Bircan (bir-jon): Born in Yukarikale, Turkey in 1959. Oldest of seven siblings. Married the first time when she was 18. Worked for a bank in Istanbul for 8 years. Her first son was born in 1981. She studied at Mimar Sinan University of Fine Arts, majoring in traditional Turkish arts and also focusing in Art History (Istanbul, Turkey). She graduated in 1988. While she was studying, she started working in the field of art journalism. Her interviews and reviews were published, starting 1984, in various art magazines and daily newspapers in Turkey.

At the age of 30, 7 months after her first marriage ended, and with very limited personal savings, she made her first journey to the U.S. by herself. In the USA, she learned English and then TV Production and then returned to Turkey in 1993. She re-married in Istanbul in 1995; and, in 1996, returned to the US with her son. In 1997, when her second son was just two weeks old, she enrolled at the New School University in NYC, graduating with an M.A. in Media Studies in May 1999.

Since she was far away from her large family and long term friends who live in Istanbul, and since she was sensitive about the restrictions on “freedom of expression" in Turkey, she found the time to combine her passion with her experience in art journalism and video at Queens Public TV. A partial on-line discussion during a class in Media Theory (Spring 1997) was the inspiration for forming a multi-media, global alternative platform, not only to connect Turkey with the world but also to answer a perceived public need--to represent all ideas side by side from all walks of life and every corner of the world.

As a result, she formed a public benefit organization called Light Millennium in 2001. Light Millennium received its tax exempt status effective on July 17, 2001.

The organization has been associated with the Department of Public Information of the United Nations as of December 12, 2005.

Bircan has also been a part of the Planning Committee and related sub-committees of the 59th and 60th Annual UN/DPI-NGO Conferences (http://www.undpingoconference.org).

Light Millennium’s web site has been visited in 122 countries since April 2005; its annual hits reached over 14 million, and annual visitors were more than 947,723 between Nov. 2006-Oct. 2007.During this period, the number of monthly visitors between 66,460 to 107,823. The number of content contributors --ranging between ages of seven to ninety from all walks of life—is over 800. These people have contributed--mostly original--ideas to the organization’s web site or contributed their expertise and time through events and Light Millennium TV programs. The organization has produced 36 e-publications, over fifty original TV programs, and organized and collaborated with other organizations in 47 events including two programs with the United Nations.

Since, "Millennium" means a thousand years, Light Millennium is still considered a seed in its envisioned long journey.

The first part of its title, "Light" has two meanings and messages within the overall concept of the Light Millennium:

a) To lighten the burden on our shoulders of our daily lives and to transform all the energy and time based on our own experiences and knowledge into intellectual products relating to peace and creativity with a general concern and care for others in the world.
b) “Light” as the Sun of life and as the Sun for our “minds and souls” that could eliminate all the darkness in our brains and deepest parts of our souls. Accordingly, an enlightened mind and soul can raise awareness and enlighten his or her own world, circle, community, country, and the world.

How does Light Millennium do it?: By encouraging and facilitating interested individuals from all walks of life to bring their own ideas and projects to contribute to a global community, and to become a part of it, as well as to connect, share and foster a positive global community.

Since its initial introductory issue on the Web in 1999 until now, the Light Millennium has been operating only with the help of voluntary contributions, without a full or part-time paid staff: the organization is not funded except content, skill, knowledge and time contributions by these volunteers..

Overview: The Light Millennium reflects a desire for a thousand years of journey to reach a time when and place where every sort of war and all kinds of weapons belong to history. For this reason, through each new e-publication, event, TV program or documentary or book or literary or video contest among schools, we consider that each of these efforts is and will be a minor step taken in this long journey.

Information on these productions will be available globally on the Web as long as the organization exists.

* * * * *

A personal giving point: The Light Millennium is and has been my third child since its birth via a personal essay (“Manifesto,” May 1999), and one that has been taking my time, energy, and personal capacity more than my two sons so far! Consequently, what I have been seeking and struggling is to sustain and make the organization grow requires far beyond the capacity of one individual.

For this noble dream, we invite all interested individuals and parties to join, to be part of the Light Millennium (up to date, e-publications are 2 to 4 times a year but has aimed monthly in the long run and at least in 3-5 languages), to represent your circle-culture-experience-knowledge-differences-similarities-dreams. Come support us in any way you wish to be part of this exciting, challenging and long journey which has aimed to represent YOU…

Thank You.
Bircan Ünver,
The Light Millennium. http://www.lightmillennium.org - Edited version. October 2007. New York.