Capitalism, Kurdistan and democratic autonomy - Conference i

[unitedkurdistan]

2012-02-14 A three-day conference held this week at Hamburg University. The organizers of the conference consisted of a number of Kurdish and European organizations and the media / newspapers. Thus, were one hundred participants from around the globe, from South Africa in the south to activists from Scandinavia to the north, from Aken-day conference held this week at Hamburg University. The organizers of the conference consisted of a number of Kurdish and European organizations and the media / newspapers. Thus, were one hundred participants from around the globe, from South Africa in the south to activists from Scandinavia to the north, from academics from the United States in the West, for lecturers / intellectuals from India in öst.ademiker from the United States in the West, for lecturers / intellectuals from India in the east.

University of Hamburg became a meeting place for activists and dissidents - people who are fighting for their independence, their dignity and freedom - from the Basque country, Northern Ireland, India, Mexico, and last but not least Kurdistan. The two prominent thinkers Immanuel Wallerstein and Antonio Negri also took part in two long manuscript which was read out during the conference.

The purpose of the conference was to highlight the political-philosophical transition from national liberation movement, to new forms of movement for freedom, equality and democracy. The focus was the paradigm shift that occurred in the Kurdish liberation movement Partiya Karkerên Kurdistan, the PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party). The experience of the political, military and civil struggle in northern Kurdistan, was evaluated by different panelists. KCK system and Abdullah Ocalan's discussion of the concept of "democratic modernity," as he debated in his books, written in prison island Imrali, became the subject of several of the Kurdish speakers' discussions. All this was illuminated in the light of the new wave of political activity and struggle that has intensified in the coming years.

Alternative forms of civic participation and political organization was debated and was the recurrent theme of the conference. Below, a little more detailed for some, but not all the lectures given. It is difficult to reproduce all of them, therefore, only a few selected and treated in detail.

Among the discussions, for example, noted feminist theories and gender from various organizations and initiatives in northern Kurdistan. Panelisten Fadile Yildirim gave a talk entitled Sexism as a constant of state-based civilization. In this lecture, she pointed to women's status and subordination in different time periods and forms of governance, from Antiquity to the Renaissance and on to the national state. Yildirim pointed to several contemporary issues in today's globally interconnected societies, pointing out prostitution and transnational trafficking of women, as one of the international economy's biggest and strongest profit markets. She was also a discussion of women in cultural and artistic works that depict or project the different images or identities of the female sex. This she then compared with the mythological representations of goddesses and heroines from different civilizations. Out of this labor, she finally how womanhood and femininity are constantly changing and New forms. Against this background, she stressed the sexualised femininitetens vulgar side currently occupying the boundless all notions of femininity.

Felix Padel, lecturer in social anthropology at Oxford and Delhi University gave a talk titled Capitalism as the arch-enemy of ecological societies. Based on his empirical studies in the minority provinces and aggrara regions of India he illuminated the capitalist exploitation devastating consequences for ancient cultures, natural areas and ecological systems. The comparisons he made between his own research and the destruction of Kurdistan, in particular the 90's in northern Kurdistan, where many thousands of villages were burned and destroyed, was very insightful.

In particular, his studies of the ethnic group Adivasi very thought provoking. One telling anecdote which is worth to be conveyed here is a conversation between a European ethnologist and members of the Adivasi tribe. The latter asked during the call, a question of which religion the tribe had. A member of the tribe said, "The mountains are our religion." This was perceived by the ethnologist as "primitive romanticism" or "superstition", but Padel said that the response was very rational. An intelligent answer. The reasons are in the nature and the tropical climate of the region, who are on a high plateau with heavy monsoon rains. In the mountains flowing monsoon rains down the mountain slope and flooding does not occur as easily as on the steppe. In addition, contributing rainwater running down the mountain closure, that the environment becomes very fertile agricultural land. From the rivers of water running down the mountain, the strain could also ensure access to clean drinking water.
During his travels to Kurdistan, he had observed this relationship and close pondered the significance of mountains of the Kurdish people. He had several interesting expositions on these matters.

