I live in Asia, on the other side of the Bosphorus, in the Kadiköy neighbourhood. You may remember that we had a brief stroll there during the GLM trip in 2013. I am becoming increasingly comfortable with Turkish, which I began learning three years ago. Istanbul is not a southern city; it is very different from Manila, where I have experienced the ungovernable on another scale. And Istanbul is different from northern cities in terms of the implementation of public policies, yet it is the largest metropolis in Europe… (...)
Having arrived from Réunion in her first year at Sciences Po in Paris, Lauranne went to the Philippines for her third year, where she developed a taste for the vast metropolis. Upon graduating from GLM, she wanted to explore new urban-related themes. Among other interests, she focuses on “PPP”, health, urban migrants… While her themes are varied, her desire to engage at the municipal level remains strong… This is the most relevant scale.
In Istanbul, Lauranne has one foot in the Middle East, without specialising in the Arab world. She experiences the influences and distinctiveness of the cohabiting regions. She also finds herself in a unique situation: I have chosen to be a young graduate abroad, without being in an expatriate situation. Hence, she is an internationally recruited local, which sets her apart from interns and expatriate experts, who have at least five years of experience. (...)
How did you arrive at UCLG Middle East and West Asia?
(...) It was by proposing research projects and engaging with the international community that she secured an interview at UCLG Middle East and West Asia. My intuitions are confirmed as Istanbul appears to be rapidly transforming into a new centre of the Arab world. At the very least, the city is at the convergence of migrants and institutions of all kinds: moreover, research centres on the Arab world are gradually establishing themselves there, confirming that the city is a genuine platform… even if Turkey itself is unsure of its position and what it wants to be.
And what is your view on the eagerly anticipated world of work?
In GLM, I was very eager to take action, like many others. Yet, in her professional daily life, theory seems to her like a breath of fresh air to understand the flows of governance actors and the evolution of her own projects. (...)
It is essential to make connections, to encourage cooperation between positions. However, the political context is very sensitive, and it is challenging to highlight these projects of decentralised cooperation in a country and a region where the municipal level is not sufficiently developed. Indeed, while UCLG Middle East and West Asia is strong in Turkey, it is still not adequately represented in Arab countries where decentralisation is yet to be developed. Her mission for UCLG will be to mobilise municipalities, which are the key level for social cohesion projects and to establish technical assistance on the ground at a later stage. The challenge is to link the technical with action; she is currently coordinating a regional study on municipal budgets for the development of social inclusion projects for Syrians. This study will serve as a lobbying tool with the European Union and the United Nations to draw attention to the local level in the Syrian crisis. To mobilise municipalities effectively, meaning is created only by amplifying their voices internationally and conversely presenting it to municipalities that may not have the time or analytical frameworks to do so.
What would you say to the GLMs?
(...) In a nutshell? Do not hesitate to seek out your own path. Do not hesitate to work internationally. And I recommend reading Snow by Orhan Pamuk to start or continue your immersion in the constantly politicised Turkish daily life.
Teşekkür ederiz Lauranne
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