Our History
The Beginning
Founded by Nevzer G. Stacey in 1998 as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organization in Washington, D.C., HasNa Inc. brought together groups from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds to promote collaboration on projects that improve their communities and strengthen inter-group relations.
For over 25 years, HasNa’s mission has been to promote cross-cultural understanding, economic empowerment, and peace in culturally divided communities. Since 1998, HasNa has implemented over 100 training programs at the grassroots level to build dialogue and understanding between Turkish, Kurdish, and Syrian communities in Turkey, between Turkish and Greek Cypriots in Cyprus, and between Turks and Armenians.
Our Vision & Approach
HasNa’s vision has been to integrate members of ethnically divided communities through constructive dialogue based on respect and professional collaboration, leading to economic development for the whole community.
To that end, HasNa partnered with local civil society organizations to design and deliver innovative peacebuilding projects in Turkey, Cyprus, and Armenia, combining professional training with skills development workshops on communication and conflict resolution.
HasNa chose peacebuilding through economic development as its theory of change—integrating divided communities and building mutual trust and understanding.
According to this theory of change, working with local organizations to identify specific needs in ethnically divided communities and creating customized professional training programs that incorporate conflict resolution training would enable professional cooperation and economic development at the grassroots level. This would eventually lead to lasting peace and cultural integration within divided communities.
Our Guiding Principles
Collaboration
Building personal and organizational relationships through training in conflict resolution and professional development among individuals and communities.
Local Partnership
Identifying and customizing programs around local needs by working directly with community organizations who understand the context best.
Diversity
Bringing together program participants from varying cultural, social, and economic backgrounds to foster genuine cross-cultural exchange.
Sustainability
Ensuring that participants act as local changemakers and focus on creating long-term solutions that outlast any single program.
Program History
Farm Extension Programs
Partnership with University of Maryland
Agricultural training programs that brought together farmers from divided communities, building economic cooperation alongside cross-cultural understanding.
Talk of the Island
Cyprus
The first bi-communal radio show in Cyprus, funded by the United States Institute of Peace. This groundbreaking program gave Turkish and Greek Cypriots a shared platform for dialogue and storytelling.
Women's Micro-Entrepreneurship
Turkey & Armenia
Training programs for Turkish and Armenian women, empowering them with business skills while building bridges between their communities through professional collaboration.
Digital Storytelling Project
Southeastern Turkey
Media and peace journalism training for Turkish and Syrian journalism students, culminating in short films produced by mixed pairs of student journalists and showcased at a virtual screening event.
Navigating Change
Toward the end of 2017, HasNa went through a period of transition. HasNa’s founder and President, Nevzer Stacey, was succeeded by Rukmini Banerjee, who led the organization as President and Executive Director from January 2018 to December 2022.
During this time, HasNa navigated a series of challenges including the aftermath of the coup attempt in Turkey negatively impacting U.S.-Turkey relations, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to a temporary suspension of all in-person programming.
During the pandemic, HasNa launched the Turkey Refugee Response Initiative, a repository of research and best practices on Turkey’s response to Syrian refugee communities resettled in the region. HasNa carried out interviews with stakeholders from domestic and international humanitarian organizations, local municipalities, and scholars from universities and policy research organizations.
Today & Looking Forward
After more than 25 years of hands-on peacebuilding work, HasNa has transitioned into the HasNa Foundation. While we no longer deliver programs directly, our commitment to cross-cultural understanding and community empowerment endures.
Today, the Foundation provides grants to nonprofit organizations whose work embodies the values Nevzer Stacey instilled in HasNa from the beginning: listening respectfully, working collaboratively, and building bridges across divided communities.
Through these partnerships, HasNa’s legacy of fostering dialogue, economic opportunity, and lasting peace continues to ripple outward—honoring the spirit of Hasan and Naciye, whose names inspired it all.
"Listening respectfully and working collaboratively."
— The enduring values of Nevzer Stacey