Another speaker was Solly Mapaila, former member of the ANC and current board member of the South African Communist Party. He gave a presentation of the ANC's political liberation struggle against apartheid and the social issues that emerged after independence. Above all, he stressed, and conducted a thorough analysis of how some power structures, in areas such as business and public administration, was reproduced under new names and new faces after independence. Furthermore, he addressed additional conditions from Apartheid-time has not changed despite the racist regime fell for almost twenty years ago. The reason for this, he considered both to be rooted in the power and hierarchies are very difficult to break down, even though those in power shifts. This is because many of the legal, bureaucratic and decision-making mechanisms of the society is established "practices" that can not be altered without the other elements and factors in society changes. Among these elements, he pointed out the financial market's internal and external conditions, as well as capitalist relations of production which today is not the individual and specific to individual states. To this he laid the colonial heritage, its economic structures that were based on pure exploitation, but usually left untouched and remains also in use since independence, mainly by the new ruling elite that interfere with state colonialism.

Achin Vanaik, professor of international relations and global politics, the University of Delhi, gave an impassioned talk on the growing Indian economy, the widening gulf between class and caste in Indian society. He also discussed the vulnerability of minorities and the fight for freedom. The discussion highlighted the capitalist dynamic and flexible nature, which easily could change shape, form and functioning. This meant he considers the struggle against capitalist discipline societies complex and long term. Comparative he discussed the Kurdish liberation struggle against Turkey, in light of NATO and modernity as a global form of sovereignty. As he reflected on the history of Kurdistan and the aggressive assimilation policy pursued by Turkey against the Kurds through the decades, he stressed that the issue of Kurdish culture not only be understood as language, books, music and cuisine. Cultural assimilation is a procedure often takes place at various levels, especially in armed conflict and occupation, the assimilation process proceeds systematically with physical, military, political, social and linguistic force. Very illustrative, in an argument about the destruction of the Kurdish countryside, he referred to the word culture, which comes from the Latin cultus, and is the root for both "cult" and "cultivation" - ie. cultivate and worship (or keep the sacred). Both of these words characterize two very old elements of the ancient human civilization - agriculture and religion. In this way he conveyed the centrality of the concept of culture is and that it has a significance far beyond the everyday practice of which we are accustomed to.

Antonio Negri, Deleuze's student, and author of the trilogy, Empire (2000), Multitude (2004) and Commonwealth (2009), would actually have participated in the conference but was unable to attend due to illness and therefore sent instead his manuscript which was read out. The manuscript was a rough summary of the analyzes and studies undertaken in the three above-mentioned works. To this was added comments received after publication of the third part, and which they now themselves worked for two years.

Regarding Kurdistan and the Kurdish people's struggle, said Negri, he realizes that it takes place at different levels. On the one hand, it is a struggle for the Kurdish people's freedom and natural right to exist and manage their own political, social, cultural and economic affairs. A struggle for a people who for a long time been oppressed on the basis of their Kurdish identity / ethnicity. In this light, must therefore Kurdistan doubt, but not be subordinate to and under an occupation that is permeated by oppression and discrimination, he stressed. This is the most fundamental right of Kurds demand. In this part Negri stressed the importance of the Kurdish people's millennial history of resistance and culture. On the other hand, he led the fight for freedom in northern Kurdistan should be aware that the right to exist as a people will only have a formal role in Turkey unless society is changing radically. In addition, therefore, a struggle waged to create a new and different society in which oppression's power structures are not reproduced in the Kurdish name, leaving the conditions of inequality, exploitation and totalitarianism untouched. These two levels of the Kurdish people's struggle is important and intertwined.

Also discussed Negri also nation-state structure and construction, as a territory for the exercise of political power and social order, often with given power centers that take jurisdiction over a geography / periphery. The problem of the nation state as a model for political and social life have been discussed and criticized by anarchists, socialists and capitalists even today. All from different points of course. Modernity and Capitalism, striving example of this point to build supranational institutions and linking markets across the globe, far beyond the nation-state boundaries.
Therefore, continued Negri a discussion of how he and the autonomous left wants to change people's conditions and nation-states of power. By emphasizing the long history of national liberation movements - the successful and unsuccessful - who battled over the world, he pointed out a number of factors that give reason to not naive to imagine that "everything will be perfect" after independence. Thus, all the people struggling for their freedom and right, also make sure that power, hierarchies and oppression are always moving and dynamic phenomenon that can be reproduced and re-infest all kinds of communities - even those with a heroic struggle for independence.

