A well-attended conference took place in Vienna over the weekend under the motto “Building a democratic society with free leadership.” The event was organized by the Federation of Democratic Kurdish Society in Austria (FEY-KOM). Numerous participants in traditional clothing came together from various cities across the country.
The conference was chaired by Dilek Karahan of Civaka Azad, Murat Ceylan of the KCDK-E, journalist and activist Nimet Sevim, and Cevdet Halim of DEM-KURD, among others. The event began with a minute of silence for those who fell in the Kurdish movement.
Ceylan: Öcalan’s call marks a new stage in society
In his opening speech, Murat Ceylan explained that after more than 50 years of resistance, the Kurdish freedom movement is on the threshold of a new phase. According to Ceylan, the Call for Peace and Democratic Society made by Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan on February 27 marks a strategic turning point: “This phase is not just a change in political direction, but the beginning of a process of social transformation. It is about the concrete implementation of a model of democratic society based on ethical and political principles. The goal, therefore, is not only to discuss the principles of democratic modernity in theory, but to implement them structurally in everyday life.”
Democratic society as a lived system
Discussions on the implementation of the model of a democratic society in Austria were at the heart of the conference. Prepared texts and open forums emphasized that this is not just a theoretical model, but a way of life based on truth, freedom, and collective responsibility.
Several speakers emphasized that this was not a matter of organizational adjustments, but rather a profound ethical, spiritual, and political restructuring of society.
Participation, grassroots democracy, and social change
In his speech, Kurdish journalist and activist Nimet Sevim emphasized that democratic society is not based on formal structures, but on ethical principles, conscience, and awareness of shared responsibility. “Individual freedom only gains meaning through its connection to society. Committees and councils must be places of direct participation—participatory, pluralistic, and ecological.”
Sevim spoke out against centralized models and advocated for bottom-up, community-based structures, particularly in the areas of women, youth, culture, economics, and ecology.
Diversity of topics and perspectives
Further contributions presented perspectives on organization in the areas of mother tongue, youth, women, media, culture, education, diplomacy, and religious communities. The aim is to anchor the reconstruction process broadly and for the long term.
Final declaration: Time for a radical new beginning
In their final declaration, the organizers emphasized the need for a clear break with old habits: “Neither knee-jerk reactions nor entrenched patterns are sufficient. We must fundamentally renew our organizations, mindsets, and practices in light of the democratic society paradigm.”
The declaration pointed out that the conference was an expression of a collective will to continue the process of building a free society through solidarity, criticism, and shared responsibility. A proposal was made to establish topic-specific expert committees that would continue their work on an ongoing basis through workshops and forums.
Finally, questions from the audience were answered. The event ended with the slogans “Bijî Serok Apo” [Long Live Leader Öcalan] and “Jin, Jiyan, Azadî” [Woman, Life, Freedom].
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