The 4th New World Summit – Stateless States, Brussels
Report by Isabel Käser, Peace in Kurdistan Campaign, UK
From 19 – 21 September politicians, activists, academics, artists and philosophers gathered at the New World Summit in Brussels to rethink the concept of ‘state’. Founded by visual artist Jonas Staal, the New World Summit uses the space of art to develop parliaments for stateless politics. This fourth summit took place inside the Royal Flemish Theatre, giving voice to twenty stateless states within a specially built parliament arena.
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Living Freedom: The London launch of Adem Uzun’s important new report
A packed meeting took place on the evening of 20th June at SOAS University to mark the UK launch of an important new report by Adem Uzun titled, Living Freedom: The Evolution of the Kurdish Conflict in Turkey and the Efforts to Resolve it.
The report published by Berlin based non-governmental organisation specialising in conflict resolution methods, the Berghof Foundation provides a succinct account of the history of the Kurdish struggle, transformations in the Kurdish movement, their current demands and the prospects for peace.
Adem Uzun was unable to be present in person at the meeting but recorded a video message in order to offer his contribution to the meeting.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=os5HhyShBIw]
The meeting was organised by Peace in Kurdistan in collaboration with CAMPACC and hosted by the SOAS Kurdish Society.
The discussion was chaired by Dilar Dirik, a PhD student from Cambridge, who began by situating the current Kurdish conflict within its wider international dynamics and the larger global issues.
Luxshi Vimalarajah, Programme Director of Dialogue, Mediation and Peace Support Structures at the Berghof Foundation, briefly introduced the work of the NGO and stressed some common features between negotiating processes to end protracted conflict situations.
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Public Meeting: UK launch of the paper by Adem Uzun and published by Berghof Foundation
PUBLIC MEETING
“Living Freedom”: The Evolution of the Kurdish Conflict in Turkey and the Efforts to Resolve It
Friday 20 June, 2014, 6.30pm
Venue: Room B102, Brunei Gallery, SOAS, University of London, Thornhaugh St, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG
Luxshi Vimalarajah, Programme Director of Dialogue, Mediation and Peace Support Structures at the Berghof Foundation
Adem Uzun, Executive Member of Kurdistan National Congress (KNK) on video
Selma Benkhelifa, Lawyer, Progress Lawyers Network, Belgium
Jean Lambert MEP
Desmond Fernandes, Peace in Kurdistan Campaign & CAMPACC
Chaired by Margaret Owen OBE, International Human Rights Lawyer & Patron of Peace in Kurdistan Campaign
Political violence is a tool of both state and non-state actors, and replacing it by political methods of conflict management is essential to making sustainable peace. Adem Uzun’s case study about the Kurdish conflict is part of a series produced by the Berghof Foundation to bring to wider attention and appreciation those important voices – including those deliberately silenced as ‘’terrorists’’ – which are usually excluded or devalued in the analysis of conflict.
“Living Freedom”: New report by the Berhof Foundation written by Adem Uzun
Adem Uzun, member of the Kurdistan National Congress who Peace in Kurdistan campaigned for last year after his provocative arrest in Paris in October 2012, has written this report for the Berghof Foundation’s Transitions Series. The contents of the report includes a short history of the Kurds; the PKK’s military and political struggle with the Turkish state; the international conspiracy against Öcalan; the PKK’s transformation and the new paradigm; the Oslo meetings between the Turkish State, the PKK and Ocalan; and the Imrali Process in 2013.
You can read the report in full here.
Write to Adem Uzun!
Earlier in the year, Peace in Kurdistan campaign and CAMPACC began a number of initiatives to demand the release of Brussels-based Kurdish activist Adem Uzun, who was arrested in Paris last October. He was denied bail and he has now spent seven months in prison without a trial date set.
Read more about Adem, the political nature of his arrest and our campaigns to release him.
