August 7, 2013
Dear friends,
ELAW partner Gonca Yilmaz from Turkey stopped by the office this morning. She is on her way to Portland where she will pursue a Masters in Environmental and Natural Resources Law at Lewis and Clark Law School.
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| Left to right: Gonca Yilmaz, Maggie Keenan, and Shweta Narayan, at a reception for the 2013 ELAW Annual Meeting. |
Gonca helped fight this summer to save Taksim Square and Gezi Park. In July, an Istanbul court halted plans for a mall in Gezi Park, the only public green space in the heart of the Taksim district.
"We need to protect parks in Turkey and around the world," says Gonca. "The Masters program will give me more tools."
Gonca co-founded the Denge Ecological Life Foundation, based in Istanbul, and has plans for an environmental law center. She works on problems related to hydropower and coal plants, and is involved in litigation on a large dam project. She has practiced law for ten years.
Best of luck to Gonca in Portland!
Sincerely,
Maggie Keenan
Communications Director
Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide
P.S. ELAW is working with partners around the world to protect communities and the environment. Learn more about our work on our blog, Facebook, and Twitter.