The letter below was prepared by the Kurdish American Youth Board of Directors for the Kurdish National Congress of North America's Kurdistan Independence Conference in Kurdistan. The conference took place in Hewler & Silemani, Kurdistan on the 10th and 13th of November at the Universities of Salahadin and Silemani. The Kurdish American Youth was invited to the conference but could not attend, and instead, sent the following letter.

The letters can also be read in Kurdish at the following links:

• Kurdish American Youth: Letter to Kurdistan (Bahdînî-Kurmancî)
• Kurdish American Youth: Letter to Kurdistan (Soranî-Kurmancî)

Dear People of Kurdistan:

On behalf of the Kurdish American Youth, I would like to thank the Kurdish National Congress, as well as the people of Kurdistan for their welcoming and attendance of this event. It is our great pleasure to be able to send our message to you all in an event focusing on the greater ambitions and goals of Kurdistan and the Kurdish people. We would like to express our deepest regrets for not being able to attend the conference, but we hope that our message reaches you all well.

Amongst the various issues that are at stake throughout Kurdistan, the Kurdish American Youth is concerned most with the preservation and refinement of the Kurdish culture. It is our belief that the conservation of our culture is something that cannot be achieved without the will of the Kurdish youth in Kurdistan and abroad. Our primary focus in the United States has always been to educate young Kurds about their rich culture and their deep history. The Kurdish youth in America, as well as the world, faces the difficult challenge of maintaining its culture in a foreign environment. Many of us try hard to hold on to values that our Kurdish culture has taught us and to never forget our identity. We know that the Kurdish culture is one that is particularly fragile because of our long struggle for our rights as a distinguished nation in the four parts of Kurdistan and the fight to keep our culture alive must take place without any kind of political sovereignty. Struggling against these forces of our time, it is only through the youth that our culture can survive and be passed on to the next generation. We will continue to struggle long and hard to educate one another and to carry out Kurdish traditions as far away as we are from Kurdistan.

The youth of Kurdistan must take an active part in preserving the Kurdish culture if it is to survive. Survival of the rich and beautiful Kurdish culture lies within the hearts of the Kurdish youth living in Kurdistan.

In a globalizing world where technologies have brought everyone in closer contact with the cultures of other nations, it is indeed favorable to adopt other positive cultural values. However, it is important that we preserve our own positive values, and that we do not replace ours with those values of others. Culture is best survived through a nation’s language, history, and values. In addition to our unique dances and our beautiful songs, several aspects of the Kurdish culture must be maintained through our passion for Kurdistan. We must remember that our degree of respect for one another and for others, our moral principals and our righteousness are the most important values of Kurdish culture. These are the values that define the Kurds’ uniqueness, and what is most often spoken of by the visitors of our land. These are what the American and European writers find so different about Kurdistan from the rest of the world. These values are what Kurdish people are most admired for.

We believe that the Kurdish culture cannot survive without the will of the Youth. We, the Kurdish Youth in Kurdistan and all over the world, are the next generation and the future of Kurdistan. We must understand and recognize that the deep seeded values of our culture are what define us as a unique people among the world of nations. This culture that our forefathers had fought so hard and died for in order to preserve is so precious to Kurdistan. The sacrifices made for our generation is something we must always remember. As the Kurdish Youth, it is our responsibility to carry on the great Kurdish traditions and values.

The Kurdish American Youth will continue with ambitions to educate ourselves and the world of Kurdistan, the Kurdish people and the culture it lives for.

We thank you for your time.

Best Regards,

Goran Sadjadi
President, KAYO
Kurdish American Youth Organization
http://www.kurdyouth.org/