The 5th annual One Young World summit in Dublin proved an overwhelming success, as bright young men and women from around the globe gathered to share their personal stories of hardship and triumph. Between October 15th-18th, attendees discussed the world’s most pressing matters, whilst former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan delivered an impactful speech on the importance of listening to the voice of youth in times of conflict.
Among roughly 2000 delegates, 27 were from the Kurdistan Region. The venue provided an ideal platform on which to raise awareness of the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Kurdistan.
The young delegates from Kurdistan were sponsored by Rwanga Foundation. They included returnee ambassador Idris Nechirvan Barzani – founder and president of Rwanga Foundation – who gave a moving speech highlighting the reality of the situation in his home country, pledged Rwanga Foundation would never give up on those that need help.
Parikhan Sulaiman Ibrahim, a Yazidi, talked about the atrocities faced by Yazidi’s, particularly those trapped on Mount Sinjar, she thanked Rwanga Foundation for delivering aid to those trapped on the mountain. A number of young Kurds, Gorgees Awia Maleel, Taffen Ako Taha, Avan Soufy, Kardo Ali Abbas, participated in the peace and conflict panel.
The speeches were aptly impassioned given the hardship that Iraq and The Kurdish Region continue to experience. Pari spoke of the harrowing experience faced by the Yazidi community trapped on Mt Sinjar following the brutal attack by Islamic State militants. She thanked Rwanga Foundation for reaching her people in time to deliver aid, whilst other delegates bravely described the dire humanitarian situation that has hit The Kurdish Region of Iraq. The topics were truly harrowing; the mass humanitarian crises, the kidnapping of women and children, and the use of female Yazidis as sex slaves by members of the terrorist group.
All the delegates displayed great courage and determination in their mission to tell the world about The Region’s suffering at the hands of a brutal, merciless terrorist group.
The four-day conference saw a mixture of talks, round table discussions and panel debates – all pertinent to the struggle in Kurdistan. An array of well-known faces were present, including actress Meghan Markle, football player Sol Campbell and tennis player Boris Becker, who took the stage to present their own words.
As was the case at the previous summits, the feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with many attendees highlighting the bravery transmitted by the Kurdish delegates through their ability to portray the reality in Kurdistan. Many present at the conference confessed to knowing very little or nothing about Kurdistan and were happy to leave the conference with a newfangled understanding of the conflict that has taken over Iraq and the Levant.
This was the first time travelling abroad for a number of Kurdish delegates and all were enthusiastic about being exposed to different cultures. The delegation was greatly motivated throughout the stories of other regions that have faced and overcome difficulties. The ceremony saw the flag of Kurdistan carried by Avan Soufy amongst other flags, while social media saw the #HelpKurdistansDisplaced hashtag campaign become an international one.
The Rwanga booth was visited by a myriad of people from all nationalities showing their support for the foundation and Kurdistan in a moving show of solidarity – a common theme throughout the whole summit. The Rwanga Foundation successfully achieved the true purpose of the summit; the Kurds were heard.
Sofia Barbarani
