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By Bewar Rwandzi:
Kurdistan Regional parliament building
Is there any Kurd who doesn’t dream of an independent Kurdistan? Who doesn’t dream of travelling around the world with a Kurdish (rather than an Iraqi, Syrian, Iranian or Turkish) passport? Or of the day when we can say that we are from Kurdistan and no longer see puzzled faces? When we will be recognized and respected? And what could be better than to have your own country run by your own people?
But is now the right time? No.
An independent country should be self-sufficient, have social unity and a good educational system. Of course, there are independent countries that have none of these traits, but the independent Kurdistan in my mind could have it all and more.
This is not a good moment in time for Kurdistan to be independent, because the costs outweigh the benefits. The following sections will outline the reasons why we should not declare independence now, in terms of our economic shortcomings and social structure.
Economic aspect:
Kurdistan depends highly on oil exports and in exchange it receives various products from other countries. It also receives a good budget annually from the central government which provides monthly salaries for public sector officers. Apart from this, we have no manufacturing, no industry, no production and no agriculture. Literally everything we eat, drink, wear and use comes from other states – Turkey in particular.
Therefore, by declaring independence now, we will have to face a number of risks, among them a cut in the budget. This will mean we no longer receive 17% of our budget from central government.
How to fill this gap? We will need to export more and more oil to maintain the working people’s salaries and receive products from other countries. We will be unable to maintain productive agriculture, basically because other countries will sell their food at a lower price and our local peasants will not be able to compete.
The huge number of foreign companies that we already have might also increase and they, rather than our own people, will control our business.
Our economic growth will rely on oil only, and it will be hard to maintain other projects and give attention to other important sectors.
Social structure and education system:
When a country seeks independence, it needs to have a healthy society. A healthy society is one where there is social equality and an active and productive youth population, because youth are the engine of every society and for economic growth. And an education system that produces critical thinkers, innovators and people who can take care of the state in the future.
But the society to be found in Kurdistan is far from this. We have a youth population that is not very productive, but rather confused by every year’s changes in the laws and regulation of their education system. A majority of young people use the internet and social networks in a way that brings harm to them and the society in general.
We have thousands of college graduates who roam around without a job, and depend on the government to find them work in the public sector. And, if they do have a job in the public sector, they will be working from 8:30 to 2:00, not doing much, just dealing with everyday routine, with no creativity and no productivity involved or encouraged. However, if you are lucky enough to speak English, then you will work for a foreign company for a rather good salary. This is not a healthy society.
Furthermore, we have a large number of foreign companies that are constructing buildings and fantastic malls, and spending huge amounts of money on things that our own people can’t afford.
So now we have a society that is highly dependent, a confused and rather hopeless youth generation, and a non-productive education system.
What will we gain from an independent Kurdistan?
- Kurdistan will gain a few neighboring enemies who will suppress the Kurds in their lands more than ever, in the fear that they might aspire to the same as Southern Kurdistan. Except for Turkey. Turkey will be the only country recognizing Kurdistan’s independence. Not for sentimental reasons but because, once we get independence, Turkey will have access to the oil and we must sell it as it will be our sole resource for survival.
- A country in which we own only the land and the people. Everything else will come from foreign countries and our country will be a reflection of Turkish clothes, music and construction, with other products coming from Iran, China and Brazil – and, of course, with plenty of foreign workers, mostly from the less developed countries.
But this is not the independent Kurdistan I am dreaming of. In my imagination it is a decent Kurdistan. We have creative students, innovators and a productive agricultural sector. We have a qualified education system that encourages innovation and produces responsible individuals, and our culture is revived in the most beautiful ways. In the Kurdistan I imagine, there is social equality and the law is exercised over all individuals equally, not forgiving officials for huge mistakes while ordinary people are judged for tiny matters.
When and how to get independence?
In order to get independence, first we must get strong and united at home. Southern Kurdistan is the most autonomous region in the whole world. For now we have strong ties with other countries, with 14 representatives in various countries. We have security and some democracy. We have a huge amount of money. If corruption is reduced, we can create the best education system, and build many schools, equip them with the most modern labs and libraries and provide a healthy studying atmosphere.
We can fix the transportation system: as we know, the number of cars increases on a daily basis.
We have to give more and more attention to holding seminars to raise awareness among the various levels of our society. To awaken people and teach the new generation not to be too dependent on the government to find them jobs or fix their front yards. Instead, they need to help the government to stand on its feet. We can use this opportunity to build a strong nation whose citizens feel responsible for protecting it and know the limits of what they should ask the government for.
