Ashoka
Zeynep Meydanoglu
Zeynep has been building capacity over the period of ten years for the development of civil society and philanthropy in Turkey, working in the fields of infrastructure to create and implement innovative models. Zeynep created the first comprehensive research study on civil society in Turkey, advocacy activities for a more favorable legal and property infrastructure, donors, foundations (community foundations), social enterprise and social finance; She has experience with innovative approaches to the above, and has written many publications and articles to this end. Before joining Ashoka Turkey, Zeynep was with the Third Sector Foundation (European Foundation) serving as Program Director. She also participates actively in the women's movement. She was a member of KA-DER, where she was on the board between 2009-2012, Mor Çatı and KAMER volunteer. Zeynep is a member of the Board of the Support Foundation for Civil Society. She received her BA in Political Science and Cultural Studies from McGill University in Canada, and she is still continuing her thesis study in the Human Rights Law program of Bilgi University.
From rights to jobs: LGBTQ+ liberation in the Arab World
Before the Beirut Port blast last August that killed hundreds and destroyed entire neighborhoods, Lebanon’s economy was already under enormous pressure due to long-standing political challenges and the Covid pandemic. Amid all of this, Lebanon’s LGBTQ+ community has been particularly hard hit. Social entrepreneurs like Tarek Zeidan are building a better economic future for Lebanon that elevates queer voices.
Ashoka insight
"We have to convince people that changing their attitudes towards LGBT people is not a betrayal of who they are, who their parents were, and what our culture represents. We’re retaining what's important in our values system, and we’re choosing to let go of what no longer is relevant to the times."