Amnesty International – The Illuminating Declaration

Although Turkey was the first nation to sign the Istanbul Convention, many of its core principles were never fully implemented. Misinformation and false narratives led to public polarization, distancing society from an agreement designed for its protection. To counter this and highlight the convention’s vital importance, we launched a two-phase initiative.

In the first leg of our project, we focused on urban safety. We transformed a dark, insecure street by illuminating it with the actual clauses of the Istanbul Convention. By literally lighting up a dangerous path with legal protections, we demonstrated the preventative power the Convention holds when put into practice.

While our project was underway, Turkey officially withdrew from the accord. In response, we expanded our scope. We visited six locations where six women had tragically lost their lives, places where the system had failed. We projected the specific clauses of the Convention onto these sites, clauses that, had they been enforced, could have saved their lives.