News

BODRUM'S ISSUES TO BE RESOLVED THROUGH COLLECTIVE INTELLIGENCE

13.06.2023

BODRUM'S FUTURE DETERMINED THROUGH COLLECTIVE INTELLIGENCE

At the Search Conference organized by Bodrum Municipality in collaboration with Bodrum Promotion Foundation (BOTAV), Bodrum's issues and future were discussed.

The two-day Search Conference took place at Kempinski Hotel Barbaros Bay Bodrum, with the participation of Ahmet Aras, the Mayor of Bodrum & the Board Chairman of BOTAV; board members of BOTAV, as well as representatives from the fields of arts, business, education, civil society, and the private sector in Bodrum.

Under the moderation of Prof. Dr. Oğuz Babüroğlu, the Search Conference included group work on "Future Scenarios and Current Situation Assessment," "Future Design," and "Strategic Roadmap." Participants shared their ideas and projects with other group members through presentations, aiming to reach conclusions through collective intelligence.

A Different Approach from Traditional Conferences

Prof. Dr. Oğuz Babüroğlu emphasized that the conference differed from traditional conferences, stating, "We don't follow a structure where some people speak while others listen. It is more of a workshop approach, aiming to maximize everyone's contribution and participation. It is a method that enables their sharing and the generation of new ideas and knowledge: the Search Conference. What we are looking for is collective intelligence. We are searching for collective intelligence regarding the future of Bodrum. We are close to finding it. We are trying to find the roadmap and projects to implement it."

Highlighting the importance of group work, Babüroğlu continued, "It is necessary for the stakeholders who affect and are affected by Bodrum's present and future to carry out this work. There is a strong participation from both yesterday and today. BOTAV's board members have participated extensively, but we are also conducting a search conference with the participation of other experts living in Bodrum. It is also a participatory planning method. We have defined both the current situation, including all its problems, and what should be. We have established the connection between the current situation and the desired one through separate work. We have identified the entanglements and deadlocks and how to solve them, as well as how to reach the desired future, which will be determined anew."

The Importance of Following Up on the Search Conference

Prof. Dr. Oğuz Babüroğlu stated that the most important part of the Search Conferences is the follow-up of the resulting declaration, as well as who will be responsible for following up on the ideas and projects that emerge. He mentioned that the follow-up after the Search Conference held in Bodrum in 2008 was not very efficient, and he concluded by saying:

"One of our most important guarantors is our Mayor, Ahmet Aras. He worked continuously for two days with all stakeholders, together with the BOTAV board and other stakeholders. That's why I am very hopeful."

In his closing speech, Bodrum Mayor Ahmet Aras stated that Bodrum is not a typical tourist destination, saying, "Bodrum, with its blue voyage, gastronomy, local culture, vegetation, and different bays, is neither similar to Caen nor to St. Tropez. It is neither like Didim nor Kuşadası. It has its own 11 different Caens, 11 different St. Tropezes."

Mayor Aras emphasized the importance of Bodrum's historical and cultural values and mentioned some projects and plans carried out or planned by the municipality related to the projects and issues that emerged from the group work.

At the end of the conference, Mayor Aras presented a plaque of appreciation to Prof. Dr. Oğuz Babüroğlu and his team, stating that they would plan their work according to the declaration of the Search Conference and implement solutions and projects for Bodrum's future through collective intelligence.