Advocacy

Government

We are lobbying public officials and policy makers on the local national, and international level so that U.S. and foreign governments will recognize the Kurdish genocide and other related issues. So far, Iraq has recognized the Barzani, Feyli, and Anfal genocides. The Norwegian, Swedish, British, and South Korean Parliaments started the global trend of recognizing the Anfal genocide. Various governmental institutions including the US Congress, US Department of State, UK House of Commons, French Senate, among others, have recognized the ISIS’ brutal actions against the Yazidis, Christians, and other minority group as genocide. But we have a lot more work to do!

UN

We are lobbying the UN Security Council, the UN General Assembly, and other UN bodies to recognize the Kurdish genocides and other related issues. Currently, the UNHCR has recognized the brutal acts of ISIS against the Yazidis, Christians, and Shi’a Muslims as genocide. We have just scratched the surface on our advocacy work at the UN.

European Institutions Advocacy

We are lobbying the European Union, Council of Europe, and Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe to recognize the Kurdish genocides, among other related issues. While the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has recognized the ISIS genocide of the Yazidis, Christians, and Shi’a Muslims, we are excited to obtain recognition from the other European institutions for the recognition of the other Kurdish genocides, including the Anfal, Barzani, and Feyli genocides.

Legal

Universal Jurisdiction

International law recognizes that certain crimes are so serious that the duty to prosecute them transcends all borders, giving rise to “Universal Jurisdiction” over grave crimes in violation of international law, such as crimes against humanity, war crimes, genocide, and torture. Universal Jurisdiction can take different forms, depending on the domestic implementing legislation. As of September 1, 2012, according to Amnesty International, a total of 147 States have provided Universal Jurisdiction over one or more crimes under international law.

We will attempt to persuade prosecutors and/or governments to prosecute cases against those perpetrators responsible for genocide and war crimes against the Kurds. We will help them prosecute such cases.

People’s Tribunal

People’s tribunals (PT) are forums of justice set up by social justice movements and organizations to adjudicate cases often against states and state-backed corporations. Rather than courts and other judicial apparatus set up by states, organizers instead convene jurors from around the world to adjudicate. The judgments rendered through people’s tribunals are non-binding, as their decisions are not backed by forces of the state. However, these tribunals render significant power.

We may possibly set up a People’s Tribunal to determine the necessary reparations for those Kurds who were victims and/or survivors of the Kurdish genocides.

Civil Remedies

The United States allows civil damage suits for human rights violations committed abroad. Under the Alien Tort Claims Act, non-U.S. victims can seek compensation and punitive damages against a person present in the U.S. for a violation of the “law of nations.” The U.S. Courts have applied this Act to torture, extrajudicial killings, “disappearances,” war crimes, arbitrary detention, and rape, and granted significant monetary awards. The Torture Victim Protection Act allows U.S. citizens, as well as foreigners, to sue for torture or summary executions, also when the defendant is physically present in the U.S.

We will pursue defendants who live in the United States responsible for such crimes against the Kurds as a result of the genocides and crimes against humanity perpetrated against them.

Reparations

“Reparations consists of policies and initiatives that attempt to restore victims their sense of dignity and moral worth and eliminate the social disparagement and economic marginalization that is accompanied their targeting with the goal of returning their status as citizens.” — Ernesto Verdeja.

We are seeking to provide resources to victimized groups with the aim of creating the material basis and security necessary for them to become full participants to social, political, and economic life. Such resources may include family rehabilitation, legal services, medical care, psychological services, compensation for financially assessable losses, economic redress for harms that are not readily quantifiable and restitution of lost or destroyed property.

Genocide Center

We are in the process of creating a genocide memorial center in Kurdistan. It will contribute to genocide prevention and truth seeking. It will be a repository of information and resources about the various periods in history wherein various genocides transpired. We hope that it will promote healing by honoring the lives of victims and recognizing the experiences of survivors and that it will provide a reminder of a past that shall not be repeated. We do not want these genocides to reoccur.

Mass Graves

We hope to work with families, scientists, and lawyers to investigate the Kurdish genocides and recover, identify, and return human remains back to Kurdistan for proper burials. We also hope to advance truth, memory, and human rights through forensic science and support families and communities in learning about the fate of their loved ones.

Education

We aspire to educate everyone about the Kurdish genocides, the history, the impact, the victims’ as well as survivor’s stories., among other elements. We also believe that it is essential to bring Kurdish genocide education to schools and communities everywhere. Education is imperative for awareness and atrocities prevention.