National Initiative of Kurdistan
We have set out to unite national forces of every persuasion on common ground, to place nationalist ideology at the centre of national awakening, and to build an institutional force that represents the common will of our nation.
Aims and Principles
At the present moment, we hold that the Kurdish political class is experiencing fragmentation and inadequacy in terms of national agency and representation. Our work proceeds along three complementary axes.
Axis A
We deem it essential to establish centres that demonstrate, on a canonical scale, the role of nationalist ideology in national enlightenment and consciousness, in national will and unity — centres that build real influence by systematically cultivating the national sources of knowledge: history, language, culture and tradition.
Read in fullAxis B
To transform the rising nationalist wave, with all its potential, into an institutional national force, we advocate the broad involvement of intellectuals and academics — a national platform effort that embraces every persuasion.
Read in fullAxis C
We regard our formation not merely as an effort to build a force of national representation, but also as a nucleus of national resistance against the operations of reconquest, annexation and erasure of our country from history.
Read in full“Nationalist ideology envisages the attainment of national sovereignty and the founding of the nation-state; in this struggle it holds the existence and place of every national element to be legitimate and necessary.”Aims and Principles — Declaration
Thirteen Articles
The National Initiative of Kurdistan grounds its work in the following principles.
Aims to strengthen the national unity of the Kurdish nation; encourages political parties, civil-society organisations, intellectuals, academics, artists, women and youth to come together on common national ground.
Grounds itself in developing a culture of dialogue, solidarity, concord and common struggle among Kurdish political and social structures; rejects the mindset of internal conflict and division.
Acts neither as an extension of nor an alternative to any political party; adopts an independent, impartial and inclusive national stance, standing at equal distance from all national circles.
Recognises as a founding principle the common national interests of the Kurdish nation, its common will, and its right to determine its own future freely.
Aims to strengthen cultural, social and democratic solidarity among the Kurds of all four parts of Kurdistan; to develop national consciousness and a shared sense of belonging.
Regards the preservation and development of all Kurdish dialects as a national responsibility; makes it a duty to devote special effort to the widespread use and learning of the Dimilkî/Kirdkî dialect.
Values the role of women, youth, intellectuals and academics in building national consciousness; supports their active participation in decision-making mechanisms and social processes.
Counts freedom of belief, thought and expression, pluralism, democratic participation and transparency among the indispensable principles of social life.
Accepts as a historic responsibility contributing to the development of a democratic, institutional and inclusive national congress consciousness reflecting the common will of the Kurdish nation.
Maintains solidarity with Kurdistani parties, platforms and formations, and joint work where needed. It develops no partnership, however, with political structures that fail to keep a clear distance from the colonialist regimes and their collaborators.
Sets as a strategic goal the formation of a legitimate “National Representation Delegation” to carry the collective rights of the Kurdish nation onto international platforms.
Aims for constitutional guarantees of the rights of Kurdistan's ethnic, religious and cultural minorities — an inclusive political society built on equal citizenship and mutual respect.
As the National Initiative of Kurdistan, we recognise no parliament that does not recognise the collective rights of our nation as legitimate, and we do not regard elections to such parliaments as our agenda.
Updates
The National Initiative of Kurdistan has shared its founding declaration, 'Aims and Principles', with the public. The declaration sets out work along three axes — a nationalist ide…
ReadThe Call
From conservatives to liberals to the left, we call on intellectuals of every persuasion — each from their own front — to support this process with thorough analysis and strong ideological texts. We deem it essential that national initiatives take root in every social cell of our nation: in youth and women's movements, professional organisations and local communities.