Wednesday 6 May @ 14:00-17:00 CET

On Wednesday afternoon, MEP Georgiana Teodorescu will organise an international conference on the rights of ethnic identities for a sustainable and inclusive future.

Members of the European Parliament, Israeli officials, Kurdish leaders and Baha’i Communities representatives, academics and journalists will hold an open dialogue on the current state of play and the future of communities amid the Middle East profound geopolitical and social transition. The trajectory of its ethnic and religious minorities has become a litmus test for the region’s commitment to universal human rights as those to freedom of religion or belief and to ethnic identities.

By focusing on the intersecting experiences of Kurdish, Christian, and Baha’i communities, the speakers will look beyond mere “tolerance” towards a robust framework of equal citizenship and protected liberties.

When: Wednesday @ 14:00 - 17:00

Where: SPINELLI 1H1

AGENDA

14:00 Opening remarks

• MEP Georgiana TEODORESCU, ECR, Romania

• MEP Nicola PROCACCINI, Co-Chair of European Conservatives and Reformists Group, President of New Direction Foundation, ECR, Italy

14:15 Panel 1: Situation of Kurds in the Middle East

• Written statement from H.E President Masoud BARZANI

• Amichai CHIKLI, Minister of Diaspora Affairs of Israel (remotely)

• Ceng SAGNIC, US Director at the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs (JCFA), Chief of Analysis (COA) at TAM-C Group (remotely)

• Awring SHAWAYS, Founding president KG Lobby Center

• Dr. Sherkoh ABBAS, President of the Kurdistan National Assembly of Syria (remotely)

• Khaled AZIZI, Spokesperson of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran PDKI

• Rashidi RAHIM, Head of the Office of International Relations, Confederation of Kurdistani Diaspora

• Ionuț COJOCARU, Associate Professor, Politehnica University of Bucharest

• Ariel BULSHTEIN, Journalist, translator, lecturer and lawyer (remotely)

• Yossi KUPERWASSER, Head of The Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security (JISS) (remotely)

15:30 Panel 2: Situation of Christians in the Middle East

• MEP Geadis GEADI, ECR, Cyprus

• MEP Arkadiusz MULARCZYK, ECR, Poland

• MEP Adrian AXINIA, ECR, Romania

• Charlie WEIMERS, ECR, Sweden

16:15 Panel 3: Situation of Baha’i Communities in the Middle East

• Alesandro BENEDETTI, Representative of the Brussels office, Bahá’í International Community

• Ziba PEZESHKZAD, Policy Officer, Bahá’í International Community

16:35 Q&A

16:50 Closing remarks

• MEP Georgiana Teodorescu, ECR, Romania