Professor Jan Ilhan Kizilhan, a Yazidi academic of Kurdish origin and one of the leading figures in the field of trauma psychology, received the Federal Cross of Merit (Bundesverdienstkreuz) from German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock in Berlin on 21 March. The honour, conferred on the Kurdish symbolic day of Newroz, recognises his outstanding contributions to mental health care for survivors of war and genocide, especially among Yazidi communities.
Kizilhan is the Dean of the Institute of Psychotherapy and Psychotraumatology at the University of Duhok in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and also serves as Director of the Institute of Health and Diversity Studies in Germany. His work following the 2014 genocide in Sinjar (Şengal) by ISIS has included the creation of rehabilitation programmes and women’s centres both in Iraq and in Germany, focusing on healing through culturally sensitive psychological care.
In a heartfelt message, he said:
“Trauma does not end with the last bullet of a war – it leaves traces across generations. But I believe healing is possible, through community, support and a firm belief in a better future.”
He dedicated the award to all those who work for humanity, justice and peace, and expressed special thanks to his wife, Mona Kizilhan, whose support, he said, completes him.
Mona Kizilhan noted that the ceremony took place on Newroz, the Kurdish New Year, and that both she and Baerbock wore red – “a colour of special meaning.” She described the event as warm, dignified and full of meaningful encounters.
The Federal Cross of Merit (Bundesverdienstkreuz) is the highest honour awarded by the Federal Republic of Germany for achievements in the political, economic, cultural, intellectual or voluntary fields.
Jan Ilhan Kizilhan (personal ccount (1+1+1+1(4)=1) (@janilkiz) on X
