The situation before the Congress:

Two years after the first Congress, due to several developments and changes in the internal situation of the Party and the Kurdistan Students Union organization, in the Year 1965, this organization decided to hold its second Congress.

Immediately after the establishment of the Kurdistan Students Union in 1953, the (General Union of Iraqi Students) attempted to discourage Kurdish students from joining the Students Union by creating new organizations and offering privileges. For this purpose, an organization called the (General Union of Kurdish Students in Iraq) was established, which was a branch of the (General Union of Iraqi Students) under the pretext that the struggle of all Iraqi students should be organized in one organization. On October 8, 1953, in issue (8) of the newspaper (Kifah al-Talaba), the creation of the High Committee of the (Union of Kurdish Students in Iraq) was announced, and later on March 1, 1954, the organization published a statement under the name (General Union of Democratic Kurdish Students in Iraq), in which they called on all Kurdish students to unite within their organization and within the framework of the (General Union of Iraqi Students)1. These and several other factors caused the relationship between the Kurdistan Students Union and the General Union of Iraqi Students to deteriorate and become tense. This is in addition to several other internal Party factors, especially the internal divisions that had caused the Party to split into factions during the absence of President Mustafa Barzani, which led the Students Union to work towards holding the second Congress. 

Holding the Congress

After the preparations, in the summer of the Year 1965, with the slogan (Struggle of students without‌stopping for‌the sake of the rights of the‌people and students of Kurdistan) and in order to support the struggle of the Iraqi national movement and progressive parties, with the‌attendance of representatives of the‌ Kurdistan Students Union from‌all regions of Kurdistan and‌Baghdad, the second‌Congress of the organization was held. The representatives of the‌ Congress met‌secretly in the‌city of Baghdad and after discussing the situation of the Congress and voting, Jalal Talabani was re-elected as the secretary of the organization and a new‌secretariat was elected, which was as follows:‌1- Mahmoud Ali Osman‌2- Shamsaddin Mufti‌ 3- Husamaddin Dabbagh‌4- Adnan Naqshbandi‌5- Shakhawan Namiq‌ 6- Ahmed Naqshbandi2.‌Regarding the elected president of the Kurdistan Students Union in‌the‌ the‌the‌the‌the‌the‌ the‌the‌the‌the‌ the

the‌the‌the

the‌the‌the

the‌the‌the

the‌the‌the‌the

the‌the

the‌the‌the‌the‌the

the‌the‌the‌ the‌the‌the‌the‌ Congress‌ the second‌, in‌ none of‌ the‌ available‌ sources‌ do we‌ have‌ verified information, so‌ based on estimates and analyses, perhaps the‌ presi‌dency‌ system‌ might‌ be‌ flawed‌.

After holding the Congress, the Kurdistan Students Union was revitalized and sought to expand its relationship and activities. Among the most important activities of the organization at that time was its participation in the Warsaw Festival of World Youth and Students.

From July 31 to August 14, 1955, the Fifth World Festival of Youth and Students was held in Warsaw, the capital of Poland, with the attendance of more than one hundred student and youth organizations from around the world. The Kurdistan Students Union, along with the General Union of Students in Iraq, was officially invited to the carnival. After holding the second Congress, the relationship of the Kurdistan Students Union with the General Union of Students in Iraq had improved, and this facilitated the participation of the Students Union in the festival and becoming a member of the International Union of Students (I.U.S)3.

By the Students Union, six delegates who had placed the badge of President Mustafa Barzani on their shoulders were sent to Warsaw, and Jalal Talabani was the head of the delegation. Along with participating in the festival's activities in the name of the Kurd student, a large meeting was held by the Kurdistan Students Union and the Kurdistan Democratic Youth Union with the attendance of representatives from several countries such as the Soviet Union, India, Germany, China, France, England, America, and several other countries. This meeting had a great impact on conveying the voice of students and youth and the national issue of the Kurd to the whole world4.

Also at that festival, by (Jiri Pelikan), the president of the International Union of Students, a meeting was organized between the representatives of the Kurdistan Students Union and the General Union of Students in Iraq in order to eliminate the problems between them. After the meeting, both organizations agreed on several points and decided to try to improve their relationship5.

As they had agreed upon in Warsaw, after their return and at the beginning of 1956, a joint Conference was held between the Kurdistan Students Union and the General Union of Students in Iraq. In that Conference, the ways of unifying the work and Activity of both organizations were discussed, and later a high joint committee was set up to supervise and coordinate the work of both organizations, and three mem‌bers of the secretariat‌ of the‌ Kurdistan Students Union for the secretariat‌ of the‌ General Union of Students in Iraq were‌ appointed, but‌ in‌ 1957, coldness‌ fell‌ into the relationship of both organizations6.

Also regarding the struggle of the Kurd student class, on August 10, 1956, in West Germany, the (Association of Kurdish Intellectuals and Students in Europe) was established. This organization, at the second Congress on January 2, 1958, in London, and later at the third Congress on August 4, 1958, in the city of Munich, Germany, changed its name to (Association of Kurdish Students in Europe) and its branches were opened in most European Country. The Students Association, despite its neutrality, the vast majority of its members were supporters of the Kurdistan Democratic Party and had a good relationship with the (Kurdistan Students Union). This association became a member of the (International Union of Students) organization in 1964 and played a major role in conveying the voice of the Kurd to the Outside Country and their intellectual centers7.     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source and footnotes

 

1- The Call of the General Union of Kurdish Democratic Students in Iraq, General Union of Kurdish Democratic Students in Iraq, Youth of Kurdistan Printing House, 1/March/1954.

2- Majid Hassan Ali, The Kurdish Student Movement in Iraq (1926-1970), Master's Thesis/Salahaddin University in Erbil 2008, Spirez Publications, (Erbil- Haji Hashim Printing House), p. 130; Erfan Aziz Aziz, Congress and Conferences of the Kurdistan Students Union, First Edition, (Erbil- Rojhalat Printing House-2012), p. 22.

3- Sasan Awni, Kurdistan Students Union: Some Aspects of Struggle and History, (Erbil- Ministry of Education Printing House- 1998), p. 12; Khabat Students Magazine, In a special interview, President Talabani reveals the details of the establishment of (K.S.U), No. 109, (June 2012), p. 8.

4- Salah Rashid, Mam Jalal: A Life's Meeting from Youth to the Republican Palace, Part One, Second Edition, (Sulaymaniyah- Karo Printing House- 2017), pp. 99-102; In a special interview, President Talabani reveals the details of the establishment of (K.S.U), previous source, p. 8.

5- Majid Hassan Ali, previous source, p. 131.

6- Sirwan Osman Hassan, A Shining History and an Uninterrupted Caravan, (Erbil- Roshinbiri Printing House- 2014), pp. 41-42; Erfan Aziz Aziz, previous source, p. 23.

7- Ismet Cherif Vanly, From the Memoirs of Ismet Cherif Vanly, (Sulaymaniyah- Piramerd Printing House- 2014), p. 27; Arif Rushdi Arif, Association of Kurdish Students in Europe 1956 – 1975, (Sulaymaniyah- Publications of the Academy of Awareness and Cadre Development- 2012), p. 35; Majid Hassan Ali, previous source, pp. 120-121.