Estella and the work of the Peace in Kurdistan Campaign

[Anthea]

Estella Schmid's work for the Kurds:

Peace in Kurdistan Campaign

Since it was launched in October 1994, the Peace in Kurdistan Campaign has established itself as a vital and tireless campaigning organisation dedicated to advancing the rights of the Kurdish people and achieving a political resolution of the Kurdish question. It has won the support of politicians, academics, lawyers, journalists and writers including distinguished figures with international reputations such as Prof Noam Chomsky, John Berger, Lady Antonia Fraser, Michael Holroyd, Margaret Drabble, Edward Bond, Edward Albee, Gareth Peirce, Michael Mansfield QC and the late Arthur Miller and Harold Pinter.

Peace in Kurdistan Campaign’s activities include organising delegations of representatives from the UK and Turkey, to foster alliances and build solidarity or to provide independent observation of political trials and the consequences of Turkish military operations; producing weekly news briefings and distributing information provided by key voices in the Kurdish movement; lobbying the British government on the Kurdish question; organising meetings to raise awareness of the issues at stake in the struggle for Kurdish rights. We regularly publish statements in response to political developments.

Estella won the support of many well known people for the Kurdish cause, including obtaining the patronage of:

Lord Avebury, Lord Rea, Lord Dholakia, Baroness Sarah Ludford, Jill Evans MEP, Jean Lambert MEP, Jeremy Corbyn MP, Hywel Williams MP, Kate Osamor MP, Elfyn Llwyd, Sinn Fein MLA Conor Murphy, John Austin, Bruce Kent, Gareth Peirce, Julie Christie, Noam Chomsky, John Berger, Edward Albee, Margaret Owen OBE, Prof Mary Davis, Mark Thomas, Nick Hildyard, Stephen Smellie, Derek Wall, Melanie Gingell

Estella's work includes:

Lobbying for the rights of the Kurds to be recognised by the political parties in Britain

Working constantly lobbying, briefing and informing Members of Parliament about developments in Kurdistan.

Holding regular public meetings in Westminster and since the founding of the Welsh Assembly and Scottish Parliament we have increased our activities by forging links with representatives of those two bodies and have organised meetings in these institutions.

Publishing reports, briefing papers, translations, a weekly Kurdish news bulletin, press releases, petitions and letter writing campaigns.

Compiling and publishing reports on various human rights violations and legal issues relating to the Kurds and distribute this information via mail-outs and the electronic media.

Assisting with the compilations of regular human rights submissions on violations inside Turkey to ongoing UN sessions.

Joint work with other organisations active on the Kurdish issue, for example, the Kurdistan National Congress, human rights groups, NGOs and trade unions.

Work in association with the Kurdish diaspora community and their organisations in the UK. We assist and offer advice to members of the community in their activities.

Close monitoring of press reports on the Kurdish question and responding promptly to errors, inaccuracies and occasionally downright distortions.

PLEASE FOLLOW LINK TO 'PEACE IN KURDISTAN'

http://peaceinkurdistancampaign.com/