پەرلەمانی کوردستان
October 21, 2026
This morning, a ceremony was held in Erbil to launch the Survivors Rise Network, attended by a number of officials and guests from both inside and outside the Kurdistan Region.
On behalf of Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani, Dilshad Shahab, a senior aide to the President, delivered the President’s message. The full text follows:
Distinguished guests,
Dear survivor sisters and brothers,
Good morning, and welcome to Erbil.
It is a pleasure to hold this special ceremony today. Unlike previous occasions, it is not only about recalling a painful memory of genocide and the crimes committed by ISIS terrorists against our Yezidi citizens. Rather, it is about witnessing a new initiative and a fresh start by the survivors themselves, driven by their own will and determination to build a new life and a better future.
Through their resilience and courage, the Yezidis have proven that terrorism, for all its crimes and brutality, could neither break their will nor extinguish their hope in life. They have shown that they are determined to stand on their own feet once again, reclaim their rights, and build a better future for themselves and their children.
Today’s launch of the Survivors Rise Network is an expression of that will and an important step toward a new phase in which survivors themselves take the initiative and have a voice and a meaningful role in the issues and decisions that concern their rights and their future.
We congratulate them on this step and reaffirm our support for their efforts and goals. We see in this initiative an important opportunity to strengthen cooperation and solidarity among survivors from all the communities that fell victim to ISIS crimes.
Distinguished guests,
It has always been our duty to stand by our Yezidi people, and we have always done so in difficult and trying times. On this occasion, we reaffirm that in Kurdistan, in Iraq, and wherever they may be, we will remain steadfast supporters and defenders of their legitimate rights and their identity. Furthermore, as long as a single abductee remains, our office will continue its work to free them, bring them home, and uncover their fate.
Achieving justice, securing the rights of survivors, uncovering the fate of the missing, implementing the Yezidi Survivors Law, creating suitable conditions for the return of displaced people, and rebuilding Shingal and other Yezidi areas are our core responsibilities. To this end, we will spare no effort and do everything within our power.
Survivors have the right to see justice done. They also have the right not to remain prisoners of the genocide forever; instead, they must be given the opportunity to become active partners in building their society and their future.
We believe that listening to the voices of survivors and involving them in the decisions that affect their lives and rights is a fundamental part of justice and respect for their dignity. The success of this network will therefore be a success for every effort toward justice, healing, peace, and coexistence.
Dear sisters and brothers,
I commend the survivors for their courage, resilience, and determination to move forward. I congratulate them on this initiative to launch the Survivors Rise Network, and I hope it marks the beginning of a new chapter of hope, work, and achievement.
I also commend the efforts of Yazda, and I thank the Government of Germany, the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), and all the partners and supporters of this initiative.
I wish you continued success. Thank you very much.
Nechirvan Barzani
President of the Kurdistan Region
