An international event entitled "New World Embassy: Kurdistan" has begun in the Swiss city of Lausanne, supported by institutions such as the Mondriaan Foundation and Progressive International.https://t.co/j3MLH5oSsY pic.twitter.com/bjvK6oP3hK
— MedyaNews (@1MedyaNews) September 24, 2023
An international event titled “New World Embassy: Kurdistan” began on Saturday in the Swiss city of Lausanne with the support of institutions such as the Mondriaan Foundation and Progressive International.
Throughout the day, various workshops were held under different thematic headings, the most prominent of which was that on democratic confederalism, a political concept propounded by Abdullah Öcalan, the leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). It is a system of democratic self-organisation based on the principles of autonomy, direct democracy, environmentalism, feminism, multiculturalism, self-defence, self-government and elements of a cooperative economy.
Kurdish politician Nilüfer Koç, American economist David Adler and Swiss human rights activist Elisabeth Decrey Warner took part in this workshop. Participants discussed democratic confederalism as an alternative to the concept of the nation-state under the theme of “Stateless Democracy”.
“The system and its institutions only exist as long as we make them visible. Now, we know that this system does not provide solutions to the deep crises we are experiencing and does not give us anything. We have to say together that another system, another institutionalisation, is possible”, said Adler.
The workshop also addressed the struggle for women’s liberation, which is a fundamental aspect of democratic confederalism.
Evaluations of the Rojava revolution ongoing in North and East Syria and discussions on its sustainability were also central to the event.
Another workshop, led by Bangladeshi labour activist and founder of the Awaj Foundation Nazma Akter, gave an overview of the situation of trade unions and workers in Bangladesh. Titled ‘Women’s Struggle for Unity’, the workshop looked at the oppression of women by the capitalist system.
In a further workshop titled ‘Stateless Colonialism’, panelists including journalist and writer Necibe Qeredaxi from the Jineology Academy in North and East Syria, lawyer and political consultant Varsha Gandikota-Nellutla from New York and writer Fatima Ouassak from France discussed different aspects of the issue.
The event continues on Sunday with panel discussions, film screenings, musical performances and open dialogues.
