The Living Tradition of "Yaren Talks" as an Indigenous Community of Practice in Today's Knowledge Society

Abstract

The “corporations” of craftsmen and guilds of artisans can be considered as the communities of practice of ancient times and the Middle Ages. The “Ahi (Brotherhood) Organization” in the Ottoman Empire is an example of these. Today, although the Ahi Organization itself has ceased to exist, the “Yaren (Friend) Talks” still continue in certain parts of Turkey as a living tradition of the Ahi principles and practices. Viewing the continuing custom of the Yaren Talks as a precious practice of society and a unique community of practice, in this short article, we will first provide some background information about this tradition and then address some related discussions, mainly about how to make this tradition continue. We believe that the Yaren Talks will provide a rich source that can be fruitful for improving the understanding and use of communities of practice in a knowledge society.