Global inequalities and proposed solutions were discussed

Prof. Nevzat Tarhan: "Inequality is the situation that most disrupts social peace"

Üsküdar University Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences organized the "Global Inequalities and Proposed Solutions" Symposium. The symposium discussed international relations and economics, social inequalities, and gender equality.

President of Üsküdar University Prof. Nevzat Tarhan stated that inequality is the situation that most disrupts social peace. Tarhan expressed that "It also adversely affects the individual's inner world. The consequences of this are starting to be seen globally in a serious way. Behind all of this, there is the virus of inequality."

Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Prof. Deniz Ülke Kaynak emphasized the need to make efforts to eliminate inequality and stated that "As long as our norm is to eliminate inequalities, we are obligated to make an effort for this. Equality doesn't mean that each of us is the same. There must be equal opportunities. When we ensure equal opportunities, we can achieve justice."

The symposium held at Üsküdar University South Campus Fuat Sezgin Conference Hall was attended by President of Üsküdar University, Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Prof. Deniz Ülke Kaynak, along with faculty members and students.

The opening speeches of the symposium were delivered by Prof. Nevzat Tarhan and Prof. Deniz Ülke Kaynak.

Prof. Nevzat Tarhan: "The inequality virus causes global issues..."

Prof. Nevzat Tarhan emphasized that global issues emerge with the rise of the inequality virus and stated that "Inequality is the situation that most disrupts social peace. It also negatively affects the individual's inner world. The consequences of this have started to be seriously seen globally. Psychiatric disorders are increasing, crime is rising, violence is escalating, and suicides are on the rise. People are asking, 'What is behind all of this?' They wonder, 'Is there a virus causing these problems?' The name of that virus is the inequality virus. When people are not equal in rights and opportunities, their level of expectation gradually changes and increases. Stress levels rise. The price for this is paid by the weak and powerless."

"The problem begins when there is no fair and sustainable resource sharing"

Tarhan also highlighted the importance of resource use in equality of rights and opportunities and expressed that "There are not only financial resources but also social resources, social capital, and psychological capital. In resource management, first, you define the goal, then you draw the roadmap. You set the target and strategy. Afterward, you evaluate your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. This is how you manage your resources. While doing this, input modulation and output modulation occur. You increase the input, enlarge the pool, and increase the output. You share the output in a fair and sustainable manner. This is where the problem starts when there is no fair and sustainable resource sharing."

“The most important thing that disrupts peace is the breakdown of role and rights sharing”

Prof. Nevzat Tarhan pointed out the increase in narcissistic individuals globally and state that "The most important thing that disrupts peace is the breakdown of role and rights sharing in the family and society. The breakdown of rights sharing is a human-specific issue. It does not exist in animals. Animals eat and drink according to their genetic code. For example, if a lion is full, it will not harm you if you do not enter its safety zone, but humans are not like that. Humans are greedy, insatiable, ambitious, and limitless. Such people have increased nowadays. Globally, narcissistic individuals have increased. These are the ones who are disrupting global inequality. Greedy people's sense of justice is directed at themselves. They only think of their own benefit. They are indifferent and emotionless towards others. These types of people have increased..."

"Everyone should be equal in rights and opportunities"

Tarhan emphasized that people should be equal in rights and opportunities and made the following remarks: "People are not born equal. Some are born rich, and some are born poor. They say, 'Geography is destiny.' The phrase 'Geography is destiny' is very misunderstood. Its role is 30-40%. 60-70% are things that can be changed. How can a child born into a rich family be equal to a child who was not born in that environment? They are not equal. They are not equal from birth, but in rights and opportunities, all people should be equal. This is true for those who are mentally healthy. Some are born with disabilities, but they work so hard that they surpass everyone. These people are filled with many success stories. In their struggle against inequalities and injustices, many differences emerge. Successes come to light. For this reason, everyone should be equal in rights and opportunities."

Prof. Deniz Ülke Kaynak: "It has been debated since Ancient Greece..."

Speaking about the concept of equality, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Prof. Deniz Ülke Kaynak stated that "Equality is not a well-understood concept. The debate on equality and inequality has been ongoing since Ancient Greece. There have been many discussions from Diogenes, Socrates, and Aristotle. Moreover, this concept gets confused with many other concepts. ‘Is equality the same as equivalence?’ ‘Is it sameness?’ ‘Is it identity?’ ‘Is it similarity?’ ‘Is it justice?’ These are all continuing discussions that have differentiated. Sometimes, to achieve justice, we need to provide unequal treatment. Sometimes what is defined as equality is seen as putting people into the same box but forcing very different people into the same status or category. Therefore, these concepts are often contradictory."

"When we ensure equal opportunities, we can achieve justice"

Emphasizing the need to make efforts to eliminate inequality Kaynak, made the following remarks: "As long as our norm is to eliminate inequalities, we are obligated to make an effort for this. Equality does not mean that each of us is the same. There must be equal opportunities. When we ensure equal opportunities, we can achieve justice. That is, getting more opportunities and not allowing others to fall behind is actually the most important step in the effort to eliminate inequality. After that, it depends on abilities, capacities, a little bit of luck, and a little bit of help from God. Everything in nature inevitably makes people unequal, disrupting equality. To eliminate inequality from the point where we start means being able to start the race from an equal point. After that, it depends on the performance of the runner."

The sessions began after the opening speeches.

Global economic inequalities were discussed

After the opening speeches, the first session titled "Global Economic Inequalities and Sustainable Peace" began. In this session, Prof. Havva Kök Arslan, Faculty Member of the Department of Political Science and International Relations (English) at Üsküdar University, and Assoc. Prof. Haşmet Gökırmak discussed the inequalities in the economy and the global impacts these inequalities have caused.

Global inequality was addressed from a social perspective

The second session of the symposium, titled "Global Social Inequalities- Education, Migration, and Housing," started. In this session, Prof. Barış Erdoğan, Head of the Sociology Department at Üsküdar University, Dr. Ayşegül Balta Özgen, Faculty Member of the Sociology Department, and Kayıhan Kesbiç, Policy Analyst at the Education Reform Initiative, discussed inequalities in a social context. The session highlighted the effects of global inequalities on education, as well as emphasizing issues such as migration and housing.

Gender inequality was also highlighted

The third and final session of the symposium focused on "Gender Inequality." In this session, Dr. Nihan Kalkandeler Özdin, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Üsküdar University, Prof. Çiğdem Yazıcı, Head of the Philosophy Department, and Beril Sercem Şengül, Research Assistant at the Department of Psychology (English), discussed gender inequality. They debated possible solutions for addressing this inequality.

The symposium concluded with a group photo after answering the participants' questions.

Üsküdar News Agency (ÜHA)