WMO (World Mediation Organization) ‘s “Sustainable Peace and Business” themed symposium was held by Girne American University (GAU) Istanbul campus on 27^th & 28^th of February 2015.

With the participation of GAU Acting Rector Prof. Dr. Sadık Ülker, on the first day of the two-day symposium it was focused on a peace dominated market that grows, develops and sustains. To make the business sustainable it is important to make peace sustainable and the globalization of business and the sustainability of it without depending on opinion, gender and religion and its success was discussed.

On behalf of Global Compact Turkey, Board of Management Advisor Deniz Öztürk focused on the cooperation’s that could emerge in the business life sustained with peace, in his speech. UN Global Compact has 8000 companies in the world and over 160 companies in Turkey said Öztürk and added “70 of these companies are large-scale companies and the rest are SME’s, NGO’s universities and local governments. Öztürk said in his speech, the Business world has to act together with all the stakeholders and to adopt and internalize the universal principle (human rights, labor standards, environment protection and anti-corruption), UN Global Compact is an important step towards this goal. Maintaining the peace is usually the responsibility of the government, but very important roles in the Business world rely on universities and NGO’s. All of these stakeholders working together can make peace sustainable,”

Turkish-American Businessmen’s Association Advisory Board Chairman Uğur Terzioğlu, as a businessman and negotiator, emphasized about their experiences and why business people need to be mediators and also discussed about the challenges and rewards of business. Uğur Terzioğlu said in his speech, “When international commercial disputes enter the legal process instead of solving it quickly with mediation, causes a loss of prestige for firms and also causes moral and substantial difficulties and losses. Parties in accordance with any dispute should first try mediation. Companies must also be informed about this” said Terzioğlu.