A conference of Yazidi women will take place tomorrow in the European Parliament in Brussels. The conference is titled “Shengal / Sinjar – A society threatened by genocide – reconstruction as a guarantee for peace in the Middle East”.

The umbrella organization of the Yazidi Women's Councils (SMJÊ) wrote about the conference: "In the Middle East, especially in the Yazidi settlement area of Shengal, the 74th massacre of Yazidi society, especially Yazidi women, by the so-called 'Islamic State' took place on 3 August 2014. Through the ongoing struggle and resistance of Yazidi people over the last decade, the threat posed by the Islamic State gangs has been successfully defeated, and many enslaved women and children have been freed from their hands.

The Yazidi people have independently established their self-government together with other peoples in the region and have begun to rebuild the region that was destroyed by the war."

The statement added: "To make the Shengal region a safe place, concrete steps are required from the international community. In particular, the following questions must be answered:

1. What humanitarian obligations arise for the states that have recognized the genocide of the Yazidi people?

2. What methods should be used to rebuild Shengal, and what role would official recognition of Shengal's self-government play in the rest of the region?

These questions will be discussed at the conference “Shengal - A Society at Risk of Genocide - Reconstruction as a Guarantee of Peace in the Middle East” on 30 January 2024 at the European Parliament in Brussels. The conference offers the opportunity to take a current and forward-looking look at the situation. The questions mentioned will be examined intensively in collaboration with speakers and experts from science and politics."

Program:

09:00 - 09:05 Opening - Moderation: Ayfer Özdogan

09:05 - 09:15 Opening speech by the umbrella organization of the Yezidi Women's Councils: SMJÊ spokeswoman Nûjiyan Günay

09:15 - 10:15 Greetings:

Karsten Lucke, S&D Group, coordinator of the DEVE Committee

Katrin Langensiepen, MEP / Greens EFA

Lorena Lopez de Lacalle, Chairwoman of the European Free Alliance

Özlem Demirel, MEP The Left Group in the European Parliament - GUE / NGL

Mary Collins, Secretary EWL

10:15 - 12:30 First session - Moderation: Feleknas Uca

Recognition of the genocide and the resulting consequences and obligations

Suad Murad Khalaf (Hêza), contemporary witness of the 74th genocide of the Yazidis: women's liberation and self-defense

Rojda Arslan (LL.M.), lawyer and consultant for international criminal law and human rights: recognition of genocide under international law and at the political level

Dr. Leyla Ferman, political scientist: Relationship between legal processing and justice

Marion Böker, Director of Advice for Human Rights and Gender Issues: War Crimes Against Women and International Responsibility

12:30 - 3:00 p.m. lunch break

3:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Second session - Moderation: Shilan Badal Kheder

Prospects for further reconstruction and recognition of Shengal's self-government

Siham Dahkeel Rasho: Contemporary witness to the 74th genocide of the Ezidis: women's self-organization and future prospects

Dr. Rassmann, scientist and journalist: Sinjar - A so-called disputed region

Dr. Mechthild Exo: The democratic nation as a future model and solution for Shengal and the region

5:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Closing statement

The conference is organized by the umbrella organization of the Yazidi Women's Councils (SMJÊ) in cooperation with the Yazidi Associations in Germany.