Single Events

The Second Family Forum “Chapters We Narrate,” which was conducted by Girass for Society Development in collaboration with the Turkish Humanitarian Relief Foundation “IHH,” took place on October 18 and 19, 2019, in Istanbul, and brought together about 500 participants from specialists, humanitarian associations, and international institutions from 40 different countries. The fundamental purpose of the forum was to help families who had lost breadwinners get back on their feet, to empower women, and to enhance their role in society.

The forum included four seminars

A story of Development: During the first seminar, participants addressed solutions to issues concerning women’s development and empowerment, especially in light of the globalization of human rights.

A Story of a Human: Thousands of women have emerged from conflicts alone, facing life’s challenges and attempting to take responsibility for their families, and many of them have had unique experiences. They shared those experiences at the seminar.

A Story of Quality: The seminar focused on the quality of life of families living in war zones in the Arab world, where they lack the most basic essentials of existence, particularly those headed by women.

A Story of a Homeland: During the forum’s discussion of “The Story of a Homeland,” several international initiatives were launched to aid refugees and the besieged. This topic was covered by looking at how these initiatives would clearly affect achieving sustainable development and substantially improving the quality of life for these refugees.

The forum featured a picture exhibition with paintings of children and women in conflict zones from Palestine to Syria, Yemen, to the Rohingya. Drawings that expressed anguish and deprivation, to ultimately draw pictures with the colors of success.

Workshop: “The Art of Storytelling and Humanitarian Action”

“The Art of Storytelling and Humanitarian Action,” a training session for journalist Asaad Taha, was held on Thursday, October 17, as part of the events of the Second Family Life Forum 2019 “Chapters We Narrate,” with more than 130 participants.