There is No Alternative Better than Dialogue … No for Violence, No for Sanctions

Peace and Freedom Organization

Based on our absolute belief that there is no alternative better than dialogue, no path to peace, but peace itself is the way. We are calling and asking all Iraqi and Kurdish parties to return to the dialogue table, a direct and frank dialogue, on all the following issues and topics:

1. Root reasons that push Kurdistan region to implement referendum for independence. Augmenting to address and solve those reasons through dialogue. Or agreement on the future.
2. Not to reference to regional countries and parties. In particular those countries who have historical problems with Iraq and Kurdistan region. Besides those countries are part of the process of complications and conflicts in the region and at internal leads to destabilize confidence between the various parties and increasing the crises, in addition this is reduce the chances for dialogue and communication.
3. Stopping immediately all factors of tension and obstacles against dialogue process, including the suspension of sanctions resulting from referendum, such as international flights in/to Erbil and Sulaymaniyah airports, sanctions and procedures on the movement of international trade between KR.I and other countries, etc. Besides stopping the threats of closing water sources and waterways for Arabic areas in Iraq.
4. Involvement of other components (communities) in dialogue process with Arabs and Kurds parties is essentially needed, in addition insuring the participation of women, youth and representatives of civil society active in the process of dialogue for managing the current crisis.
5. Stopping Immediate of media campaigns, hates speech and distinction between citizens.
6. Prevent all forms of violations against components (different communities) and displaced in the disputed areas or in Kurdistan. Or violations against citizens Kurds in areas outside of Kurdistan region.
7. Protecting IDPs, refugees rights and facilitate humanitarian response actors as much as possible referencing on human rights principles and international law.
8. Self-control (restrain) to the maximum level and absolute commitment to prevent tensions or conflicts in the disputed areas, especially in most of those areas where armed and militarization have been expanding and increasing by all sides since the war of Daesh.
9. Preventing the involvement of legitimate institutions in political conflicts, so as they have a positive and independence role in peaceful solutions.
10. Leaderships, politicians, religious, legal, leaders they must have a positive role in continuation of dialogue process, in particular the prohibition of internal fighting and blood shedding of citizens by religious references as well.
11. We call upon the Presidency of Republic of Iraq to start an immediate initiative for direct and frankly dialogue between the various political parties, based on initiative of the peaceful religious references leaders and the initiatives of the United Nations and friendly countries.
12. We call upon civil society organizations, active activists in Iraq and Kurdistan Region, all those who have not been involved in the conflict and anyone who believes that the dialogue and peace are the basis for peace, anyone who believes in human rights and peaceful coexistence to meet immediately, gather, united to press all parties to accept dialogue and peace approach to manage the current crisis.

A Thousand Years of Dialogue Better than a Minute of War !

Peace and Freedom Organization

Erbil, October 2017