Promoting Kurdish Diplomacy

By: Dr. Kirmanj Gundi

May 11, 2005

Diplomacy as a model of planning of comprehending how strategic actions should take place recognizes the fact that it is a dynamic that involves an intricate pattern of actions and reactions. It is based on the macro-leadership concepts. It requires a situational and circumstantial analysis at the national and international levels. Such an analysis necessitates a prudent planning to craft short-term objectives and long-term goals.

Diplomacy is utilized to advance the nation’s status at the global level. A successful diplomatic mechanism requires a strong and solidified social, political and economic foundation. 

Understanding diplomacy makes politics, the art of possibility a reality, and the political goals achievable.

Diplomacy has brought nations with different backgrounds closer, and together they have achieved more. For instance, the European Union nations, each one of them has its own unique nationhood, each has its own political spectrum, currency, flag and a member in the United Nations. Nevertheless, they voluntarily have forged a union. Through this voluntary union and diplomacy, they have stronger currency, political and defense entities.

The end of Saddam’s bloody regime has posed a challenge and unprecedented opportunity for the people of Kurdistan to develop a political tolerance and establish a united front to transport the Kurdish diplomacy to a level where it is more effective!

For the people of Kurdistan to have a better diplomatic mechanism at the global level, the Kurdish political institutions should operate above their political interests. They must delegate and use the nation’s untapped talents. The two-administration system in Kurdistan must come to an end. There must be a way to strengthen the threshold of trust between them to solidify the national unity. The Kurdish political mentality must grow over the ambition of combining efforts to promote the Kurdistan identity. Democracy has flourished in Kurdistan and we must continue to create more room for democratic observance. The democratic principles must be practiced to engender a civic intelligence to create a civil society.

In our current diplomatic efforts with Arabs in Baghdad to determine the future of Kurdistan we have left out the most crucial factor, international observers! For history, we should have asked for them. Unfortunately we did not!

While we are stretching out our hands to the Arabs in Baghdad to accept us as equal partners, we must accept each other as equal brothers. While we have been louder than Iraqi Arabs to keep the Iraq’s territorial integrity together, it is our national duty to end the division in KurdistanÎ -bin-destÎ –Iraqê (Kurdistan-Iraq) across the party lines. We cannot continue combining the Kurdish efforts to create a new democratic and united Iraq while Kurdistan remains divided!

At the dawn of the 21^st century, in the information age with the new democratic prospect for the Middle East, we need to promote the democratic values within our own boundaries. We must democratize the governmental institutions, and put all the political establishments in the service of our people.

We need to craft a new vision for a new political culture, which creates an essence that every citizen of Kurdistan, as long as he or she has not corroborated with the occupiers, and regardless of his or her political belief, should be regarded as a national treasure. Our new vision must focus on commonalities that unite us NOT on differences that separate us. Let’s contemplate on what we together can achieve that otherwise might not be possible to obtain!   

We together should work to create a healthier Kurdish psychology to engender a stronger Kurdish spirit with Kurdistan to be the center of its world. We can achieve this goal only if we make Kurdistan the focus of our political activities. The Kurdish political entities must come together and form a stronger political foundation inside Kurdistan in order to make an impression from abroad. 

We need to utilize the Kurdistan communities in North America and Europe to establish a strong Kurdish lobby. This lobby should serve the Kurdistan national interests, and promote the national political identity. This lobby should strive to develop and maintain a friendly club with those who are in favor of the Kurdish cause and neutralize those who might harm our national identity. It should work with and assist the Kurdistan government, where the Kurdistan government cannot directly be involved!

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Dr. Kirmanj Gundi is an Associate Professor at Tennessee State University.

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