MEDİNE MAMEDOĞLU

Dersim- 22nd Munzur Culture and Nature Festival will kick off in Dersim on July 25, 2024 with the motto, “We will not allow our nature and our will to be usurped”. At the 4-day festival, many events and activities such as panels, concerts and theater performances on assimilation, mother language, women and displacement will be organized. Thousands of people from Türkiye and Kurdistan are expected to attend the festival.

In an interview with NuJINHA, Selvi Güngörmüş, Co-chair of the Democratic Regions Party (DBP) in Dersim, invited all people to attend the festival to be held on July 25-28.

‘The main theme is resistance’

The main theme of the festival is “Resistance,” Selvi Güngörmüş said, stressing that the festival had not been allowed to be held during the state-appointed mayors and that the festival had been sometimes held by distorting its purpose. “The main theme of the festival is resistance and it will continue in this way.”

 ‘The festival symbolizes the resistance of the people of Dersim’

“The Munzur Culture and Nature Festival has been held in Dersim for years. The festival is not only a music and entertainment festival but also a festival of the resistance against attacks on our culture, belief, identity, language and nature. The program of the festival is full of events and activities. All issues will be discussed at the festival; we will hold panels on women, belief and the appointment of trustees to Kurdish municipalities. We reject the appointment of trustees and this usurpation policy. We will voice this once again at the festival. People should participate in the panels to have a say and discuss our problems and find solutions to the problems.”

 ‘We will discuss the policy of assimilation and special war policies in the city’

The problems in the city should be discussed at the festival, Selvi Güngörmüş said. “Recently, the city has suffered from the policy of assimilation and the use of drugs targeting the demographic structure of the city. Concerts will be organized at the festival. I would like to underline again that what is important is to show resistance against the attacks on our belief, language and will. The nature of Dersin has been resisting plunder policies for years. At the festival, we will discuss all current issues, including the increase in the use of drug, unemployment and suicide cases. We will discuss all the problems suffered by the city and find solutions to them.”

‘People should embrace the festival’

At the end of her speech, Selvi Güngörmüş called on all people to attend the festival. “This resistance will continue after the festival. People, especially women and young people, should protect their mother language and history. They should embrace the festival.”