The Union of South Eastern Anatolia Region Municipalities (GABB), which grounds itself on a democratic, participatory, ecological, gender egalitarian understanding of local government, has organized a conference on “Local Governments’ Meeting for Peacebuilding”. The conference ends today in Diyarbakır.

The Conference is going to discuss different experiences, new challenges and solution models from all over the world. Main topics of the conference are;

Changing Society – Changing Demands
The Role, Capacity and Authority of the Local Governments in the 21st century
Country Experiences and Resolution Processes
Resolution of the Regional Conflicts and the Role of the Local Government in Peacebuilding
Local Governments as Alternative Institutions in Fair, Social and Ecological Improvement in National and International  Level

Economical and political changes of today’s world necessitate alternative economical, political and social doctrines on a global scale. Especially the recent social struggles in the Middle East, including our country, have highlighted the need to share experiences, accumulation and solidarity.

The social movements raised in Middle East are based on demands for more democracy, freedom, equality, respect to the human rights, economical and social development and peace. This situation has also started a re-shaping process for the whole Middle East. Regional conflicts that have emerged in this process affect the local administrations directly and destructively.

It is vitally important for the local governments to sustain people-oriented development by stimulating local resources and dynamics and to create new channels for dialogue to discuss new models of governance within the peace building process.

What is GABB

Union of Souteastern Anatolia Region Municipalities (GABB) is a regional union established by the municipalities located in Eastern and Southeastern Regions of Anatolia, Turkey. Today, with her 120 member municipalities 9 of which are in provincial level, GABB is the most active local administrations union in the region and, it provides support to member municipalities in the fields of capacity building and technical works.

The region where our Union is active includes the most backward areas of Turkey.  Besides provinces of South-eastern and Eastern Anatolia, the Union also works with neighbouring provinces with which there is intensive interaction. It is active in 17 provinces and the number of its members is 120.

The organs of the Union consist of the Union Assembly, Council and the President. The president of the Union is also the President of the Assembly.  In line with staffing norms, the organization of the Union comprises the General Secretary, its media and legal service units and 5 directorates attached to the latter (Financial Services, Office Works, Strategy Development, External Relations and Project-Study Directorates).  With its 27 staff and personnel the union extends services to 120 municipalities. The legal basis of the activities of the Union includes the Law no. 5355 on Local Administration Unions, Law no. 5393 on Municipalities, the Constitution and other related legislation.

The purpose of the union is to put effort towards establishing and promoting an understanding of municipal management among member municipalities, which is sensitive to social gender equality, based on human rights and freedoms, accountable, transparent, ecological, participant, democratic and to make contribution to the local administrations-municipalities for providing more efficient and effective services to the public by developing the cooperation and solidarity between the local administrations and municipalities.