………………………………………..2. We remember you with love and longing, dear President!
Our brother, comrade and friend Metin Bozdağ, who was president of our federation between 2013 and 2022, went to the right on March 2, 2022.
Metin President was like a tree that had spread its roots in the soil of Dersim. He carried every ounce of Hardo Dewre in his soul and lived it with every breath. The destruction of people and nature in this ancient Alevi country shook him to the core, like the Iliç disaster in recent days. Every drop of water that was condemned to the dams built was a snake wrapped around his neck and that of his hometown. He shed tears over the fate of the creature that was set on fire along with the forests, and he would race against time to come to their aid.
Metin Abi was a human being, a lover of truth. He was a dervish from the world, integrated with 72 nations in the world of his mind. His heart beats with the hearts of the oppressed groups who are persecuted all over the world. He always tried to keep alive the hope and dream that the land of understanding, where wars would end and people would live in peace and tranquility, would one day become a reality.
Dear Mr. Chairman,
Our pain is as fresh as yesterday, and our hearts will not accept being without you. Our only comfort is to have known a person like you, a person with a pure heart, and to have walked the path with him. We are proud to be your colleagues, comrades and friends. Don’t let Hardo Dewres hurt you in the land of Raa Haq!
May your soul rest in peace…
March 1, 2024
Federationê Komelunê Desımi yê Europe
Federation of European Dersim Associations (FDG)

Conference of Oppressed Peoples in Greece

The suffering, trauma, tears and voices of the victims of genocide and massacres on the Anatolian axis are united in Central Macedonia.

In Central Macedonia/Imathias Prefecture (one of the strongholds of Pontic Greeks in Greece), an impressive gathering of representatives of different ethnic backgrounds has come together from 5 to 8 September 2023. The main theme of the conference was: “Genocides: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow – Their Consequences, Their Coping and Their Avoidance”.

Each of them bears the weight of the sacrifices they have suffered at the hands of the racist policies of the Ottoman Empire and Turkey, whether through expulsion from their homelands or even the horror of genocide. Assyrian Christians, Armenians, Greeks, Dersimians, Yazidis, Kocgiri and Arab Alawites have united in a common cause: justice and reconciliation. The organizations were characterized by:

– Yervand Khosrovian (Armenian National Cultural Center)
– Dimitris Konstantinidis (AGADEKA Council of Peoples and Association of Greeks from Pontos in Cologne
– Kenan Araz (Institute of Mesopotamia Studies-IfMS )
– Kemal Karabulut (Chairman of the Federation of Dersim Communities in Europe FDG)
– Prof. Dr. Sefik Tagay (Society of Ezidi Academics, GEA)
– Hasan Özer (Association of Citizens of Kocgiri in Europe)
– Petrus Afrem-Barsom (Assyrian Youth League of Central Europe)
Represent.

Our diversity is our collective strength, and our shared history of suffering connects us deeply. The time has come to transcend ethnic and religious boundaries and proclaim a powerful message of unity and solidarity.

We would also like to express our deep appreciation for the dedicated scientists and researchers who laid the foundation for this historic meeting. Special thanks to:
– Prof. Dr. Theodosis Kyriakidis, Chair of Pontic Studies, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki
– Prof. Dr. Bedriye Poyraz, University of Ankara, Turkey
– Prof. Dr. Armen Marsoobian (invited), Southern Connecticut State University
– Prof. Dr. Sefik Tagay, Cologne University of Applied Sciences
– Prof. Dr. Önver Cetrez, Uppsala University, Sweden Dr. Zeki Sagdıc, General Practitioner Midyat/Turabdin, Turkey

Their important research and expertise have made it possible for us to come together here for four days and work for a better future.
Special thanks also go to: Elena Lazadaou for the moderation, Parthena Iordaniou for the Greek and German translations and AGADEKA board, especially Dimitrios Konstantinidis for her skilful organization of these four days.
We urge the international community not to forget the crimes against humanity that overshadow our common history and to support the cause of human rights and justice. We demand that those responsible be held accountable to ensure that such heinous events are never repeated.
Let us strive together to create a world where tolerance, understanding and peace set the tone. May our meeting in Thessaloniki serve as a first step on this path, on which we all walk hand in hand.

It is our social responsibility to protect and uphold human rights!
We demand confrontation and justice for genocides!
In unity and hope!

Visiting program of the Dersimer in Berlin

As part of the “Balance-Têdustra” project, four significant visiting programs were carried out by our community on 16.10.2023 and 23.10.2023.

The first visit took us to the Berlin Wall Foundation from 12:00 to 15:00, where Mrs. Cornelia Thiele welcomed us warmly. The group gained insights into the history of the foundation, the collection of memories of the Berlin Wall, the division of German-Germany and the refugee movements during the Cold War until the 1990s.
Afterwards, we visited the outdoor exhibition and deepened our knowledge of the inner-German refugee movement from the GDR on a personal and political level, the German-German escape assistance from 1961 to 1989, as well as the topic of flight and migration in the present.
The second visit took place from 16:00 to 18:30 at the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg Museum (FHXB) and was led by Ms. Natalie Bayer.
The FHXB Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg Museum is a Berlin district museum and, with its exhibition, event programs, collection/archive and educational offerings, sees itself as a forum and moving memory of the district. The FHXB Museum is a public space for all people, regardless of any attributions of origin or social affiliation.
The group visited the current exhibition the 10-year history of self-empowerment of refugees, which culminated in the occupation of Oranienplatz. In addition, we received extensive information about the museum and its history from Mrs. Bayer.
On 23.10.2023 there were further dates:
A previously planned visit to the Bundestag with Member of Parliament Hakan Demir on 23.10.2023 from 12:00 to 15:00. Our group was admitted after a security check and personally greeted by Hakan Demir. Timo Schramm, Mr. Demir’s advisor, also accompanied us. We first visited the Paul-Lobe-Haus and received detailed information about the work of the commissions. Afterwards, a tunnel led us to the Reichstag, where we learned more about the history of the building, past and current federal members of parliament as well as the course of the working week and the meeting methods in the Bundestag. Unfortunately, the dome area was closed due to repair work.
Our last visit took us to the office of the Berlin state parliament member Ms. Sevim Aydin (SPD Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg) at Wassertorstraße 2 on 23.10.2023 from 3:30 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. Ms. Aydin warmly welcomed our group and there was a lively discussion on various topics, including the political experiences in Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, migration and participation, housing rents and increases, price increases, school problems of children and the path from a migrant to a member of parliament. Mrs. Aydin comes from our culture of origin and the discussion thus also led to the story of Dersim.
These appointments brought the participants closer to the social and political life in Berlin. This has enriched their knowledge and expanded their personal experience.

We would like to thank our hosts for the friendly welcome.

After many years of service in the Holy Cross Church…

Dersimers in Berlin would like to thank you very much for what you have done for our community in our 23-year-old neighborhood. Your commitment and passion for your work will be remembered.
We wish you all the best, health and satisfaction for your new phase of life and hope that we will see each other again in the future.

Thank you very much and all the best.