Dear members,
Dear friends,
We are pleased to publish our current newsletter.
Best regards
Executive board
Board meetings
Board meetings were held on 09.10, 12.11 and 03.12.2024.
Editorial work to ministries of education
We have drawn the attention of the Ministries of Education and Cultural Affairs to our editorial work “Doubly invisible: intra-migrant racism in Germany & the organised Turkish right”.
Pan-European network meeting of Kurdish Institutes and academic organisations
On 27.10.2024 the sixth Pan-European network meeting of Kurdish Institutes and academic organisations took place online. The Association for Democracy and International Law Maf-Dad, the Association of Kurdish Teachers in Europe YMK and the Association of Parents from Kurdistan Yekmal provided important impulses with regard to the joint public relations interface.
Events on a political solution to the Kurdish question
In cooperation with the KCDK-E Health Committee, the Doctors’ Working Group organised an online panel discussion on the topic of ‘War & Isolation: Medical Perspectives for Peace’. The speakers were the health scientist and former HDP MP Sibel Yiğitalp, the doctor and DEM MP Heval Bozdağ and the doctor Zeynep Binici-Çetinkaya.
In cooperation with Maf-Dad, we organised an X-Space entitled ‘İmralı: the intersection of isolation, health and peace’. The speakers were former HDP deputy Hişyar Özsoy, co-chair of ELDH Barbara Spinelli and our co-chair Dersim Dağdeviren.
Conference of Kurdish doctors
On 21 November 2024, the 4th conference of Kurdish doctors took place in Cologne.
Science Café
This year’s Science Café took place on 26 November 2024. Prof. Ass. Nilay Özok-Gündoğan from Florida University and Selma Irmak, former HDP deputy, spoke about ‘Fragmentation and National Unity: Narratives vs Realities”.
International Day of Human Rights
In cooperation with the Association for Democracy and International Law (Maf-Dad) and the Kurdish Center for Public Relations (Civaka Azad) we organised an online panel debate entitled “İmralı: Island – Isolation – Inspiration – Hurdles and Challenges for dialogue and democracy”. The speakers were Prof Denis O’Hearn from the University of Texas at El Paso, USA, Suzan Akipa from the Asrin Law Office, Turkey, and the former co-chair of the Human Rights Association IHD, Öztürk Türkdoğan.
Soft Skills seminars
In cooperation with Civaka Azad, our educational institute has once again launched a series of Soft Skills seminars. The seminar on 21 November was about press relations, on 19 December about social media.
DiploAlternative
Our educational institute is launching a new seminar series on the topics of diplomacy and public relations. Monthly seminars will cover interests and needs as comprehensively as possible.
Cooperation with the Universities of Rojava
On 20 February 2025, in cooperation with the universities of Rojava and the Paris-based Centre for Cooperation with Alternative Universities, we will hold the online symposium ‘Decolonising Knowledge & Science. Breaking the isolation & weaving solidarity with the universities in North & East Syria/Rojava’.
A Europe-wide meeting was held on 13 November 2024. The working groups formed at this meeting meet regularly.
Criminal complaint
Together with Maf-Dad, we have filed a criminal complaint against Turkish President Erdoğan for crimes against humanity & war crimes in northern Syria with a focus on destroyed health facilities.
Developments around Rojava and Syria
Together with the universities of DAANES, the Centre for Cooperation with Alternative Universities (CSUA), and the network “Decolonising knowledge and science: Breaking the Isolation and Weaving Solidarity with Universities in North and East Syria/Rojava”, we have published a press release demanding: The Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES), its universities and self-governing institutions must be recognised as a model for the transformation process in Syria.
We have also invited academics / scientists to write a short statement in solidarity with Rojava.
In addition, we addressed the members of the German Bundestag to draw attention to the dangers in and prospects for Syria.