BERJÎN KARA

Makhmour- In the 1990s, thousands were forcibly displaced from Northern Kurdistan to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq due to war policies carried by the Turkish state against the Kurdish people. Displaced Kurdish people of Northern Kurdistan took shelter in many camps. In 1998, they settled in the Martyr Rustem Cudi Camp (Makhmour Refugee Camp). Since then, the Turkish state and its partner Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) have carried out attacks on the camp, killing and injuring many people.

Since 2019, the KDP has imposed an embargo on the camp by blocking the entry of essential supplies, including medical supplies, to the camp. Despite the ongoing Turkish attacks and the embargo imposed by the KDP, the residents of the camp still resist. Although the camp is officially recognized as a refugee settlement by the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR), the UNHCR does not fulfill its responsibilities for the camp. The residents of the camp have an education committee to provide education based on democracy to the children.

‘It has put its signature under important successes despite the challenges’

In the camp, there are five kindergartens, four elementary schools, two secondary schools and a high school. The new academic year has started in the camp with the participation of 3,500 students and 150 teachers. NuJINHA spoke to Bêrîvan Kaya, a teacher and former representative of the Makhmour Education Committee, about the new academic year in the camp. Speaking about the challenges faced by them when they built the education system in the camp, Bêrîvan Kaya said:

“Since 1994, the education system has been implemented under difficult conditions. The education system has put its signature under important successes, especially in Kurdish language, despite the challenges. Thousands of students have already completed their education in the schools of the camp. Some students graduated from universities in the region and they have gained experience in different professions.”

‘Children are moved away from thinking’

Speaking about the challenges caused by today’s education system, she said, “We see that the education system all over the world focuses on technical information and technology. This system moves children away from thinking and understanding life. This system is an automatic system. It is a system in which the students can only pass by performing like a robot. I mean, capitalism has built a system that affects young people in all facets of life by using the current education system”

Commenting on the impact of technology on children and students, she said, “The use of the internet and mobile devices affects students and children. Technology causes children to distance themselves from the world.”

This year, a conference on education was held in the camp. “In the camp, we hold a conference on education every two year to discuss our education system and the way to improve our system. The decisions made at the conference will be implemented in the next two years.”

Bêrîvan Kaya also talked about the embargo imposed by the KDP on the camp. “Since 2019, an embargo has been imposed on the camp and students are the most affected by this embargo. The regional government has closed the doors of the universities in the region to our students and our students see this as a threat to themselves. Hundreds of students have not gone to universities for 10 years after they graduated from high school. We discussed this issue at the conference to find an alternative. Centers providing vocational education to students should be opened that prepares the students for a skilled craft as an artisan, trade as a tradesperson or work as a technician. We always say that the education system in the camp is based on Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan’s paradigm of Democratic nation.”

Call on families

In her speech, Bêrîvan Kaya called on families to encourage their children to receive education. “The new academic year has started with the participation of 3,500 students. We call on all families to support their children and keep their children away from the current capitalist system.”