The international conference was held for the first time in the framework of Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan’s ideas in 2012 with the slogan “Challenging Capitalist Modernity”. This year, the third one is being held under the title “Challenging Capitalist Modernity III: Uncovering Democratic Modernity ― Resistance, Rebellion and Building the New” in Hamburg University on April 14-16. Academics, scientists and seekers of an alternative life from many countries will come together in the conference where topics like jineology, ecology, history, philosophy, capitalism, resistance and building a new life will be discussed. The conference is organized by the Network for an Alternative Quest.

“THIS YEAR ACADEMICS FROM AROUND THE WORLD ARE COMING”

Reimer Heider from the Network for an Alternative Quest spoke to ANF on the conference, saying: “The conference is held in the framework of Öcalan’s ideas. We want to discuss his ideas of democratic modernity and present them to the world. We want to bring the discussions in Kurdistan and elsewhere in the world together. For this, we are hoping to bring a large group together in Hamburg University. We held two more conferences like this before. In the last one attendance was great. We hope this conference will garner even more interest and people from Kurdistan, the Middle East and different continents in the world will come.”

“READERS EMBRACE ÖCALAN’S IDEAS”

Heider reminisced that back in 2012 when they held the first conference, Öcalan’s books were not as well-known as they are today, and said that things have changed drastically. Reimer Heider stated that Öcalan’s books and articles have been translated to several languages and added: “In discussions today, we see that Öcalan’s ideas are being read. Our biggest issue is that Öcalan’s ideas are not promoted enough to the world. Because we see that when people read Öcalan’s books, when they get to know his ideas, they embrace them fairly quickly.”

Reimer Heider said the previous versions of the conference had simultaneous translation to 4 languages and this year the number will be 7. All the material will be made into a book afterwards. Heider said they won’t just invite certain names and be limited to presentations in this conference. They determined several topics of discussion in the framework of Öcalan’s ideas and asked for papers from young academics, and they have received many to date.

Reimer Heider said that the developments in Kurdistan, the Middle East and the world will be discussed in the conference and gave a warning related to the content: “We are not discussing current or short-term politics. We are going to hold discussions on the source of the issues in the Middle East, perspectives for solutions and Öcalan’s role in these. We will be talking about how the reflection will be.”