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To the
International Free Women’s Foundation
Dear
Madam,
We
are pleased to state that we have been informed about the official inauguration
of the World Women’s Foundation. Having learned that Kurdish women, too, are
among its founding members, we, the Kurdish women living in Mahmur Refugee Camp,
would like to take the occasion to express our appreciation of the joint efforts
of Kurdish women and women from all over the world to unite in international
institutions such as the World Women’s Foundation. It is with excitement and
joy that we use every opportunity to follow up the unification of women from
many different nations, carried by their common serious and strong aspirations.
We
would like to assure you that we regard the institution you have created as our
own institution and congratulate to your successful effort to establish such an
organisation which, we feel, has been a vision of not only Kurdish women but
many women from all over the world for a long time. We wish you the utmost
success in your work.
The
women here in Mahmur Refugee Camp have been forced to bear the brunt of the
merciless and destructive effects of 16 years of dirty war policies, in the
course of which we have been uprooted from our lands and forced to flee. For
seven years we have been changing abode from one makeshift camp to another, from
Besiwe to Behere, from Seranis to Geliye Qiyamete, from Etrus to Ninivah, and
for the last two years we have been trying to make a living in Mahmur Refugee
Camp.
You
will be aware of the fact that life as a refugee on Iraqi soil is a tough one.
The international embargo adds its part to a constant deterioration of our
problematic condition. It is not so much as possible to effectively tackle our
basic problems concerning education, health, social and psychological hardships
specific to women here.
It
is for this reason that we have found ourselves in the position to inform your
Foundation and by way of it other concerned institutions about our grievances in
an appeal for support in our efforts to alleviate them.
You
will furthermore be aware of the fact that it is us, the women, and our children
who have to bear the most adverse consequences of war and forceful displacement,
with perpetuated long-term effects on our social, economic, cultural, physical
and mental condition. Not only the lack of facilities for production and
sustainance, but also the failure to provide for our educational and health
requirements have caused and continue to cause a severe strain on our lives. We
are confronted with an upsurge in the spread and gravity of diseases leading to
an ever-increasing mortality rate among women and infants that requires the
urgent taking of serious precautions and a fundamental solution.
We
have indeed been trying to work out such remedies ourselves; our efforts,
however, have been impeded by the lack of facilities here. Through the good
offices of the United Nations, we have repeatedly lodged applications with a
variety of supranational bodies, have however not been able to receive the
support and aid necessary to effectively deal with our problems. Far from losing
our hopes, we have been working hard and determinedly to tackle these problems
by our own means. As a part of such endeavour, we have decided to contact your
Foundation and a number of similar concerned organisations.
We
are in urgent need of your support and firmly believe that your Foundation will
not abandon us to our fate.
It
has been widely acknowledged that a successful rehabilitation of the
psychological and physical effects of traumata inflicted by war and displacement
must be seen as an integral part of any efforts to afford a sound social,
cultural, physical, economic and educational life to the women and children in
situations like that prevalent in the camp. They are in need of proper contacts
with the outside world.
Considering
the aforesaid, we have taken the decision to establish a women’s centre within
the premises of the camp. It aims at affording solutions to the whole range of
problems faced by refugee women but highlights the specific situation of women
who have lost their husbands and next of kin in the turmoils of war or the
travails of refugee life, and that of orphaned children.
Systematic,
effective and permanent education and health service are an important
precondition for the physical and psychological rehabilitation of the women. We
have organised and divided among ourselves the labour that needs to be done in
order to effect these. But for a sound functioning as envisaged of the means we
have started to create, certain basic facilities need to be installed which are
not available in Mahmur Refugee Camp and cannot be created by our own means.
The
minimal facilites required to realise the aims of our Women’s Centre are the
following:
- The
establishment of a department for psycho- and physiotherapy for the
rehabilitation of young widows, old and disabled women. This department
needs to be equipped with the standard technical and medical facilities and
devices.
- The
establishment of a women’s cultural/educational department to allow the
development of intellectual, cultural and artistic potential of the women in
the camp. This department needs to be equipped with the necessary facilities
to hold alphabetisation, language and computer classes, music, folk dance
and theatre courses etc.
- The
establishment of a handicraft works department to allow women to develop
such skills that will enhance their capability to contribute to social life
in the camp. This department needs to be equipped with sewing machines,
cloth and needles and similar material.
- The
establishment of a general health centre for women and their children.
Typhus, disentery and gynaecological diseases have been established as the
most widespread causes of health problems. This department needs to be
equipped with the necessary facilities and devices to diagnose and treat the
various complaints of women and children.
- The
establishment of a department for the education and care of disabled
children. This department needs to be equipped with the necessary
facilities.
The
above points may serve to show that the scope and aim of our plans is rather
ambitious. But regrettably, we do lack the means to realise them. We would be
truly obliged if you could assist us in affording any of the above mentioned
facilities to the women and children of Mahmur Refugee Camp.
We
are confident that you are far from being indifferent to our plight and our
needs and would like to take this opportunity to express our deep gratitude for
your kind concern.
Yours
faithfully,
[signature]
[signature]
Selamet
ERDOGAN
Nadya AYGUN
Member,
Municipality of Mahmur
Member,
Municipality of Mahmur
Member,
Municipal Commission for
Member, Municipal Commission for
International
Affairs
International Affairs
President,
Mahmur Women’s Centre
Secretary General, Mahmur Women’s Centre
[stamp: Municipality of Mahmur Camp, [est.] 13/11/1998]
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