As the repercussions of Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan's "Call for Peace and Democratic Society" and the PKK's decision to "dissolve" continue, there is a great expectation in the society for legal arrangements regarding fundamental rights and freedoms. 

 

One of the most prominent demands in the “Peace and Democratic Society Process” is educati in the mother language. Associations and organisations working for the development and preservation of the Kurdish language are organising actions and events to demand that Kurdish be the official language of education. 

 

RWANDA EXAMPLE

 

Duygu Ozbay, Co-chair of the Education and Science Worker’s Union (Eğitim-Sen) Amed (Diyarbakır) Branch No. 2, said that the state can contribute to the process by changing the education system built on “monism and assimilation”. “The education system is designed aorund monism. It is a system designed around one gender, one languge, one nation, one belief. With this system, andger and violence are perpetuated,” she said. 

 

She reminded the developments in Rwanda: “In April-July 1994, approximately 800 thousand Tutsis and moderate Hutus were massacred by ultra-nationalist militias in Rwanda. Rwandan education curriculum was based on ‘us and them’ before te peace process. However, this was eliminated after the process and positivie results were achieved. Extensive education programmes were organised to establish a culture of peace. In these programmes, anti-ethnic discrimination and social reconciliation messages were at the forefront."

 

Emphasizing that the education system should be changed first in peace processes, Duygu Ozbay concluded: “Constitutional reforms can be made. Education should be done in the same way. Instead of a policy of denial and assimilation, a policy based on democracy and human rights should be put into effect.”

 

‘KURDISH SHOULD BE THE OFFICIAL AND EDUCATIONAL LANGUAGE’

 

Remzi Azizoglu, Co-chair of the Mesopotamian Language and Culture Research Association (MED-DER), emphasized that the obstacles in front of the Kurdish language should be removed. “First of all, equality must be ensured,” Azizoglu said, adding that all peoples have the right to receive in their mother language. “For this, Kurdish should be both the official laguage and the education language. Kurds start education with Turkish. This takes a long time to learn and this process is an obstacle development.”

 

Stressing that the policies that have been in effect for more than 100 years should be abandoned Azizoglu continued: "The Republic was founded on the denial of Kurds. A system was created that did not accept language and culture. That system has survived from that day until today. This needs to change. We want to play an active role in the language process. We have the infrastructure for this. The obstacles in front of the language must be removed. If there is a demand for a common life, differences must be recognised. For the construction of an honourable peace, everyone should put their hands under the stone."

 

MA / Fethi Balaman