Kurdish Progress A4 Booklet
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REVIEW US ON 3A Belvedere Road, SE1 7GQ | Tel: 020 7928 1986 OPENING HOURS [email protected] | www.westminsterkitchen.com Monday - Sunday 07.00am - 23.45pm 2 Centre for Kurdish Progress About Mission The mission of the Centre for Kurdish raise the profile of Kurdish people within Kurdish Progress is an independent Progress (Kurdish Progress) is British society, as well as to establish and non-partisan organisation. It was to provide an open forum for the a solid platform to better debate the inaugurated in June of 2014. discussion of political, economic and interconnected issues of all four parts of social developments among Kurdish Greater Kurdistan and their significance The organisation provides the general people in the UK and the wider to UK and world politics. Above all, this public with access to expert opinions Kurdistan region. organisation aspires to improve the and debates, focusing on the issue of position of Kurdish people in the UK and Kurdistan and Kurdish people in the UK There are around 250,000 Kurds living offer a neutral forum for discussion of as well as internationally. in the UK and around 40 million around the Kurdish issue. the world. Kurdish Progress aims to As a policy forum Kurdish Progress organises speaker series, panel discussions and social events, in order to improve the standing of Kurdish Objectives people in the UK and to offer a space • Improve the standing of Kurdish People in the UK within which to discuss Kurdistan’s • Introduce the Kurdish Question to the general public position in the world. Our work is • Make the debate accessible to laypeople driven by enjoy fruitful co-operation with the British Parliament, local and • Provide a space for debate and the pursuit of solutions international think tanks and academic • Discuss and develop the debate on divisions within Kurdistan institutions. • To host forums and panel discussions dealing with topics related to the analysis of the Kurdish question and the wider Kurdistan region Our mission is very simple: We want to (Bakur/North, Bashur/South, Rojhelat/East, Rojava/West). increase international awareness of • To act as a non-party political and non- governmental institution with the Kurdish question, and the situation the aim of providing expert opinion, advice, debate and discussion in the region and the Diaspora. The on Kurdistan, Kurdish People and the Kurdish Question. current issues are at the heart of a historic and intriguing debate. We want future Kurdish generations to grow up in a world where they are aware of their Volunteering and Internships heritage and can learn the Kurdish language. Would you like to join our team? schedule of internships are arranged according to the availability and skills Our organisation is able to function of candidates. If you are unable to thanks to the support of volunteers commit to three months, you may like to and interns as we do not receive any volunteer for us. Do email us to find out funding from any governmental body more about volunteering with us. or private organisations. We offer our CONTACT interns and volunteers an opportunity Please send your CV and a brief cover to gain practical experience in Kurdish letter 8th Floor, Elizabeth House political affairs. Internships are offered 39 York Road, London in the areas of communications, to [email protected] events organisation, press relations, SE1 7NQ, UK fundraising and research. All are welcome to apply. All candidates must be aged 18 or over and eligible to 020 7183 4272 Internships are for periods of a minimum work in the United Kingdom. Internships [email protected] of three months. The duration and are unpaid. @KurdishOrg /Centre for Kurdish Progress Donation Current events across the Middle East, public knowledge of the issues they Please support us by making a the crises in Syria and Iraq and the face. We would like to draw more donation. No amount is too small and threat of Islamic State (IS) have brought attention to the ongoing political, will be appreciated greatly. ever-greater significance to the Kurdish economic and cultural developments issue. Understanding the Kurdish issue within these communities. At present, We need your support to achieve our is now more important than ever for goals. Kurdish-led movements are pushing observers, commentators and analysts of the region. for social democratic values, gender Please visit www.kurdishprogress.org equality and pluralism in the Middle to make a donation. We would like to organise more public East. The Centre for Kurdish Progress forums and bring Kurds from all four aims to raise awareness of these For more information, please email us parts of Kurdistan together to widen significant efforts. at [email protected] Centre for Kurdish Progress 3 Messages & Endorsements Raife Aytek Director of the “I am delighted to present to you, on have been neglected by the state. Centre for Kurdish Progress behalf of the staff and volunteers of The Turkish state needs to take the Centre for Kurdish Progress, our responsibility for the people under new report covering the centre’s work its rule. It cannot continue to subject since its inauguration in 2014. people to such extreme deprivations of rights. I encourage you all to read The struggles faced by the Kurdish the recent UN report on the conflict in people across the Middle East Turkey. highlights the ever increasing importance of the work of the Centre We at Kurdish Progress are here to for Kurdish Progress. make the voice of the Kurds heard. We want to bring together Kurds from In spite of their troubles, the Kurds all different backgrounds. Through are an optimistic people. Every our events and seminars we want to year, Kurds celebrate Newroz which help Kurds create new friendships symbolises the coming of Spring. It and partnerships. We also want to is a celebration common to many explain the situation of the Kurds. cultures. It is a celebration of hope And encourage more people to call for and happiness. rights for Kurds. Each year, the Centre for Kurdish We celebrate the fact that here Progress celebrates with a Newroz in London and the UK we can live reception in the British Parliament. how we want. We can celebrate our This reception, like all the work of holidays. We can speak our language. Kurdish Progress is for Kurds from We can meet, we can organise, we any and all countries, to have a voice can live. This is a great thing and I and a platform. It is also to help am grateful to this country for this. non-Kurdish people and the British But this should not be a luxury. This public at large to better understand should be the situation for Kurds and Kurds and Kurdish issues, and to for all people all across the world. allow friendships to form between communities. I hope that together we can strive for greater equality, peace and Kurds right now once again find democracy for Kurds and for all themselves in a difficult period. They people everywhere.” remain a people without a homeland, a people abandoned by history. Kurds are facing oppression by threatening forces in practically every country where they exist in large numbers. We are not seen as equals in so many countries where we have a large presence, even in Iraq where Kurds have autonomy. In Turkey, millions of citizens 4 Centre for Kurdish Progress Messages & Endorsements Kurdish fighters in Syria and Iraq fill Let us hope that the Kurdish our hearts with pride. We stand with people can be part of this peaceful these brave men and women. They settlement, that our communities are in the front-line against an enemy can live freely, that our children as barbaric as any seen in human can become doctors, teachers and history. business leaders. Let us hope that Kurdish An enemy which routinely uses rape communities, wherever they live, Ibrahim Dogus and torture, uses beheadings and can thrive and prosper free from Founder burns people alive. Which uses intimidation and fear. little children as human bombs. It is Kurdish fighters who have been The Kurdish community in the UK fighting ISIS, often with little or no has made great progress. Today we support from the Western Allies. celebrate the most successful Kurds in Britain, across so many sectors, “The New Year gives an opportunity It is a tragedy that the complexities trades and professions. to reflect on the past year, and to look and rivalries between armed groups ahead at the year to come. I think I have led in recent days to fighting We are proud to be Kurdish, proud to speak for all of us when I say I hope between Kurdish groups in Sinjar. be British. I want us to use the year the next twelve months are better Sinjar was the scene of a brutal ahead to build our links with more than the last. massacre in 2014, when 5000 Yazidis British politicians and ministers. were murdered by ISIS. To urge them to help the Kurdish Over the last year we have seen cause in practical ways. Here, the disappointments and reversals, It was liberated in December, when remarkable success of the Northern tragedy and bloodshed. Many of us the Peshmerga seized the town and Ireland Peace Process, and the Good were disappointed with the outcome the mountains surrounding it. Now, Friday Agreement, serves as a beacon of the referendum on Britain’s we hear reports that the liberators of hope. membership of the European Union are fighting amongst themselves. If (EU). We wanted Britain to stay strong the history of the Kurdish people tells I want us to build our links with civil in a reformed EU.