We need to start to encourage local peasants to revive agriculture and put tariffs on imports so that people will buy local produce. This way we can provide more jobs and enhance economic growth.
When we are ready and healthy, then and only then will independence have significance and be a meaningful thing.
Bewar Rwandzi is an MA student of International Studies at the University of Kurdistan, Hewler
Copyright © 2012 Kurdistantribune.com
I have some notes on your article:
First of all, any nation that if they want independence there must be several condition to declare independence of state and to do that they need external and internal condition,in the internal condition, have to: 1-being power to declare state2- high economic condition3-great and bold leader.in the external condition they need ;providing support by world great powers…, but we have not any of these points that I have mentioned above,and most important of them I think, it is a third point,that is, great and bold leader who we have not been it, not in the past and not in present day, in future too, we have not it if we are not changing our education system,in order to make a free men and not be produced these leaders another time that we have it now! Because they are not any information about state and political science,and they are a businessmen rather than a political man(however ,that I love them,and my saying from honestly)…,despite this it has some points in our history who proper to declare independence of Kurdistan,like 1-second gulf war2- and when saddam‘s regime was collaped it is a great time to doing that work,and they were not doing it,why? we do not know, because any nation in the world if were faced to genocide and hit by chemical weapons(anfal and halabja) it was declaring independence and as kurdish peoples we have an experience blood with arabs since 80 years ago,and it is an important and sad point that we have it to be our independence ,therefor as I said before, our education system should be changed in root and we are in a bad situation in familys ,schools, government offices and live in their like Gilles Deleuze said are prison.
Nevertheless,Kurdish people for during twenty years under from authority these leaders(I mean all leaders left wing to right wing) are suffering from civil war, poverty, unemployment,and lack public service as pure water, electricity,healthcare, and many other things that need to any of us live like a freely and independent man…in these bad situation declare independence of state what is it mean my brother? I think nothing,and I do not want an independent state (it is opinion of the most people) that those leaders once again to be our leaders…
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Israel got its independence. India achieved its independence from Great Britain, Pakistan separated from India, Bangladesh split from Pakistan. South Sudan seceded from Sudan recently. Why not Iraqi Kurds? What went awry and who is to be blamed for it? A century of struggles and revolutions in vain!??? What is our strategy or if we have any at all?
Kurdish citizens of South were expecting Barzani to declare independence last Nawrooz. Nothing occurred? Will he do so in 2013 ” Nawrooz”? Will Barzani finally keep his vow, or is it another election propaganda? Let’s wait and see till 2013 Nawrooz!
I have never heard “the Change Movement leader” cite something about independence. Will he be able to accomplish something for Kurdish nation in this respect?
Words are enough! We need actions! We need a leader than can turn this dream into a reality!
An independent South Kurdistan has already come into being! Any skepticism or denial is a misperception! All we are in anticipation of is when to declare it publicly! Most probably, it will be by the year 2016. As far as Kirkuk and disputed areas is concerned, they will be incorporated back into an independent South Kurdistan by KRG striving to extend the population the same amount of attention offered to the other 3 Governorates under its realm. Religious and ethnic minorities in Kirkuk would love to co-exist with tolerant Kurds in an independent Kurdistan rather than an independent “ Arabistan”.
The caption of this article should be replaced with” In what month in 2016, will South Kurdistan announce itself as an independent state”?
Ok Dana , that is acceptable , as long as it is not neglecting North,East,West , and it dose not give immunity to any one to be taken to court for corruption . ♥♥♥♥God,Ahuramazda,Allah,Yahuda♡♡♡♡ legel meye
Vote Yes to Independence!
Every Kurds loves to have a country! It is time now! No Kurdish leader can deny it any longer.
Article is a funny thing. Reminds me a story about people posing swimming in the pool without water. When asked why they do so they reply that manager promised to fill the pool with the water when they have learned to swim.
Kurds all over the world should hold peaceful demonstrations for independence.
Can we leave all our ideological and political discrepancies aside for a while.
Merely focus on independence.
Again and again, unless we expedite the establishment of an independent state in South, nothing is guaranteed. We can retrogress to the era of Saddam at any moment.
The undermining of KRG implies the elimination of any hope for other parts. The creation of S. Kurdistan means definite liberations for all parts.
