Fourth all-Kurdistan youth conference takes place in Diyarbakir

Diyarbakir – Turkey (KDP.info) – The Peace and Democracy Party’s (BDP) youth wing hosted a conference of young people from all four parts of Kurdistan in Diyarbakir on the anniversary of the chemical attack on Halabja. About 300 representatives of youth organisations from all four parts of Kurdistan, including members of Kurdistan Democratic Youth Union, took part in the conference which began on March 16. The three-day conference heard speeches from the head of the party’s youth wing, Haval Hamid, as well as Salahaddin Demirtash, president of BDP, and other political representatives. Omed Khoshnaw, secretary of the Kurdistan Democratic Youth Union, delivered the message of Kurdistan Region’s President Barzani. Messages were also read on behalf of other Kurdish leaders including Iraq’s President Jalal Talabani. The aim of the conference was to unite Kurdish youth and to enable them to meet fellow Kurds from other parts of Kurdistan. The conference emphasised the benefits of new technology, particularly to young people, and discussed social, political and educational issues facing young men and women. The conference resolution was to try to create a link between youth organisations in different parts of Kurdistan and to hold the next conference in the Kurdistan Region in Iraq. It was agreed that the Kurdish language should be protected and to focus attempts to solve issues and differences through peaceful and democratic means. The conference also called for the international recognition of the Kurdish genocide in Iraq and to work towards developing Kurdish literature and art and to promote women’s rights and combat honour-based violence.