Policy

After 1945 and the time following, due to the fall of the former Soviet Union and especially after the involvement of the USA in Iraq, the classical freedom struggle in eastern Kurdistan (Iranian Kurdistan), was faced with a great crisis. For a period of almost ten years a vast emptiness in the political sphere in eastern Kurdistan arose.

The results of this were that the Iranian regime, easily could carry out their politics on the Kurdish people. With the capture of Abdullah Ocalan, on February 16, 1999, uprisings began in all parts of eastern Kurdistan. These uprisings were a point of renewal of the ongoing political struggle in eastern Kurdistan and could lead people into a higher sense of awareness, determinativeness, and also help structure a new democratic mind.

The will for equality and freedom of the Kurdish people in eastern Kurdistan needed new measures and consequently these uprisings could gain this from the experiences of previous revolts in entire Kurdistan, and especially from the drive force of the political, ideological and organizational uprisings of southern Kurdistan. This brought forth a new page in the Kurdish history of revolts and under the name of Democratic Union Movement and the new movement was able to make a landmark in this area. This movement moved beyond all the former ideas of political movement in this region. The new elements contained structuring with ideological awareness, educating members and raising the limit of intellect and political knowledge of the people of eastern Kurdistan.

By presenting the motives and goals of the political movement, this resistance movement achieved positive outcomes and could also make a name for it self. With all the above mentioned experiences, the movement could on April 25, 2004, put together the first congress under the name of PJAK- The Free Life Party of Kurdistan whereby the struggle for freedom could continue.

PJAK could, with a well-planned program for a democratic solution for the issues in Iran and especially Kurds, bring their struggle even further ahead.

In 2005 in an open and clear declaration, the democratic will of the Kurdish people and the unwillingness from their sides to legitimate the theocratic regime of Iran in the elections for president, showed an era of enlargement of the political struggle. This era, with the uprisings of the summer of 2005, a resistance movement never seen before, as well as the deaths of tens of people both members and civilians, showed the power holding of PJAK.

PJAK is in constant battle for the unity and freedom of the Iranian peoples, and to be able to change the functions and power of the Iranian system, and getting it to a level of self-defence, and community nurture.

PJAK is always continuing the work and struggle needed to achieve an increase in the level of intelligence, a democratic organization of people as well as practice of the democratic values, to achieve a radical type of democracy and to be able to launch a system of democratic confederacy in eastern Kurdistan.

Detailed declaration of the work of PJAK:

1. The governmental power in Iran is very strong and the government is not allowing it o spread to the different parts of society, which has become a great obstacle for development into a society of civil action. Theocracy is the very centre of the Iranian government. It is of great importance that the substance of ideology and the very essence of the government in Iran are forced to a foundational change. This change should come of the development of a radical form of democracy for the people. It is therefore important that the theocratic government of Iran changes the very contents of their governmental structure. To be able to achieve this, democratic beliefs should be introduced to the people of Iran. Furthermore the duties of the government ought to be changed from being what it is today to becoming a body which is simply there to perform the duties of a state which are to defence and maintain security and also to carry out social developments.
   
2. In Iran, there is on the one hand a firm belief in Omet, which is a system of sects with roots in the Shia religion, and also on the other hand there is system of state which functions on the principles of a state-nation perspective. The mixture of these two systems of state is a vast obstacle for the natural development of new forms of society and also new forms of state. Any movement within a mono-coloured and single discourse structure brings to the growth of a closed unnatural system where conflicts of national identity and belonging as well as religious belonging are deepened. It is also here that a growing point for radical opinions starts and breeds. With this negligence of people’s true identities, new groups are created in society. It is for this reason that reforms in the structure and form of the Islamic Omet as well as the achievement of a state must be connected to democracy. In the case of democracy building and increasing in this area, the potential of self-governance will also increase. Furthermore, the differences of religion, ethnicity and culture that are connected strongly to freedom and history are given an opportunity to grow larger and develop even further.
   
3. In the system of Peoples Radical Democracy, there is not any room for the abuse of people or for the undermining of their rights. Also, tribute of the higher classes and groups in power is considered an illness of old age with which democracy cannot live. It is therefore important that resistance for the achievement of a democratic society in which the mechanism that motivate individuals to join political and organizational associations are present. With the dynamism of change and development existing and progressing there is no need for a critical way.
   
4. Citizens of nation states where a one-discourse system in which ethnicity, culture, language, religion and sex are monotonous, exists. This is far away from what is right. In Iran the citizens that are of a different religion than Shia, and the different cultures, as well as women, are not part of macro politics or any kinds of leadership, neither do they participate in any other way. The right to hold the high position has only been given to the religious leaders, the mullahs and the leaders of a monotonous, male concentrated system. The regime has to stop describing citizenship on the basis of individual qualities and instead needs to re-describe the citizens Iran by a new template which includes the capacity of acceptance of all different cultural, religious differences for all groups of society as well as acceptance for women especially. The new standards should stand for acceptance and unity instead of prejudice and discrimination. The International templates must be taken as a foundation of decision-making whether it concerns economics, politics, culture or social issues.

