Locally Grounded, Globally Connected

Experiencing the change we want to see—in our neighborhood, our city, our country, and our world—right here and now, and tracing its path through our everyday lives, is essential for nurturing the hope within. Otherwise, the mounting challenges around us can grow so heavy that even breathing can begin to feel difficult.

For nearly four years at Postane, we’ve been working with individuals and organizations committed to social good and ecological restoration. With the vision of becoming a “space of hope,” we strive to embody the change we dream of through inspiring safe spaces, holistic social impact services, social innovation programs, and an ethical, sustainable business model.

This past April was a remarkable time—one in which we continued to face challenges, yet also experienced the beauty life offers in spite of them. On one hand, we felt the pressure of overlapping economic and political crises and were reminded once again of the ever-present risk of earthquakes. On the other, we completed Postane’s most intensive period of international guest hosting to date.

Through four international gatherings focused on human rights, children’s rights, economic and social justice, cultural diversity, and sustainability, we welcomed 200 guests from nearly 50 countries to Postane. We hosted a “Postane: An Archaeology of a Building” tour, led thematic field trips around Galata and Beyoğlu, introduced our social procurement network, and helped guests connect with independent media and civil society organizations in Istanbul. Together with 80 volunteers from Australia, New Zealand, and the UK, we also prepared 120 child-friendly fair food packages and delivered them to the local primary school.

“Locally Grounded, Globally Connected” has been one of our guiding principles from the very beginning. We’ve continually returned to the question: is it truly possible to be deeply grounded in our neighborhood while making a meaningful impact in the world? Perhaps it’s in our most difficult moments that we’ve come closest to achieving that goal—when we’ve most deeply felt what it means to be both grounded locally and connected to the world.

In this third issue of Post Box, we bring you inspiring global encounters, strong bonds, and stories full of hope.

In solidarity,
Yaşar Adnan Adanalı
Director

Child-Friendly Fair Food Workshop

On April 9, we gathered at the Piyalepaşa Garden with 80 volunteers from the Australian public tech company TechnologyOne and 15 students from the primary school in our neighborhood. Together, we harvested crops, collected snails to protect the kale and leeks, trimmed weeds, and prepared fair food packages for all the students at the school.

Guided by our wonderful instructors Bediz Yılmaz and Evren Yıldırım, the packages included both freshly harvested vegetables from that day and products from members of the Food Justice Community. After a full day of harvesting and tending the garden, Piyalepaşa was ready for spring. The students got to know the garden, while the Australian volunteers experienced the joy of harvesting for children in this historic bostan.

At the end of the day, 120 fresh food and 120 dry goods packages were delivered to 120 students at the primary school just a few meters down from Postane. It was a rewarding day of learning, volunteering, and solidarity.

With contributions from: Gözde’s Farm, Akasya Agriculture, Yaşam Yolu Cooperative, Atadan Doğal, Ağın Women’s Cooperative, Kılıçkaya Women’s Initiative Cooperative, and Kaptan’s Walnut Farm.

OECD Watch 2025 Global Gathering

OECD Watch, a Netherlands-based global network, held its biennial Global Gathering at Postane from April 8–10.

The 2025 Global Gathering brought together 60 participants representing 47 civil society organizations, academic institutions, and the OECD, from 31 countries. Over the course of three days, participants discussed key issues, including the challenges faced by civil society in different regions, collective strategies against corporate-related human rights and environmental abuses, and ways to strengthen global cooperation within the civil society sector.

About OECD Watch

OECD Watch is a global network that supports civil society in increasing the impact of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises (OECD Guidelines) and in holding corporations accountable for harm to human rights and the environment. The OECD Guidelines set standards for corporate responsibility in areas such as transparency, human rights, labor rights, and the environment, and offer a mechanism through which companies can be held accountable when they fall short. Turkey is among the signatory states that endorse these standards.

Postane Mini-Summit: Strategic Solidarity in Uncertain Times

At a time when economic and political shifts make long-term planning increasingly difficult, our international connections—and collaborations within the Allianz Foundation network—feel more valuable than ever.

As the Allianz Foundation Hubs Network, comprising five organizations from Italy, Kosovo, Spain, Belgium, and Turkey working across environmental justice, social justice, and cultural production, we face many of the same challenges, even if their urgency differs across contexts. From April 17-20, we gathered at Postane to better understand Istanbul’s cultural transformations and co-develop practical responses to these shared issues.

At the Postane Mini-Summit, the third gathering of the Allianz Foundation Hubs Network, we came together with the Allianz Foundation Fellows to explore better ways of supporting each other and our communities through shared mechanisms of collaboration. Over four days, we held guided city tours on urban renewal and arts & culture, and working groups for strategic planning in uncertain times.

In the words of one of our participants, the program was “a perfect combination of joy and meaning.”

We are deeply grateful to the Allianz Foundation for its support, and to Autostrada Biennale, Fondazione Studio Rizoma, Inland Campo Adentro, Recyclart, and the Allianz Foundation Fellows for their contributions.

Social Change Initiative

From April 29-May 2, we had the pleasure of hosting the annual gathering of the Ireland-based organization Social Change Initiative, which supports activists from around the globe.

Twenty-five changemakers from India, the UK, South Africa, Morocco, Russia, Palestine, Zimbabwe, the US, Greece, and Kenya came together to share the common challenges they face in a rapidly shifting world and to explore collective strategies for action. Over four days, they exchanged insights drawn from their work across a wide range of fields—including peace and human rights, migration, political violence, hate crimes, legal literacy, philanthropy, and mobilizing resources for social change.

The program also included visits to key institutions in Turkey dedicated to archiving and collective memory: Open Radio (Açık Radyo), Memory Center (Hafıza Merkezi), and the 23.5 Hrant Dink Site of Memory, as well as to the Piyalepaşa Garden.

In a world overwhelmed by problem-focused narratives, hope-based communication offers a refreshing shift. It focuses on the future we want to create, emphasizing solutions, agency, and visions of a better tomorrow.

In this one-day workshop combining art, play, humor, and strategic communication, we’ll learn how to use hope as a driving force for change.

Facilitators:
Thomas Coombes (Hope-Based Comms)
Yana Buhrer Tavanier (Fine Acts)

Who can join?
Communicators, activists, storytellers, artists, media professionals, and anyone seeking new ways to drive transformation.

📅 Date: May 23, 2025
📍 Location: Postane
💬 Workshop Language: English
👥 Capacity: 30 participants
📌 Application Deadline: May 20

💸 Participation Fee:
Institutional: 5,000 TL
Individual: 3,000 TL
Solidarity (limited spots): Free of charge

📥 Click here to register. For more information, feel free to contact us at [email protected]

An Istanbul postcard from 1903. The building in the lower right corner is today’s Postane—formerly the British Post Office. Source: Max Fruchtermann Postcard Series, “Salut de Constantinople,” 1903.