Challenges and Possibilities

There are approximately 40 million Kurdish people inhabiting Kurdistan. In addition, there are several millions Kurds living abroad, mainly in Europe and North America,

but other parts of the world, as well. Since World War I, the Kurdish people have been forced to migrate due to the lack of freedom and discrimination imposed by the countries occupying the area.

For decades the Kurdish people have struggled for recognition of their basic human rights, and now for the first time are drawing international attention to their cause with the establishment of the Kurdistan Regional Government, the continuous tension in northern Kurdistan and a new approach to bring relevant issues to light. These factors and the recent waves of changes in the Middle East and North Africa have created a source of inspiration to strengthen and harmonize the Kurdish efforts for the future of Kurdistan.

This is taken from the website of the World Kurdish Congress.

This “Kurdish question” is several respects employing me for a very long time already – though only occurring as a kind of background noise, but not in Luhmann’s understanding but though in the background it is very loud and very clear. And it has for me different dimensions, changing over time: simply the “old solidarity” but as well the challenges, many challenges linked espcially to the unknown. The role of religion(s), the roleof economic development which is in this case very much about a twofold or multiple peripherialisation, the question of human rights of course and also the role of the international influence: developmental politics and its too often oppressive character.

And still, it is shocking how little is known. Though I personally surely would loke to know more that I actually do, I probably have to accept the simple insight: the brain is smaller than the world. But I am glad to be able to support at least the initiative to enhance research and to join The Supportive Committee of World Kurdish Congress (WKC) the Establishment of the World Kurdish Congress (WKC)

Without ambitions to develop sound overall expertise I look forward to the debates during the first congress, planned for October in Amsterdam.