Although the Nirengi Association was founded in November 2015, its history dates back to before. As professionals from different specialities who came together in the 1999 Marmara Earthquake, our paths crossed in many projects over the years and we had the opportunity to work together. In the immediate aftermath of the 1999 Marmara earthquake, we quickly met with 90 colleagues. We provided the Reducing Post-Disaster Social Trauma Implementation Methods workshops via adapting the knowledge and experience of professional organisations abroad. In close cooperation with various NGOs in the disaster zone, we continued post-traumatic rehabilitation activities as a team for nearly two years.

Similarly, after the 2003 bombings of the British Consulate General, 2 synagogues, and HSBC Bank in Istanbul, we conducted trainings on trauma and worked with the people affected by the attack and their families.

In 2003, we led the IAGP International Group Psychotherapies Congress to take place at the Istanbul Lutfü Kırdar Convention Center and worked in the organization as a team and made presentations.

We pride ourselves on being the first Center to introduce Turkey to Art Therapy studies and to initiate and disseminate these studies. We have pioneered professionally in these fields by adding and enriching artistic expressions beyond verbal expression.

We have implemented our awareness and development group studies, access to rights, and individual development studies with various institutions, universities, and different NGOs that we have been implementing for a quarter of a century. We appealed to a wide range of audiences with our individual and group studies, vocational training seminars, surveillance studies, efforts to raise awareness about gender roles and cultural codes, conferences that raise knowledge and awareness, sharing, and conversations. After a while, we “grew out of” and decided to spread our knowledge and experiences to a wider audience to make a difference at the social level by reaching out to regions where we have not reached before. As a transformation and regeneration story, we founded the Nirengi Association.

Our core team has a degree of expertise in its field from various disciplines; it consists of professional staff such as a clinical psychologist, expert psychological counsellor, educator, social worker, communication and visibility specialist, international relations and political scientist, lawyer, forensic psychologist, etc. In addition, our association has a wide network connection that provides the capacity to receive expert support in all subjects. The number of young and newly graduated professionals who voluntarily contribute to our association is also increasing.

As The Nirengi Association, we have determined our main purpose as ‘to be a reference non-governmental organization in the national and international arena’. We also formulated our goals as ‘contributing to the survival of individuals and society per human dignity, their well-being and their quality of life within the framework of international standards.

In this context, we have shaped our core fields of study according to the knowledge and experience of the founding team: Advocacy and Networking, Quality and Accountability Standards (Sphere, INEE, CPMS, EU Guidelines for NGOs, etc.), At-Risk Groups (women, children, individuals in special needs, minority groups, etc.). Support for Purposes, Child Protection and Children’s Rights, Humanitarian Aid-Disaster and Emergency Management and Development, Psycho-Social Support, Policy Building for Problem Areas, Social Dialogue and Development, Capacity Building and research.

Our team, which has been working together for many years, is a rare team that has absorbed the principles of mutual solidarity, strengthening together, cooperation, self-discipline, and responsibility, and is working with its motivation and ideals. In addition to its belief in lifelong development and education, it consists of active and contemporary members and academicians who closely follow current developments and turn them into applications. Our members are active and responsible at both the national and international levels and cooperate with a mindset that generously shares their experiences.