KOMAK US Partnership Brings Hope To Kurdish Classrooms



Pippi Longstocking ranks among literature's8217;s most enduring figures, leaping happily across culture and time. The spirited heroine still charms children today, and it follows that the legacy of her Swedish creator, Astrid Lindgren, would resonate with people for whom hope is as precious as food.

Along with other Scandinavian writers, Lindgren sparked inspiration amid an unlikely group of readers. In the 1970s a wave of émigrés left Kurdistan for Norway and Sweden, where they reveled in educational riches. But the fate of those left behind weighed heavily on them. In 1997 the expatriates founded KOMAK, a human rights organization providing schooling, healthcare, and other vital services to the children of Kurdistan.

According to family physician and KOMAK president Shamam Muradrasoli, the reform of Kurdish schools ranks among the country's8217;s most urgent priorities. Problems are overwhelming, she admits; the lack of structures, supplies, and curricula extreme. KOMAK presses forward's8212;its education efforts named after Astrid Lindgren's8212;because 's8220;Education and literature are not luxuries. They are the building blocks of a healthy society. We saw this clearly in the Nordic school system, which gave us so much to emulate and to embrace.'s8221;

Respectful Communication Is Universal

Among the curricula KOMAK chose to implant in Kurdistan was the Second Step program, developed by Committee for Children in Seattle, Washington. How could a program created such a great distance away play such a pivotal role in the mission of KOMAK

Muradrasoli explains that the underpinnings of the Second Step program's8212;communication rooted in respect for others and for oneself's8212;offer fundamental guidance. 's8220;Kurdish children are dealing with injustice, inequality between genders, and even corporal punishment. Second Step skills contribute not only to their future, but to the political maturation of the country.'s8221;

Other themes illustrated in the Second Step program's8212;called Hengaw be Hengaw in Kurdish's8212;are empathy, anger management, and impulse control. Control of aggressive behavior is as meaningful to children in Kurdistan as it would be anywhere else, Muradrasoli says.

Bringing Lessons to a War-Torn Region

In 2005 Muradrasoli joined other KOMAK members and Kurdish teachers in a Seattle Second Step training. Committee for Children staff member Corrina Skildum recalls the encounter vividly.

's8220;Their challenges are so immense's8212;bringing these lessons about peace to a war-torn region. I was both humbled and inspired to think I could play even a small part in helping these remarkable people.'s8221;

Exposing Kurdish teachers to educational practices in other countries forms a crucial part of KOMAK's8217;s work. Another is exposing outsiders, such as Einar Korsberg of Norway, to the circumstances in Kurdistan.

Korsberg, an educator from Oslo, was shaken by the hardships he observed. 's8220;Schools are few, and they are small. Shifts of students can be accommodated for only three hours at a time. Electricity is available just for short periods.'s8221;

Despite these conditions, the persistence and optimism of the Kurdish people is extraordinary, Korsberg says. His experiences led him to a leadership role with KOMAK.

Challenges Remain

The Astrid Lindgren project addresses a wide range of improvements, including model schools, tiny libraries, books, and computers. But even the smallest changes may require delicate deliberations. Progress depends heavily on discussions with politicians, teachers, and parents, Muradrasoli stresses. 's8220;We have to study the system from many perspectives if we are to advance it.'s8221;

Strife in the region often stymies KOMAK efforts. In late August, for example, Turkey forced the return to Sweden of one thousand children's8217;s books's8212;including Pippi Longstocking's8212;saying their content was seditious.

While deeply discouraging, failure of the effort to place the books in Kurdish schoolrooms won's8217;t deter future attempts, KOMAK leaders say. They add that the push for advances in the country's8217;s educational system also reflect a sense of optimism about what Kurdistan can offer its citizens in the years ahead.

Joan Cole Duffell, Committee for Children's8217;s director of partnerships, shares KOMAK's8217;s beliefs about education and the role of the Second Step program. 's8220;The ability to manage conflict and feel confident about expressing ideas is central to leading a responsible life. That is true for any individual. But having citizens who represent these ideals is also central to the life of nations. Respectful communication lies at the heart of any democracy.'s8221;





KOMAK US Partnership Brings Hope To Kurdish Classrooms