In February we sent an open letter to the French Justice Minister, Christiane Taubira, which was signed by over 200 campaigners, politicians, academics and community activists, urging the French authorities to release him. Anyone who missed their chance to sign the open letter can still get involved – we also designed and printed cards that YOU can send off her. The more that arrive on her desk the better, so get in touch if you’d like some to send.
Most importantly, we are appealing to everyone to write directly to Adem. It is often said that the most frightening thing for prisoners is the fear of being forgotten. We want to make sure that Adem is not forgotten, and a simple letter from you could break the isolation he must undoubtedly feel at this time. We believe and act of solidarity like this will provide him with great comfort and strength.
EUTCC statement on the withdrawal of troops from Turkey
Press release: for immediate release
26 April 2013
PKK’S HISTORICAL MOVE FOR PEACE
It is with great appreciation that the EUTCC received the message from Kurdish Communities Union (KCK) Executive Council President Murat Karayilan that the PKK withdraws its forces gradually from Turkey starting 8 May, 2013. The withdrawal is a result of the ongoing peace talks between the PKK’s leader Mr. Abdullah Öcalan and the Turkish government and emerged following letter exchanges between the mountain and the leader. The withdrawal is the first phase in a process that hopefully leads to lasting peace.
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EUTCC calls for the release of Yilmaz Orkan
27 March, 2013
Press release: for immediate release
The deputy head of the Confederation of Kurdish Associations in Europe (KON-KURD) and a member of KNK, Mr. Yilmaz Orkan, were arrested yesterday morning at the Zaventem airport in Brussels by Belgian police on behalf of their Spanish colleagues.
Yilmaz Orkan was on his way to Tunisia and the World Social Forum (WSF) which provides a platform that enables encounters between women and the men who struggle to build democracy, equality for all, solidarity, justice and peace, to protect the environment and commons. Orkan’s work, his diplomatic efforts and lobbying for a peaceful solution to the Kurdish question are well known to the European Parliament, the European Council and the international community. It seems that despite the ongoing political peace talks between Mr. Abdullah Öcalan and the Turkish government, dark political forces swipe Europe. Orkan’s arrest is just another attempt to curry favor to the campaign against the PKK and its so-called “terrorism” in Europe. The arrest of Yilmaz Orkan follows the case of the imprisoned Kurdish diplomat Adem Uzun who was detained in Paris October 2012. Continue reading “EUTCC calls for the release of Yilmaz Orkan”
KON-KURD condemns arrest of Yilmaz Orkan
CONFEDERATION OF KURDISH ASSOCIATIONS IN EUROPE (KON-KURD)
RELEASE KURDISH DIPLOMAT MR YILMAZ ORKAN
Press Release: for immediate release, 27 March 2013
We condemn the arrest of Mr Yilmaz Orkan, the vice president of the Confederation of Kurdish Associations in Europe (KON-KURD) which has 12 federations and 165 associations in Europe, Australia, and Canada. Mr Orkan is a deputy head for the last three years and also a member of the Kurdish National Congress (KNK). Mr Orkan was detained on 24 March 2013 in the Zaventem Airport/Brussels and then put in Belgium Forest Prison by the Belgian police at the request of Spain’s National Court. Mr Orkan was on his way to Tunisia to attend to the World Social Forum 2013.
New international campaign for Adem Uzun launched
Peace in Kurdistan campaign, along with Campaign Against Criminalising Communities (CAMPACC), is pleased to support this new international campaign launched by the EUTCC calling for the release of Adem Uzun:
EUTCC – TURKEY CIVIC COMMISSION
INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN
FREE ADEM UZUN
THE LIBERATION OF A GENUINE KURDISH DIPLOMAT : ADEM UZUN
Editorial
The international community while waiting for creative dynamics in context with the complicated Turkish-Kurdish dialogue at the same time Mr. Adem Uzun as one of the ARCHITECTS
OF KURDISH DIPLOMACY is arrested in Paris.
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