Projects

Empowerment trough Inclusion

Since 2023

The strength and credibility of the Syrian opposition and civil society depends to a large extent on its unity of content, its inclusiveness and its orientation towards internationally recognised human rights standards. In order to promote these aspects and thus social cohesion, we conduct study trips to ethnically and religiously diverse states and regions such as South Tyrol and Kosovo, initiate discussions between the various Kurdish actors in Syria, prepare studies on the situation of minorities in north-eastern Syria and publicise our activities and results via social media (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube), the website https://power-sharing-syria.ezks.org/ as well as in the context of face-to-face events.

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2024-April-22

Power Sharing for a United Syria

2019-2023

As part of the Power Sharing for a United Syria project, we continued our work with various Syrian opposition groups in order to develop joint positions, particularly in the areas of decentralization and minority rights. Secondly, we provided technical support to the minority representatives on the Syrian Constitutional Committee during the constitutional talks in Geneva with our Minority Advisor Board. Finally, we explained and publicized the discussions within the Constitutional Committee and the positions of the individual groups through interviews, podcasts, studies, explanatory videos and film documentaries.

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2024-April-18

Supporting the Kurdish National Council

Logo ENKS

2016–2019

The Kurdish National Council in Syria (KNC), founded on 26 October 2011 in al-Qamishli, is an association of representatives of Syrian-Kurdish political parties and members of civil society organizations.

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2024-April-18

War Is No Excuse

Graffiti: Keine Kindersoldaten

No Recruitment of Child Soldiers by the PYD

2015–2016

Syria has been in a state of civil war since 2011. Many of the parties involved are recruiting child soldiers and use them in combat—the Syrian-Kurdish PYD (Democratic Union Party) is no exception. (more…)

2019-October-15

Local Democracy

Project Folder

2013–2014

Democratization starts at the local level. If it doesn’t work there, it doesn’t work at all. Recent observations of the situation in Iraq, Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia respectively have shown that one structural problem of dictatorships is that there is no inclusion of citizens in decision-making processes at the local level.

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2024-April-18

KurdWatch

Header graphic Kurdwatch

2009–2016

From 2009 to 2016, we run an independent website called »KurdWatch« that reported on human-rights abuses against the Kurdish population in Syria. We also reported on the development of the civil war and its consequences for people living in the Kurdish areas. Our news coverage focused on current daily events such as demonstrations, arrests, kidnappings, and torture. In addition we researched background information on topics such as the development of Kurdish political parties or  the expatriation of 1962. (more…)

2024-May-6

Strengthening Civil Society Structures in Syria

2005–2016

In the years between 2005 and 2016, our focus was primarily on strengthening civil society structures in Syria. In particular, we worked with young people and women, i.e. with actors who are more interested in social change than others due to their often marginalized situation.

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2024-April-18

Equal chances for immigrant children

2002–2003

A strong command of the German language when children start school is a key qualification for a successful entry into the German education system. Language acquisition ideally takes place in day care or nursery school. From December 2002 until November 2003 we carried out a project in which we encouraged Kurdish and other immigrant parents to place their children in day care for one year. (more…)

2014-September-3

Kurdish Studies program at the Free University Berlin

1993–2000

Since 1993 we have organized several interdisciplinary lecture series at the Free University Berlin (FU) on Kurdish themes. In the academic year 1996/1997 we successfully convinced the university to establish a guest professor for Kurdish Studies in the FU Institute of Anthropology. The position was filled by Professor Martin van Bruinessen. (more…)

2014-September-3