourselves, to reach all our friends who wish to walk this path and to look for ways to grow together. We consider it our responsibility to stand beside all young people and youth communities who are interested in this field, who want to develop themselves in different ways, who aim to organise diplomatic simulations and conferences, and who are attentive to international affairs. We warmly invite you to become part of this sincere and genuine youth movement.