Civil initiative 'Hafıza Kaydı' chronicles collective memories

Cyclist Çağatay Avşar was killed in a hit and run traffic accident in Ankara on June 17, 2010. The driver who killed him has never been caught. "There are many incidents where cyclists are victims of motor vehicle drivers. Convenience and safety are big issues for cyclists despite the fact that bike riders are legitimate actors in traffic. These 'accidents' are not singular events and we need a big shift in policy to address this situation." 

These words are from Hafıza Kaydı (Collective Chronicles), a civil initiative, an "open platform," dedicated to deconstructing and reconstructing stories for collective memory through a blend of traditional content and new media. One of their most recent files is "17 June: Çağatay Avşar and Cyclists' Right to Life in Traffic," inspired by Avşar's death, and focusing on the rights of bicyclists in traffic, disclosing the violations and neglect they face.

What makes a file a so-called Collective Memory? "We have 13 content types complementing each other. We want our content to be digestible by different audiences," said Hafıza Kaydı. "We have the story, the video, the connected instances, the testimonies, the media reading, the dictionary, the infographic, the photos, the news text, the posters and banners, the references, the online links and the arts and culture content."

Hafıza Kaydı, at the moment, consists of 15 core people coming from different backgrounds and perspectives, with several other contributors for each file. "Each content type has an editor who uses her/his network, knowledge and time resources to prepare a first draft. After all first drafts are finished, every editor gives the others constructive feedback and there is a group discussion on what to and what not to include," said Hafıza...

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