We did it for everything else!!!!! Why not for independence? At least once!
Show your patriotism!
K.I.M
Why aren’t you leading the protests, just go ahead put all your people on the streets and everyone will follow. Since you were self-announced you have done nothing but talk and talk is cheap. So until you ate able to hit the streets and walk the talk, please save people your calls for freedom.
To: Suleiman
We will soon. We promise you that! We are in S. Kurdistan.
We have had a number of interviews in national press. Step by step, we will proceed and we will succeed but only for independence!
KIM
Until you make your leaders known and until you walk the talk, no one will take you seriously.
Suleiman:
http://hawler.in/news34726-9.htm
http://www.civilmag.com/?p=5317
K.I.M , is it independence for Barzan or whole kurdistan . One is tempted to ask given your background are you on the Serok payroll or not yet ! peace .
Ari,
Good question.
Please do not judge some one based on his/her clan/tribe affiliation for there is no one that belongs to one, including you.
We urge you to thoughtfully read our interviews and organization’s manifesto.
We are made up form youths, artists,intellectuals, males and females, poor and rich, Barzanis, Hawleris, Sulaimanis, Suranis and Badinis.
If we were pro corrupt KDP, then we would not dare publish video files on Youtube against them. We are totally opposed to socio-economic injustice, corruption, and firmly believe in independence for S.Kurdistan for known reasons.
Time and again, any deveoplemnt in S.Kurdsitan will have its impacts on other parts, as well.
We believe Kurdish leaders have been misleading us for decades. They have sold S. Kurdistan to Iran , Turkey and Syria.
PM Nechirvan Barzani recently conducted and interview with Time Magazine delivering some non-sense about independence:
http://world.time.com/2012/12/21/an-interview-with-nechirvan-barzani-will-there-be-an-independent-kurdistan
Visit the link above and read our response.
Thank you again.
And the news is the figure of our members is rapidly on the rise.
My Dear and Respected Fellow Kurds,
Kurdistan has already had its first step toward independence, when a group of non-partisan Kurds delivered to the United Nations (UN), over 1.7 million signatures calling on the UN to sponsor an official Independence Referendum in the future. Please visit the link (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraqi_Kurdistan_independence_referendum,_2005). Has the time come for the Kurds to declare independence within the increasingly interdependence world? It all depends on us, the Kurds. Here are some questions we need to answer before we exercise our natural rights to be free in our own homeland as an independent nation with having a prosperous standard of living.
1) Can we feed the population with home grown foods? If not, start growing food at home today and cut the import right now. The answer is yes, Kurdistan has ample land and water and seeds to grow and cultivate all kinds of sources of healthy and sustainable foods.
2) Can we educate our children? Which means do we have enough primary and secondary schools as well as colleges and universities? Can the students be educated in Kurdish, English, and any other language of choice? Education system is the key foundation of the society on which the collective brain of the children, the youth and the leaders rest to manage the affairs of a nation.
3) The above two resource requirements will provide enough internal brain power to engage the population in other activities, including mining, refining, purifying and processing other natural resources to build a manufacturing based economy based on the Agriculture and education.
4) Remember, independence means you can use your brain born resources to use the nature’s born resources on one’s homeland to live sustainably and interdependently with your neighbors.
5) Peaceful intent among Kurds themselves is important which means no ill intention to play politics of self-destruction. Each Kurd must feel ownership for himself or herself, and the land he or she has been born on, and accept the responsibility of sharing knowledge with other Kurds. Remember on lit candle can lit a house full of unlit candles and help everyone to see in the dark. Otherwise, one lit candle can burn to tear alone and other can just watch and remain silent and unlit and live in the dark.
6) Peaceful intent with non-Kurdish cultures, this will help to teach and learn and make a peaceful person or leader out of other cultures living next to Kurds and Kurdista.
7) Finally, Education, Education, Education, is the key to the survival of a declared independent Kurdistan. If Kurds want, I, you, or any other Kurd who believe in the above criteria for independence, come and stand among the people in Kurdistan and declare independence. Will the Kurds be there in mass, to defend and protect not only the leader who will declare independence, but to believe in the message and criteria of independence as outlined above and commit to make the meaning of the message come to reality, long after the leaders have come and gone? Only then, declaring Independence will have meaning with its seed planted in the minds and hearts of the believers. That day, which could be today, or as soon as we the Kurds gather to believe in certain principles and values on which we declare Kurdistan Independence.
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