The Diyarbakır Association for the Protection of Cultural and Natural Assets (DKVD) is an independent organization founded in Diyarbakır in 1996 by a group of urban volunteers/activists. DKVD focuses on urban rights and social memory studies. It is the only non-governmental organization in Diyarbakır and the surrounding region that systematically conducts multi-faceted studies on the socio-cultural structure, historical texture, fundamental rights violations, and urban rights of cities in Diyarbakır and the region. DKVD also ensures the preservation of social memory through the creation of the Diyarbakır Digital City Archive.