17 - 18 November 2012
KURDS IN THE CHANGING MIDDLE EAST CONFERENCE
The School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London
The Middle East is undergoing a historic process of change and
transformation. While the media and academic interest has predominantly
focussed on the ‘Arab Spring’, the role of the Kurds in the process of
this change has been insufficiently analysed. The Kurds are emerging as
an actor in the region with the potential to challenge the existing
order. This conference seeks to explore the position and the role of the
Kurds during this critical period.
The establishment of Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in 2003
together with the recent events in Northern Syria (Western Kurdistan)
have greatly enhanced the significance of the Kurds. The main challenge
to the existing political order, however, has been presented by the
Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Almost three decades have passed since
conflict and political violence erupted in Turkey’s Kurdish regions. The
conflict has cost the lives of 40,000 people (including soldiers,
guerrillas and the civilians). According to estimates made by Turkish
and international human rights organisations, between 2 and 3 million
people were internally displaced as part of the state’s
counter-offensive operations.
The conference will explore the following subjects in greater depth:
- Emerging alternative political systems, including the Kurdish movement’s proposal of democratic autonomy in Syria and Turkey;
- The opportunities for a Kurdish statehood;
- The role of international powers and the Middle East;
- Social Movements in the changing Middle East;
- Conflict Resolution in the Kurdish context and;
- The Kurds’ role in Turkey’s democratisation process.
