I arrived in Belgium in 1978. In Belgium I was co-founder of the association ‘Têkoser’, an association of Kurdish workers and students in Belgium. This association, founded by Kurds from different parts of Kurdistan, all living in Belgium, aimed to promote the integration of the Kurdish community in Belgium.

About ten years later, in 1989, we changed the name of our association – Tekoser – into the Kurdish Institute of Brussels.

The Institute has several objectives: the promotion of integration, social progress and recognition of the cultural identity of the Kurds.

One year later, in 1990, the Institute received a subsidy from the Flemish Ministry of Culture to realize our project ‘Host country, my home country’. Within the framework of this project, we organised several socio-cultural trainings on subjects such as democracy, human rights, minorities, migration-integration, racism, health and housing, education, unemployment, etc.

Since 1998, the Kurdish Institute is subsidized by the Flemish Ministry of Culture for their socio-cultural activities. The following objectives are to be promoted:

         Developping and promoting the Kurdish language and foster knowledge about Kurdistan by providing information on its history, literature, society and politics.

         Helping the Kurds and other minority communities to integrate into the Belgian society with respect and maintenance of their own cultural identity by organising language courses and providing social service.

In 2004, we have widened our sphere of action and changed our mission. On the one hand we are working to secure and promote rights for ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities in Turkey, the Middle East and the Caucasus and on the other hand we are working on the integration of Kurds and other minority communities into the Belgian society.

To realize our new mission we work on different levels:

         We publish a bi-monthly periodical in Dutch (The Kurds) and educational reports about the Kurds and other minorities in Turkey, the Middle East and the Caucasus in Dutch, English, French, Kurdish and Turkish.

         We provide social services for immigrants

         Our library holds many publications on the Middle East and Turkey but is mainly devoted to the history, culture and political situation of the Kurds in Kurdistan and the diaspora.

         Summer projects for children

         Translation services

         Language courses: French and Kurdish

         Cultural programme: exhibitions, Kurdish films and plays, concerts, etc.

         Research, information and sensitization activities

In 2004, we founded a Kurdish cultural centre in Tbilisi, Georgia.


Publications of the Kurdish Institute at Brussels

 

Dutch

1.        Volksnationalisme, ook het Koerdische, is geen product van verbeelding maar representeert werkelijkheid, Hugo Van Rompaey, 2007, 19.50 euro.

2.        De Koerden. Essays over hun geschiedenis en cultuur, Knyaz Mirzoev, translated by Hugo Van Rompaey, 2006, 19.50 euro.

3.        Armoede in Brussel/Pauvreté à Bruxelles, Jan Béghin (red.), 2006, 19.50 euro.

4.        Kruitvat Kaukasus, Nik Vanderscheuren, Freddy De Pauw, Elmira Zeynalian (red.)., 2004, 17.5 euro.

5.        Mensen- en volkerenrechten in Syrië: De Koerdische kwestie, Wim Beelaert, 2004, 10.00 euro.

6.        De onderdrukking van de Koerden in Turkije, een misdaad?, Hugo Van Rompaey, 2003, 17,5 euro.

7.        De kwestie Iraaks Koerdistan. Derwich M. Ferho en Lieve Driesen (red.), 2002, 12 euro.

8.        De Koerden, tussen Europa en Turkije. Bert Cornillie en Paul Vanden Bavière (red.), 2001,17.5 euro.

9.        De Koerdische Lente. Ik, peshmerga, ik geef mijn ziel, Ahmed Bamarni, 2000, 12.5 euro.

10.     De Onafhankelijkheidsdroom v/d Koerden, illusie of realiteit, Chris Kutschera, 1999, 12.5 euro

11.     De Zaak Öcalan, Turkije, het Westen en de Koerden, Paul Vanden Bavière (red.) e.a.,

12.     1999, 17.5 euro.

13.     Dossier Koerdistan, 1ste druk 1988, 2de druk, 1991, 5 euro.

14.     Gevangenis Nr. 5, 11 jaar in de Turkse gevangenis, M. Zana, 1997, 8.7 euro.

15.     De Koerden en Zelfbeschikkingsrecht, Katy Verzelen, , 1997, 8.7 euro.

16.     De Koerden,  een volk op weg naar zelfstandigheid, Veerle Van Beeck, 1998, 8.7 euro.

17.     De Koerden in de voormalige Sovjet-Unie, H. Taels, 97, 8.7 euro.

18.     Dr. A. Ghassemlou, man van vrede en dialoog, biography, 1997, 7.5 euro.

19.     Hêlîn rook naar boomhars, Susan Samanci, 1998, 8.7 euro.

20.     Ik was een kind in Koerdistan, Mahmut Baksi, 1998, 8.7 euro.

21.     Hêlîn, Mahmut Baksi, 1998, 8.7 euro.

Reports:

          Etnische en Religieuze Minderheden in Koerdistan, 2009.

          Toetredingsproces EU-Turkije: een stand van zaken, 2008, 5 euro.

          De Koerdische strijd vanuit vrouwenrechtenperspectief, 2007, 5 euro.

          De impact van repressieve regimes op de grootschalige exodus naar Europese landen, 2006, 5 euro.

          Mensenrechten in Iran, 2006, 5 euro.

          Eergerelateerd geweld, 2005, 5 euro.

          Mensen- en volkerenrechten in Iran, 2005, 5 euro.

          Het toetredingsproces van Turkije tot de EU en de Koerdische kwestie, 2004, 5 euro.

          De Koerden in Irak en de internationale houding, 2003, 5 euro.

          Turkije, klaar voor de Europese Unie? De Turkse realiteit getoetst aan de Criteria van Kopenhagen, Derwich M. Ferho en Lieve Driesen (red.), 2002, 5 euro.

