About Civil Voices Festival

We believe that our differences are a source of richness, and that this richness can be lived together. With this belief, STGM designs the Sivil Voices Festival as a polyphonic choir where civil society organizations from diverse fields share their experiences, knowledge, and dreams.

As one of the first events bringing together Türkiye’s civil society actors, the festival provides a space to discuss what we can do for a better world, debate ideas, and strengthen solidarity.

What’s at the Festival?

At the Civil Voices Festival, organizations from across Türkiye showcase their work through exhibition stands. Workshops, panels, forums, and talks offer opportunities to get to know one another, explore potential collaborations, and share the outputs of hundreds of rights-based CSOs.

The Journey of the Festival

The voice of civil society grows stronger together at the Civil Voices Festival.

  •  2009: Our first gathering took place at Küçükçiftlik Park, bringing together nearly 100 organizations working on issues from children’s rights to refugee rights.
  • 2011: We discussed constitutional amendments from civil society’s perspective under the slogan “No Civil Constitution Without Us”, presenting our demands for an egalitarian and libertarian constitution.
  • 2014: In the wake of the Soma disaster, we organized a forum around the right to life, discussing the boundaries of our freedoms.
  • 2019: We evaluated the changes civil society has achieved from past to present, together with representatives from across Türkiye.
  • 2022: After the pandemic hiatus, we returned under the slogan “If We Want Change, We Must Be Strong”, hosting over 600 CSO representatives from 58 cities.
  • 2023: Following the February earthquakes, we said “Solidarity Strengthens”. Over 200 organizations gathered at İzmir Kültürpark to discuss disaster response and post-earthquake work.
  • 2024: Our seventh meeting at TED University brought together more than 1,000 participants, showcasing the full spectrum of civil society voices and colors once again.