Thus, it is required that you go to the root of the problems and seeking alternative forms of governance in Kurdistan. Forms that enable individuals' active participation in political life through democratic and equitable structures. Naturally, however, should not be seen as a utopian project, but rooted in reality. The road to such a society will go straight through continued struggle and work to build local and municipal democracy, and the initiation of self-organization and management. People in Kurdistan must be able to influence their lives themselves are much more than what we see today, where they are exclusively controlled by institutions, police, military and civil servants appointed by Ankara. But the difference should not only be to the Kurds to be controlled from Diyarbekir instead of Ankara. The difference must be that the Kurds to govern themselves, without being subject to a new small and limited elite domination and economic exploitation. In other words, the Kurds see how oppression and political power in centralized agencies and institutions, with the help of police, courts, schools and economy, depriving Kurds of their freedoms, rights and dignity. They must not only take over these institutions, but the struggle of Kurds must be to dismantle and destroy these instruments of power to establish new democratic institutions and alternative institutions. With Antonio Negri's own words:

Your struggle is there occurring Also a struggle for A Different society, driven by the recognition of collective rights as well as A Different way of understanding economic development and the use of resources, to build a model of governance That goes beyond That of the nation-state . A governance That would be variable to challenge in a crisis capitalism but still very aggressive.

Janet Biehl, writers and academics, but also the widow of the renowned sociologist and anarchist Murray Bookchin, gave a talk about Bookchins transition from Marxist-Leninism to a new philosophy, "social ecology", which took the ecological system and the emancipation of women, and put in the same pan as the concept of class. She discussed in depth how Bookchin in the 1950s left its communist past to explore new forms of socialism and an alternative freedom philosophy. In this context, he wrote a series of pioneering works in the late 1990s influenced the PKK. During the 2000s, began a correspondence between Bookchin and Ocalan, via the latter's lawyers. Biehl conducted a detailed exposition, with quotes and comparisons between Bookchins works and Ocalan Prision Writings and the PKK's struggle for a new society. She pointed out the similarities and differences that were interesting and highlighted how a genuine shift from a dialectical thinking has its roots in Hegel, had occurred in both Bookchin that Ocalan. The theoretical implications of this are significant, were found in a number of eminent writers who have influenced both in their sociological works.

Janet Biehl, writers and academics, but also the widow of the renowned sociologist and anarchist Murray Bookchin, gave a talk about Bookchins transition from Marxist-Leninism to a new philosophy, "social ecology", which took the ecological system and the emancipation of women, and put it in the same pan as the concept of class. She discussed in depth how Bookchin in the 1950s left its communist past to explore new forms of socialism and an alternative freedom philosophy. In this context, he wrote a series of pioneering works in the late 1990s influenced the PKK. During the 2000s, began a correspondence between Bookchin and Ocalan, via the latter's lawyers. Biehl conducted a detailed exposition of quotes and comparisons between Bookchins works and Ocalan Prision Writings and the PKK's struggle for a new society. She pointed out the similarities and differences that were interesting and highlighted how a genuine shift from a dialectical thinking has its roots in Hegel, had occurred in both Bookchin that Ocalan. The theoretical implications of this are significant, were found in a number of eminent writers who have influenced both in their sociological works.

Janet Biehl finished his speech in tears when she read out KCK's letter of condolence to her, which they had sent on the occasion of Bookchins death. The letter from Qendil Mountains, stressed the significance and importance of Bookchins thinking and philosophy for their own movement and freedom struggle, while it promised to work and fight for his efforts and ideas. Ideas and efforts to achieve free, equal and progressive communities.

She concluded her speech by referring to one of the first uprisings of man dating history, which took place in Mesopotamia during the Sumerian Empire. The Sumerian word for freedom, which the rebels shouted, was Amargî. It is the earliest word for freedom that scientists and archaeologists have found and supported by historical evidence. The resemblance to the Kurdish word for freedom, Azadi is etymologically striking. When she took the audience's applause, she concluded by saying, still calling people in the region for their freedom - Amargî!

Finally must be emphasized that the conference was among the first of its kind in the Kurdish context. The discussion reminded those who performed at the major meetings at the World Social Forum. It is therefore important to be followed up with new conferences, workshops, seminars and symposiums. For many questions need to be deepened and widened. An example here may be mentioned is that the conference in Hamburg was not on their agenda to discuss the economic aspects of alternative forms of society. How to change a society to deal with economic issues. Or for that matter, education and technology. In this light, for example, seminars on "open source" information technology continue to the issues raised in Hamburg.

The intellectual work on topics and issues of this nature must be followed up, it never ends, it can probably never be exhausted. Parallel to it, also the political struggle for freedom and dignity proceed decisively.

Anonymous