Politics Personal Statement Example 32

Thirty-five years ago, my parents were oppressed by the military coup, and three years ago, millions of teenagers and I were oppressed for defending our freedom. The state of politics in Turkey– the divide between the conservative religious and the modern secularists, and the suppression of the people – is the fundamental reason for my interest in studying political science. The atmosphere of upheaval and pandemonium in Turkey, does not only pose a threat to the political stability, but also to the society. Unlike previous years, now the future of the Turkish Republic yet the democracy is clear. Studying politics in the UK will allow me the opportunity to study in one of the seats of democracy and to be at the centre of European and global relationships, as well as to gain a new perspective on global politics.

Witnessing at first hand the impact of policies implemented on the people by governments, I have become eager to understand the inter-related nature of politics. I was further convinced of this, after an interview with a Syrian refugee. I witnessed how fundamental it is to shape the policies of the future with consideration of a variety of components that form politics. Francis Fukuyama's book 'The Origins of Political Order' has assured me of this thought ever more: that in order to organize society successfully, we need to understand both human nature as well as man's sociological and political development. From reading the ‘New York Times’ and ‘The Economist’, I have become curious to learn about the dynamics of power, how the relationships between states and people form the foundations of society, and ultimately how these connections shape the world we live in. In order to understand politics, we must first understand the externalities such as the history, economy and sociology. Albeit, I am assured at how vital it is to study the patterns and trends in global politics, in order to shape the policies of the future.

The IB Diploma programme has helped me to develop a better understanding of the world around me and of the past and the future that lies ahead of me. I have become ever more conscious of how discipline and perseverance will allow me to confidently progress. Through theory of Knowledge class I became aware of how instead of using our deductive reasoning we use our inductive reasoning to reach to conclusions. Thus, the difficulty is not with the complex and ever-progressing nature of politics but the vague understanding of the definition of politics. It is fundamental for us to enlist several ways of knowing to fully grasp the problems of the policies implemented by governments. Above all, from my participation on the Naïve Realism lecture at Stanford University, I was assured of the fact that it is because we normatively evaluate one another by the light of certain norms. In addition, from studying higher-level History, I have come to understand how in order to understand the fundamentals of politics we need to learn the evolution of world history. The interconnected nature of History led me to understand how important it is not to view the past, present and future separately, but instead as a whole. Like George Satayana said, “in the end those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”.

I have participated in the debating club, enabling me to clearly present my ideas and taught me that to all topics there are different perspectives. They have shown me the importance of being a listener and how to analyse facts and how to construct strong arguments. Through reading David Carr’s “The Twenty Years’ Crises”, I became aware of interdependence of theory and practice, which can only be attained through the combination of reality and Utopia. Therefore, in order to promote global human rights I established Amnesty International at school, which, as the President, developed my leadership skills. It has shown me that in order to act, we must understand the language and motives behind each situation. I played an active role in expanding the club into middle school, because I believe awareness of human rights should start at an early age. After attending the roundtable discussion at Leiden University on what was Charlie Hebdo, the GLOW journal was created, where students were invited to express their feelings on the issues they consider important. In addition, as an active member of Caritas, I coordinated my project with the Syrian refugees.

During the presidency election campaigns in Turkey, I counted votes at the voting booth and helped to distribute pamphlets. This experience has taught me about the preliminary work that needs to be done in politics, and how essential every branch is to a political body.

It is due to the compelling, vivid nature of politics and its connection with philosophical, historical and economic bodies that I want to study politics. My readings and experiences have assured me it is of fundamental importance to maintain a government for the people, of the people and by the people, because I believe that only then can democracy progress. I would like to contribute to the wider society and empower change, with the knowledge of justice, brotherhood and freedom. I would like to become the president of my country in order to be a bridge for brotherhood both at home and in the world. I want to make a difference and help shape the world in which we live.