The PJAK system of democratic confederacy

It seen as a way of self governance for the Kurds which has a base in the village leaderships and spreads to the organizations of the democratic, organic, society. The Peoples Congress of Kurdistan will start with these steps:

1. Village leadership and democratic elections of a village council.
2. Making of a council involving all village leaderships of a certain area and democratic elections of representatives.
3. The making of a City Council and of a Free Citizenship Council as well as councils for the Free Mayor of the City, Free Democratic Branches, Free Youth Branch, Free Cultural Branch etc.
4. A provincial council for the different provinces in the country and committees on democratic basis.
5. Finally the making of a Peoples Congress of Eastern Kurdistan as well as a committee and a democratic society on the basis of election and democracy.

The goals and the duties of change for PJAK:

1. For the implementation of change in the theocratic system of Iran and to nurture a democracy which consists of en ecological view on the world as well as a view on gender as they self put it, “gender loving”, these are needed:
   1. Struggle for limiting and changing the way of power is practiced as well as changing the power structure into a body, which works for the freedom of the people and for development of the Iranian society.
   2. Struggle for a change in the system of classes in the Iran on the basis of four reforms that consists of; the reforms of state, nation, society and citizens.
   3. Struggle against all traditionalistic views of and fanatic religiousness and narrow nationalism and chauvinistic ideas, are ongoing projects.
   4. Resistance against all sorts of pressure on the ethnical and religious groups and struggle against all symbols and bodies working against law and order and who considers themselves above all laws.
   5. Struggle against the politicisation of religion and usage of religion for a purpose far from the religious functions.
   6. Moving away from a centralized way of leadership and struggling for the reinforcement and independence of a self-governance for the people.
   7. Changing of the regime to a democratic system in which all citizens; Iranians, Kurds, Azaries, Baluchs, Turkomans and Arabs and all other ethnical groups within the framework of the democratic system, can govern themselves.
   8. Establishment of a constitution on the basis of the international templates for human rights.
   9. Struggling against profit making of and the spread of weapons of mass destruction and also working against the acts of terrorists both within but also outside the borders of Iran.
   10. Working for a decrease in military force and a decrease in the military budget set out by the government as well as a decrease in the attack-mentality of the military and converting this into a self-defence policy.
   11. Working for peace and struggle against any organization that in Iran as well as the world, is putting the safety of the people into jeopardy.
   12. Increasing the civil society and organizing a democratic society as well as strengthening women’s democratic movement together with the democratic movements of the youths and the workers.
   13. Organizing in all the different groups and classes of society as well as the groups in society that are followers of democracy.
   14. Being able to guarantee the freedom of speech, and the freedom to publish articles etc in newspapers, TV and radio that are free from censorship and also freedom to protest and start organizations etc.
   15. Continue the work against all environmental destruction and struggle to raise awareness amongst people.
   16. The making of a system of education that besides being independent also educates free and independent people and by doing that society is educated as well. And also to carry out different sporting-, cultural- and other kinds of activities.
2. The making of a democratic confederacy in Iranian Kurdistan. Below follows the detailed intentions.
   1. The system of a democratic confederacy on the basis of a self nurtured power within the people and their common views, is taking place.
   2. The paradigm of a democratic, ecological and gender loving society exists in all parts of the organization and leadership.
   3. The organizational model, portrayed as a pyramid, where elections occur from the bottom and up as well as the power, exists here.
   4. The making of village councils in the villages, councils of free citizenship in the cities, provincial councils. The goals with these councils are the ultimate organizational structure of the Peoples Congress of Kurdistan.
   5. The system of a democratic confederacy is struggling to limit the power of the state and make reforms to the extent that it becomes a body that works with the law for the development of society as well for the democratic will of the people.
   6. The main approaches of the Kurdish people are the making of a democratic organization, performing democratic activity and civil obedience as well as an uprising of the people.
   7. Legitimate self-defence as a natural right by the international laws. The right to bear arms for the Kurdish people is essential and the usage of arms in all aspects of military defence is in needing times accepted.
   8. The organizations of democracy for women as well as youths are the leading issues.
   9. The geographical and political borders of Iran, will in this process not go through any changes and will not be seen as obstacles but as a bridge for communication between all Kurds in all the parts.
   10. Struggle for the making of an official Kurdish language, and making of an educational system on the Kurdish language in all stages of education.
   11. Struggle for a democratic change of the traditional structures and the reactionary society and tribe system as the religious sects, aghas, sheiks etc.
   12. Struggle for an economical policy on the basis of equal use and not overspending. Organising production in all areas of society and struggle against an unfair economy driven by the government resulting in unemployment, hunger, inflation and poverty and making of projects to handle these issues.
3. For Women:
   1. Struggle against the male driven society, male values, male mentality and the despotic leadership of the male population.
   2. The making of activities for broadening the politicisation of women on the Women’s Freedom ideology.
   3. Introducing of positive discrimination.
   4. Promoting of women’s activities and organizations in all aspects of society and clearing a ground for free and equal participation for women in all walks of life.
4. Practicing the strategy of a democracy of unity and the democratic relations of the Iranian peoples:
   1. Actively support the democratic resistance movements in all parts of Kurdistan and defence the rights of the Kurds in the Diaspora.
   2. Guaranteeing the rights of the minorities living within Kurdish borders.
   3. Promoting unity and relations of the Kurdish “parts” and support a democratic solution of the Kurdish issue in all parts and the promotion of amity with other nations in the world.
   4. Mutual agreements with democratic followers in Iran.
   5. Promotion of democratic relations between Iranian peoples on the basis of mutual cultural and historical aspects.
   6. Making of relations and unity with the democratic groups, the environmental movements, women’s movements and the humanistic movements in Iran and the Middle East. Also the making of international platforms and democratic congress’ in the world.