In various cities in Northern Kurdistan and Turkey, the youth organization of the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) gathered this weekend for a series of workshops entitled “Towards a democratic society with a leading youth.” The aim is to strengthen the role of young people in shaping democratic coexistence.

The events focused on political, social, and ideological issues—in particular, the significance of Abdullah Öcalan's paradigm for a democratic society, questions of women's liberation, social transformation, and the struggle against patriarchal and capitalist structures.

The workshops have taken place in Amed (tr. Diyarbakır), Van, Urfa, Adana, and Istanbul, among other locations. In addition to activists from the DEM Youth Council and members of other democratically minded, socialist, and socially engaged youth organizations, representatives from various civil society organizations and political parties will also be present.

In Amed, Ömer Görünmek from the DEM Party Youth Council explained that Kurdish youth must play a central role in building a democratic society. He emphasized that young people are ready to take on responsibility and put the ideas of democratic modernity into practice.

In Van, Lorin Aryen Turgut spoke about the young women under the umbrella of the DEM Party and the need to place the female perspective at the center of social change. She argued that the paradigm shift can only succeed if women see themselves as active agents, both individually and collectively, and take on leadership roles in society.

In Urfa and Adana, participants also discussed current challenges facing the region and possible ways out of social, ecological, and political crises. It was emphasized that young people in particular have a key role to play in developing new ways of life, identifying alternatives, and taking on political responsibility.

The workshop in Istanbul focused on the multiple crises in the Middle East and discussed possible responses from a Kurdish perspective. The focus was on the role of young people in the search for democratic, peaceful solutions.