THE PROJECT
What is KOMŞU (komşa) Kafe?
Komşu (komşa) Kafe is a collective coffee place, where you can
eat homemade food, drink fair coffee, talk with friends, read books or draw a
masterpiece.
It is a place where you
can feel at home, escape from the fast life outside, let your thoughts wander
through the rooms and express yourself.
Komşu (“come shoo”) means ‘neighbour’. It is a place
where everyone is respected equally no matter where you come from and where the
way will lead you. It is a place where young and old, families, migrants,
neighbours and strangers can meet, discuss and while ours away. It is our common space, in a city that leaves
so little room for true encounters.
Where
is KOMŞU (komşa) Kafe?
It is in Turkey’s
metropolis Istanbul. Some of us
where born here, others moved from different places of the world and stayed. It
is home to all of us, a home we try to create every day.
It is in Kadıköy,
on the Asian side of the Bosphorus, in a small neighbourhood called Rasimpaşa.
While Taksim is always in the center of attention when it comes to urban
renewal projects, gentrification and resistance, it is by far not the only
affected area in Istanbul. With Rasimpaşa we decided to stay in a neighbourhood
where we felt an enduring project will be possible, because of its location,
people and other existing alternative activities.
Why KOMŞU (komşa) Kafe?
1st
objective: To work as a collective
Because we all want to
work together.
Because we want to be our own bosses. We know that with all our
abilities and experience combined our project is feasible. We don't need anyone
to tell us what to do.
Because we
believe that living another way is possible, as well
as another world who can be build from trials, experiences, ideas, desires....
Think of a system where incomes are equally distributed, where people from
different backgrounds can meet, where employees aren’t exploited, where
migrants can feel accepted, where any kind of ‘other’ is welcome, where the
living is at the core and not money.
Because we believe it's
not that hard to achieve, and because we have good reason to try.
2nd
objective: Create a new common space
We need more places to
meet, to gather, to talk, to share. In Turkey, as in many places in the
world, people are starting to voice their opinions, to say stop, to say they
don't want any more shopping malls and luxury apartments, but spaces for
everyone. Since the wave of protests of June 2013, a lot of new groups, networks,
and forums have been born.
Istanbul is a huge city
with a population of more than 13 millions inhabitants. The urban renewal
projects are as enormous as they are dangerous and surely not made for the
people who live in the city. On the contrary, we want to create a space which represents
us, a space on a human scale.
3rd
objective: Create new collectives
In the long term, if our
project is as successful as we hope it will be, we will be able to
integrate more members to our collective; this means more people having a
stable and fairly paid job.
The situation of migrants in Turkey is extremely difficult. There
are very few possibilities to find a job, racism is violently prevalent, and
every day living conditions are very poor. One of our aims is for migrants to
escape this situation by working in such a collective.
Later, we hope to be able
to open more Komşu Kafes in other neighbourhoods of the city,
each with its own character.
Our Principles:
Anti-authoritarian
Anti-hierarchical
Anti-sexism
Anti-discrimination
Anti-exploitation
More communication!
ABOUT US
For now, our
collective is made up of the two Alis, Ufuk, Melike, Ercan and Nora.
We got to know each
other in a kitchen (mutfak), which is the common space of a broader Migrant
Solidarity Network (Göçmen Dayanişma Ağı). Besides other actions, in this
kitchen we collect vegetables from the organic market, cook together and share
the food with all hungry bellies around. It is a place where neither money nor
credit cards are valid but solidarity and collaboration. In this place the idea
of Komşu (komşa) Kafe came to life.
Ufuk and Ercan are
professional cooks, one Ali has worked in many cafés and restaurants, the other
Ali and Nora are experienced in project management and Melike with
administrative work. All of us have experience with the concepts of
collectives. That is also how we know that it is important to share knowledge.
There will be no specialists in our collective, it is rather our aim to enable
each one of the collective to manage all waiting tasks.
Here is how we
describe ourselves:
Ali “the petite
French girl”: Petite yes but strong. I fell in love with Turkey and decided to
stay here for good. I worked in different places as a social worker with
migrants and refugees and in small jobs here and there (reception in hostels,
waitress in cafés...). I am really looking forward to seeing this café being
part of my neighbourhood and to get to know all the people around.
Ali ”the Syrian, the
serious”: I like to help people and I like to cook. I never smile but sometimes
make other people laugh. Also I enjoy meeting new people. If this dream becomes
real, if this project helps me helping others, meeting them, cooking for them,
then, I give you my word I will learn how to smile.
Ufuk ”the big chef with
glasses”: My biggest pleasure is to see smiles emerge on others faces when they
taste my food. To me, cooking is a sort of communication, above languages. I am
sure there is magic in good food. You can see it as an art to knock down
borders that tear us apart.
Melike ”the amazon queen”:
I understand myself as the cheerfull and emotional mascot. I make the others
burst with laughter and keep them motivated by smiling continuously. I have a
great passion for coffee, visiting my home first question you will hear from me
is “strong Turkish coffee, creamy Espresso, Latte Machiatto or Filter coffee?”
My dream: no more boss!
Ercan “the
Mediterranean handsome cook”: Actually my plan was not to settle down in
Istanbul for long. But after the idea of Komşu (komşa) Kafe came up I felt that
this is the one project I really want to give my energy to. I love cooking
vegetarian food and the surprised “elline sağlık!” (health to your hands) that
follows when people realize that they just had a full dish without even
thinking about meat.
Nora: Honestly, how difficult
is it in this system to find a job you do not have doubts about? To find a
company, an organization or a place you want to invest your energy, that
matches with your political visions? The project Komsu Kafe is the first place
I am truly convinced by, because of the people, the ideas and the sensibility
in handling the other.
THE FUNDS
We definitely need help to start our project. Mainly we need this money to set up the place, to paint the walls, to install a big open kitchen, for the courtyard and to fit the café with tables, chairs, light etc.
According to our estimations, we will need 5000 euros more to complete the installation. Luckily we have plenty of friends willing to give a hand.
But with those 5000 euros, we can start. All we need is your support.