The Kurds in the Changing Middle East Conference
The Kurds in the Changing Middle East Conference
The Kurds in the Changing Middle East is the title of a two-days conference which will take place in London on 17th - 18th November, at
SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies), University of London. The conference is organized by Kurdish Academic Forum, SOAS and Kurdish Society.
The conference will be available on streaming at www.kurdishacademicforum.com
On Saturday viewers can click on livestreaming link to get the live coverage of the conference.
The Middle East is undergoing a historic process of change and transformation. While the media and academic interest has predominantly focussed on the ‘Arab Spring’, the role of the Kurds in the process of this change has been insufficiently analysed. The Kurds are emerging as an actor in the region with the potential to challenge the existing order. This conference seeks to explore the position and the role of the Kurds during this critical period.
The establishment of Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in 2003 together with the recent events in Northern Syria (Western Kurdistan) have greatly enhanced the significance of the Kurds. The main challenge to the existing political order, however, has been presented by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Almost three decades have passed since conflict and political violence erupted in Turkey’s Kurdish regions. The conflict has cost the lives of 40,000 people (including soldiers, guerrillas and the civilians). According to estimates made by Turkish and international human rights organisations, between 2 and 3 million people were internally displaced as part of the state’s counter-offensive operations.
The conference will explore the following subjects in greater depth:
• Emerging alternative political systems, including the Kurdish movement’s proposal of democratic autonomy in Syria and Turkey;
• The opportunities for a Kurdish statehood; • The role of international powers and the Middle East; • Social Movements in the changing Middle East; • Conflict Resolution in the Kurdish context and; • The Kurds’ role in Turkey’s democratisation process.
Conference Programme and Speakers
DAY 1:
9:00 – 9:20: Registration and 9:20-9:30: Welcome Speech by Kurdish Academic Forum 9:30 – 10:30: Opening Speech, Mr. Salih Muslim, Leader of Democratic Union Party (PYD), Syria.
10:30 – 11:00: Break 11:00 – 13:30: Panel 1: Peace and Conflict Resolution Processes
Moderator: Ms. Orsola Casagrande Prof. Johan Galtung (via Skype), prominent scholar of Peace Studies and founder of the Peace Research
Institute Oslo (PRIO). Title: ‘Peace Processes and Conflict Resolution’
Mr. Brian Currin, Lawyer and Peace Negotiator, founder of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Title: to be confirmed.
Mr. Alex Maskey, Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for South Belfast, Sinn Féin. Topic: From Po- litical Exclusion to Power Sharing: The Irish Peace Process
Dr. Cengiz Gunes, Associate Lecturer at the Open University. Title: ‘Political Reconciliation in Turkey: Chal- lenges and Prospects’
13:30 – 14:30: Lunch 14:30 – 17:00: Panel 2: Democratisation and transformation in the Middle East
Moderator: Mr. Mark Campbell Mr. Reimar Heider, Independent Researcher and Human Rights Activist, Title: ‘The transformation of the
Kurdish national Movement’
Ms. Meral Çiçek, Woman Rights Activist and Journalist. Title: ‘The role of women in an establishing demo- cratic autonomy’
Prof. Ronald Moench, Professor for Media Law, Constitutional Law and International Law, Bremen Univer- sity of Applied Sciences, Germany. Title: ‘Towards a Constitution for North-West Kurdistan’
DAY 2:
10:00 – 10:30: Registration 10:30 – 13:00: Panel 3: The Capitalist Crisis and the Middle East
Moderator: Mr. Deniz Arbet Nejbir Mr. Ertuğrul Kürkçü, Member of Parliament for Mersin Province (Peace and Democracy Party, BDP) Tur-
key. Topic: To be confirmed.
Dr. Adam Hanieh, Lecturer at the School of Oriental and African Studies, London. Title: ‘Capitalist Crisis and Arab Spring’
Dr. Kamran Matin, Lecturer in International Relations, Sussex University. Title: ‘What time is Kurdistan?: Reflections on Capitalism and the International’
13:00 – 14:00: Lunch 14:00 – 16:30: Panel 4: Kurds’ search for status in the Middle East
Moderator: Mr. Hassan Ghazi Mr. Hadi Sofizade, Human Rights Activist, Sweden. Topic: Kurdish Question in Iran (East Kurdistan).
Dr. Mahmoud Othman, Member of Iraqi National Assembly, Kurdistan. Topic: The Kurdish Question in Iraq (South Kurdistan) (Dr Othman will confirm his attendance at the end of October).
Ms. Gultan Kýşanak, MP, Co-chairwoman of the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), Turkey. Title: ‘The Kurdish Question in Turkey’
Prof. Mithat Sancar, Faculty of Law, Ankara University, Turkey. Title: to be confirmed 16:30: Closing Remarks
Address:
The School of Oriental & African Studies (SOAS) Thornhaugh Street Russell Square London WC1H 0XG
United Kingdom
SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies), University of London. The conference is organized by Kurdish Academic Forum, SOAS and Kurdish Society.