          Ontheemde Koerden klem in Turkije, Carla Van Os, 2001,  5 euro.

          Een dam tegen de stuwdammen. Het GAP-project in vraag gesteld, 2000, 5 euro.

English

  1. Identity via satellite: a case study of the Kurdish satellite television station Medya TV, Andrea Allen Hickerson, 12,5 €
  2. Kurds Have the right to speak Kurdish, Hugo Van Rompaey, 7,5 €
  3. Kurdish nationalism in Mam u Zîn of A. Khanî, F. Shakely, 1992, 5 €
  4. The Kurdistan File, 1989, 5 €
  5. The Turkish Republic and the Kurdish Question, a tragic confrontation, E. Marescot, 15 €

French

1.        La République turque et la question, kurde : un face-à-face tragique, E.Marescot, 12,50 €

2.        Dijwar, un témoignage de ce qu’est leur vie, Orhan Miroglu, 19,5 €

3.        Hadés à l’oeuvre, Medeni Ferho, 19,5 €

4.        La République turque et la question kurde: un face-à-face tragique, Elisabeth Marescot, 19,5 €

5.        Les Kurdes: un peuple en quête d’Etat, Elisabeth Marescot, 2006, 12 €

6.        Les Kurdes dans l’ex-Union Sovietique, Herman Taels, 2003, 96 p., 7.5 €

7.        Le Genocide Kurde, Desmond Fernandes, 2002, 62 p., 8 €

8.        Costumes et Tapis Kurdes, J.M.C. & P.J., 1995, 96 p., 15 €

9.        Dossier Kurdistan, 1992, 138 p., 5 €

10.    La Turquie, l’Europe et les Kurdes, Paul Vanden Bavière, 2005, 17,5 €

Analyses:

          L’Iran et la question des minorités, Soheila Ghaderi-Mameli, 2006 

          Les Kurdes en Iran, jadis et maintenant, Chris Kutchera, 2006

          La communauté Iranienne en Belgique, Anwar Mir Sattari, 2006

          Situation actuelle de la femme en Iran, Françoise Brie, 2006

          Quand les Scythes quittèrent les steppes d’Asie centrale!, Elisabeth Marescot, 2006

          Saleh ed-din (Saladin), le Sultan Kurde et de sa dynastie, les Ayyubides, E. Marescot, 2006

          Les Croisades racontées par les Syriaques, Elisabeth Marescot, 2006

          Le peuple Araméo-Assyro Chaldéo-Syriaque, Elisabeth Marescot, 2006

          Le Zoroastrisme, Elisabeth Marescot, 2006

          Ibn Sina (980-1037) ;Médecin – philosophe – homme de lettres, Elisabeth Marescot, 2006

          Le manichéisme: de Ctésiphon à Montségur, Elisabeth Marescot, 2006

Kurdî

1.        Serê Sevê Çîrokek, Sahredariya Sûrê, Avrêl 2006, qediya (b.a. EKB)

2.        Serê Sevê Çîrokek, Sahredariya Sûrê, Gulan 2006, qediya (b.a. EKB)

3.        Binêr… Ez Mezin dibim, agahdarî li ser mezinbûna zarokan ji 0 heta 3 saliya wan, 1984, 10 €

4.        Jana Heft Salan, Sahînê B. Sorekli, helbest, 1990, 5 €

5.        Memê û Eysê, Taharê Biro, sano, 1991, 5 €

6.        Kurdên Tirkiyê di dema herî nuh da, M. A. Hasratyan, dîrok, 1994, 10 €

7.        Dîroka Kurdistan bi Kurtebîrî, E. Cemîl Pasa, dîrok, 1995, 10 €

8.        Hey Gerilla, Medeni Ferho, helbest, 1994, 7,5 € (b.a. EKB)

9.        Dîwan 3, Feqir Ahmed, helbest, 199710 €

10.     Digirê, Mihemed Abbas, helbest, 1998, 5 €

11.     Letîf Helmet, Xelîl Dihoki, helbest, 1998, 9 €

12.     Koerdisch – Turks, Derwich M. Ferho, uitgeput

13.     Dengê Roja Dîl, Derwich M. Ferho, helbest, 1985, 5 € (b.a. EKB)

14.     Evîna Reben, Derwich M. Ferho, helb., 7 € (b.a. EKB)

15.     Hêvî û Jiyan, Derwich M., Ferho helbest, 1999, 7 € (b.a. EKB)

16.     Xaltîka Zeyno, Medenî Ferho, roman, 9 € (b.a. EKB)

17.     Marê di Tûr de, Medenî Ferho, roman, 1999,10 € (b.a. EKB)

18.     Bîr û Raman, Rojan Hazim, 2001, 7,5 €

19.     Paseroj, Rojan Hazim, 2002, 10 €

20.     Zîlan, agir û stranên jiyanê, Medenî Ferho, helbest, 1999, 7 € (b.a. EKB)

21.     Sevên Zivistanî û Melekî Tawus, Abbas Abbas, sano, 1996, 10 € (b.a. EKB)

22.     Ji Meresê xeberek hat, Alî Alxasî, 15 €

Türkçe

  1. Bize Bir Felsefe Lazım, S. Ciziri, 1999, 7 €
  2. Kawa efsanesî, Nêrgîza Tori, 5 €
  3. Muhtasar Hayatım, E.Cemîl Pasa, 1991, 5 €
  4. Kurdistana Sevgiler, Rojan Hazim, 2001, 9 €
  5. Eski Sovyetler Birliginde Kürtler, H.Taels,5 € (b.a. EKB)
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