A message from Komalên Ciwan to the World Youth Conference
Dear comrades,
In the name of the Apoist youth movement, Komalên Ciwan, we send you our warmest greetings and respect. We congratulate you, the youth of the world, on this first World Youth Conference.
Perhaps we have never seen each other, nor did we have the chance to get to know each other. Perhaps we have very different backgrounds. Some of us are from the Middle East, Asia or Africa; others are from Europe or Abya Yala. We might come from different nations with different beliefs, cultures, and traditions. But we are sure our hearts beat for the same cause. We are seekers on the path of freedom; we are fighters for a free life. That is why we want to emphasise the importance of our gathering through the World Youth Conference, to stand shoulder to shoulder and join hands. It is of the utmost historical significance for us. That's why we, the Apoist youth movement, are very excited, happy, and joyful about the organisation of this conference. We can see the attempt to revive the spirit of the '68 youth movement. We can see the will of the youth to become the vanguard of change in today's world. That is why we are convinced that this conference will be a great success and that we will achieve great results with the spirit created here.
As we all know, in the course of history, humanity has endured much suffering under the various systems of oppression. The rulers have always attacked and oppressed the people and caused great pain. Many sacrifices have been made throughout the history of resistance. Humanity has been confronted with bloodshed, violence, exploitation, rape, genocide and injustice. This system, in the form of capitalist modernity, has reached its peak. The system of capitalist modernity has become global and is targeting humanity on a universal level. We can say openly that in the 21st century, humanity is wailing under a constant onslaught.
Capitalist modernity is the biggest enemy of humanity. It is the enemy of all human values and was created on this foundation and for this purpose. This is how it tries to sustain itself, and therefore, its attacks continue all over the world. There is only one thing that counts for capitalism: profit, the system of buying and selling. For the interest of the rulers and elites, no value is so great that it cannot be sold. No principle is followed, and no morals remain. Everything is appropriated by their interests to sustain the system of power. This is a reality we can witness today in the war between Israel and Hamas. The Middle East has been caught up for thousands of years in a war that doesn't bring any solution; thus it is involuntarily held in a status quo of constant crisis. This is not the Middle East's destiny but a situation created by the rulers and capitalist modernity. Those aren't problems that arise from society itself. Humanity never chose to live with these problems. We say it again: those who created these problems and are the reason for the people in Kurdistan and Abya Yala, the people in Asia and Africa and Europe to suffer is the capitalist system. The system deprives the youth of its energy, women of their freedom, and humanity as a whole of a beautiful life. If you want to understand the reality of the system properly, you have to look to Kurdistan. Kurdistan is like an open book to understand the truth of capitalist modernity.
For a hundred years, the capitalist system and its front states in the Middle East, like the Turkish fascist state, have imposed a genocidal policy upon Kurdistan. Against that, for 50 years, our struggle for freedom in Kurdistan under the leadership of Abdullah Öcalan has continued. For 50 years, we have been fighting an existential war against this system, and in the course of all this we have made abundant sacrifices. Our people endured much pain, but as a result, today, our struggle is spreading over the world, mainly through Öcalan's efforts and thoughts. By taking Öcalan hostage on Imrali Island, the capitalist forces wanted to isolate him as the source of free thought and life from humanity. 25 years of torture and isolation have passed since then, and it is getting more intense day by day. No matter how much these attacks have intensified, Öcalan never stepped backwards. He wasn't silenced in Imrali and will never give up the struggle.
On the contrary, with his remarkable struggle, he became a source of inspiration and freedom for many peoples, allowing him to break through the walls of Imrali. He created a significant alternative to capitalist modernity with his philosophy of democratic modernity. From the new paradigm evolved a perspective of hope for the Kurdish people and all people striving for freedom. If today we, the Apoist youth movement, can lead a revolution like here in Kurdistan, and if we can struggle and discuss with our free will and build on the strength of thought and ideas in ourselves, it is because of Öcalan. That's why we want to share what we have discovered and what Öcalan has brilliantly analysed on Imrali: Until the problems in the Middle East are solved, global problems won't be solved either. If a people is still oppressed, the rest of the world also can't call itself free. If today, the people of Abya Yala can't live a free life with free thoughts, then in Kurdistan, no one can be free either. If today, the Palestinian people are not free, then the Jewish people can't be free either. If the women and youth of society can't play their role as vanguards, this society can't define itself as free, either. We have discovered this as a result of 50 years of struggle. Today, we believe we will gain even more hope and strength with this conference. The more we can spread the struggle for democratic modernity in all parts of the world, the more we are convinced that we will end the oppressor's system and create free life.
This World Youth Conference is a challenge to the oppressors and the system of capitalist modernity. Just like the '68 movement, with its youth spirit, wrote history and spread all over the world, made the system shake, and drove forward a social and cultural revolution, today, this conference is of the same meaning. Today, we say to the whole world, you can't any longer hold back the oppressed peoples who strive for their freedom with your crisis. With your politics, you can't deceive us any longer. The youth won't accept being degraded into a meaningless force anymore. You can't use the youth as tools for your power interests anymore. We own big ideas and knowledge today and can change the world's destiny. This World Youth Conference is the right place to prove this. This conference demonstrates that young people, from Asia to Africa, from Kurdistan to Europe, can change the world if they unite their strength, will and belief. We don't need those oppressors. We don't need those warlords. More than ever before, humanity deserves to live in freedom. Deserves to live a better life based on beauty, common moral values and unity.
We, and all of you, are creating this hope today. We are convinced that this conference will bring important gains as a result of its discussions and decisions. Even if the circumstances didn't make it possible for us to physically participate in this conference, our hearts are with you. We believe that the ideas of democratic modernity and the line of democratic confederalism can provide solutions with courage and depth for the discussions and analysis of our problems as youth during this conference. The rulers will fear the results of this conference, and on this foundation, we think we will begin a new phase of struggle together. We hope these discussions will not remain with the conference only. With these discussions and the decisions to be made, we will create a common, united, worldwide front for the struggling youth. We will feel all the problems of all societies in the depth of our hearts and minds. We will rise up against all injustice; we will not remain silent. And what's most important, like this, we will become the vanguard for our people and the people of the world.
In the end, we send our greetings to all participants of the conference with big excitement once again. We declare our love for all of you, and we are sure that you will achieve results on the road to ultimate victory.
Long live the spirit of the '68 movement!
Long live the youth of the world!
Long live internationalism!
Serkeftin! Serkeftin! Serkeftin!