The conference will be available on streaming at www.kurdishacademicforum.com
On Saturday viewers can click on livestreaming link to get the live coverage of the conference.
The Middle East is undergoing a historic process of change and transformation. While the media and academic interest has predominantly focussed on the ‘Arab Spring’, the role of the Kurds in the process of this change has been insufficiently analysed. The Kurds are emerging as an actor in the region with the potential to challenge the existing order. This conference seeks to explore the position and the role of the Kurds during this critical period.
The establishment of Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in 2003 together with the recent events in Northern Syria (Western Kurdistan) have greatly enhanced the significance of the Kurds. The main challenge to the existing political order, however, has been presented by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Almost three decades have passed since conflict and political violence erupted in Turkey’s Kurdish regions. The conflict has cost the lives of 40,000 people (including soldiers, guerrillas and the civilians). According to estimates made by Turkish and international human rights organisations, between 2 and 3 million people were internally displaced as part of the state’s counter-offensive operations.
The conference will explore the following subjects in greater depth:
• Emerging alternative political systems, including the Kurdish movement’s proposal of democratic autonomy in Syria and Turkey;
• The opportunities for a Kurdish statehood; • The role of international powers and the Middle East; • Social Movements in the changing Middle East; • Conflict Resolution in the Kurdish context and; • The Kurds’ role in Turkey’s democratisation process.
Conference Programme and Speakers
DAY 1:
9:00 – 9:20: Registration and 9:20-9:30: Welcome Speech by Kurdish Academic Forum 9:30 – 10:30: Opening Speech, Mr. Salih Muslim, Leader of Democratic Union Party (PYD), Syria.
10:30 – 11:00: Break 11:00 – 13:30: Panel 1: Peace and Conflict Resolution Processes
Moderator: Ms. Orsola Casagrande Prof. Johan Galtung (via Skype), prominent scholar of Peace Studies and founder of the Peace Research
Institute Oslo (PRIO). Title: ‘Peace Processes and Conflict Resolution’
Mr. Brian Currin, Lawyer and Peace Negotiator, founder of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Title: to be confirmed.
Mr. Alex Maskey, Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for South Belfast, Sinn Féin. Topic: From Po- litical Exclusion to Power Sharing: The Irish Peace Process
Dr. Cengiz Gunes, Associate Lecturer at the Open University. Title: ‘Political Reconciliation in Turkey: Chal- lenges and Prospects’
13:30 – 14:30: Lunch 14:30 – 17:00: Panel 2: Democratisation and transformation in the Middle East
Moderator: Mr. Mark Campbell Mr. Reimar Heider, Independent Researcher and Human Rights Activist, Title: ‘The transformation of the
Kurdish national Movement’
Ms. Meral Çiçek, Woman Rights Activist and Journalist. Title: ‘The role of women in an establishing demo- cratic autonomy’
Prof. Ronald Moench, Professor for Media Law, Constitutional Law and International Law, Bremen Univer- sity of Applied Sciences, Germany. Title: ‘Towards a Constitution for North-West Kurdistan’
DAY 2:
10:00 – 10:30: Registration 10:30 – 13:00: Panel 3: The Capitalist Crisis and the Middle East
Moderator: Mr. Deniz Arbet Nejbir Mr. Ertuğrul Kürkçü, Member of Parliament for Mersin Province (Peace and Democracy Party, BDP) Tur-
key. Topic: To be confirmed.
Dr. Adam Hanieh, Lecturer at the School of Oriental and African Studies, London. Title: ‘Capitalist Crisis and Arab Spring’
Dr. Kamran Matin, Lecturer in International Relations, Sussex University. Title: ‘What time is Kurdistan?: Reflections on Capitalism and the International’
13:00 – 14:00: Lunch 14:00 – 16:30: Panel 4: Kurds’ search for status in the Middle East
Moderator: Mr. Hassan Ghazi Mr. Hadi Sofizade, Human Rights Activist, Sweden. Topic: Kurdish Question in Iran (East Kurdistan).
Dr. Mahmoud Othman, Member of Iraqi National Assembly, Kurdistan. Topic: The Kurdish Question in Iraq (South Kurdistan) (Dr Othman will confirm his attendance at the end of October).
Ms. Gultan Kýşanak, MP, Co-chairwoman of the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), Turkey. Title: ‘The Kurdish Question in Turkey’
Prof. Mithat Sancar, Faculty of Law, Ankara University, Turkey. Title: to be confirmed 16:30: Closing Remarks
Address:
The School of Oriental & African Studies (SOAS) Thornhaugh Street Russell Square London WC1H 0XG
United Kingdom
