Roj Bash Kurdistan

International Appeal calling for Kurdish representation at Geneva II



PARIS,— A number of academics, politicians, human rights activists and scientists have launched a signature campaign calling for the representation of the Kurdish people at the Geneva II meeting that will be held on January 22, 2014 by a delegation from the Kurdish Supreme Council.

The signatories expressed support to the peace efforts initiated towards ending the war in Syria that has been going on for almost three years, resulting in the deaths of thousands of people, the displacement of millions more and the destruction of the country.

The text of the campaign has been sent in the form of a letter to the United Nations (UN), USA, European Union (EU), Russia, China, South Africa as well as presidents and prime ministers of all other European countries. The text will once again be sent to the addressees after the collection of signatures on 22 January when the meeting will take place.

The letter highlights that the Kurds in Rojava [Syrian Kurdistan] are struggling for the right to live freely with their own identity in a democratic Syria,www.Ekurd.net and that they want to live autonomously within a democratic, equal and just Syria alongside all its peoples and religious minorities of the country.

"The Kurds in Rojava have always declared their support for all such international efforts", it underlines and notes that they have neither succumbed to the persecutions and massacres by the regime or by those groups linked to Al-Qaeda.

The signatories said they believe that the Kurdish people should be represented at Geneva II by a delegation from the Kurdish Supreme Council, which was formed last year and is representative of all Kurdish parties and institutions, in an international conference of this significance where the Kurdish people´s future will be directly determined. “Only then can Geneva II play its rightful role in securing the desired peace for all”, they underlined.

Those wanting to join the campaign were asked to return their respond to: kongrakurdistan@gmail.com

First signatories of the campaign include;

Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, Nobel Prize Laureates (2009), India

Dario Fo, Nobel Prize Laureates, Italy(1997)

Dr. Vandana Shiva, Alternative Nobel Peace Prize India

Ann-Margarethe Livh, Oppositional Vice Mayor of Stockholm City Council, Sweden

Mikael Gustafsson - Member of the European Parliament Left party, Sweden

Lincoln Davis, Member of the US Congress (2003-2011), US

Shudhakar Reddy, Secretary General, Communist Party (CPI), India

Sebastian Michel, Deputy Minister of Communication Multinational State of Bolivia

Lars Ohly -Member Of Parliament The Left Party and Ex-President of left party, Sweden

Ann-Margarethe Livh,Oppositional Vice Mayor of Stockholm City Council

Hans Linde - Member of Parliament Left party and Foreign spokesperson, Sweden

Torbjörn Björlund - Member of Parliament Left party, Sweden

Igshaan Higgins - South African Academy For Young Leaders, South Africa

Solly Mapaila - Deputy General Secretary of South African Communist

Judge Essa Moosa - Chairperson of KHRAG, South Africa; Faizel Moosa

ANC Dullah Omar Region, South Africa

Shadiye Heydari, Member of Parliament Social Democrats, Sweden

Valter Mutt, Member of Parliament Green party, Sweden

Ebrahim Wise - ANCYL RTT Dullah Omar Region, ANCYL RTT Executive Member Economic Development Portfolio, South Africa

Igshaan Higgins - South African Academy For Young Leaders, South Africa

Kariane Westrheim. EUTCC chair & University of Bergen, Norway

Dr. Gisela Penteker, IPPNW, Germany; Kurdo Baksi, Author and candidate for the European Parliament (Green Party)

Lord Hylton, House of Lords, UK; Lord Rea, House of Lords, UK

Jean Lambert Member of the European Parliament, UK; Jill Evans Member of the European Parliament, UK

Hywel Williams MP, Houser of Commons, UK; Bruce Kent, Vice-President, International Peace Bureau, UK

Robert Olson, Professor of Middle East History and Islamic History at the University of Kentucky, US

Tony Simpson, Editor, The Spokesman journal

Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation, UK

Nick Hildyard, policy adviser, UK

Felix Padel, Professor in Rural Magament, Indian Institute of Health Management research, Jaipur, India & UK

Tove Skutnabb-Kangas, dr.phil., Denmark/Finland

Rezan Saleh, Secretary General, AIDA, non-profit European association for intercultural artistic development

Margaret Owen OBE, international human rights lawyer

Melanie Gingell, barrister, UK

Maggie Bowden, General Secretary “Liberation”, UK

Hugo Charlton, barrister, UK; Joost Jongerden, Assistant Professor, Wageningen University, the Netherlands

Khatchatur I. Pilikian, Professor of Music & Art, LSFC Secretary

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