Turkish Americans Gaining Power through Grassroots:
DENVER

DENVER, CO, November 29, 2007—As part of its Public Outreach Plan, ATAA held its seventh Grassroots Networking meeting in Denver in cooperation with the local Turkish American association TACSCO. Attendees gathered in the penthouse of the Allied Apartment building in downtown Denver. The event began with opening remarks by TACSCO president Mr. Osman Apaydin. ATAA Advocacy Director Allison Block then gave a presentation about ATAA, its strategic and public outreach plans, as well as a wealth of information on advocacy tips for Turkish Americans. After the presentations, the audience and ATAA representatives exchanged ideas for effective grassroots organizing in the area, from which a grassroots committee was established for both Denver and Vail. The grassroots committee co-chairs will cooperate with ATAA to ensure the continuation of these efforts in the local area.

While in Denver, Ms. Block also attended and spoke about Turkey and Turkish American relations at an event with Mr. Robert Hazan, Chair of the Political Science Department at Metropolitan State College of Denver, as part of a locally organized international legal forum.

About “Turkish Americans Gaining Power through Grassroots”:

This meeting is part of a series titled “Turkish Americans Gaining Power through Grassroots,” and is planned for more than 30 cities across the United States geared at activating the Turkish American community, as well as sharing information with the community on how to be more civically active citizens. The presentations by ATAA representatives last for about one and a half hours, and include presentations by ATAA President Nurten Ural, ATAA President-Elect Gunay Evinch, and ATAA Advocacy Director Allison Block. The program begins with a presentation by President Ural, sharing general information about ATAA, its strategic and public outreach plans, and new ideas for the Turkish American community. ATAA Advocacy Director Allison Block in her presentation goes into further detail about specific skill sets and methodologies for Turkish Americans to be more effective in communicating with different audiences. President-Elect Evinch closes out the seminar with an informative, detailed and accurate presentation on issues that are currently confronting the Turkish American community. The presentation was followed by a Q&A session, where attendees can ask pertinent, timely and engaging questions. Often the audience is honored by the presence of Regional Turkish Consul Generals or Honorary Consul Generals.

More importantly, during these visits, ATAA staff assists in arranging meetings for constituents with their local representatives in Congress. Due to the fact that many members of the Turkish American community are new to such processes, ATAA makes the facilitation of this process one of its top priorities.

For a complete schedule please contact Allison Block, Advocacy Director, at the ATAA Headquarters at: 202.483.9090.

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Contact:
Nurten Ural, President ATAA
Allison Block, Advocacy Director, ATAA
Tel: 202.483.9090
E-mail: president@ataa.org