Hevrin Khalaf
womens medicinal herb garden
a partner project between Rojava and Berlin
Current information from our project partners*in JINWAR
WOMEN’S STRUGGLE TO DEFEND LIBERATED LAND
Since the 9th of October 2019 systematic attacks and attempts of genocide have continued against the Kurdish, Arab, Armenian and Syriac population of North and East Syria. This occupation is a direct attack on the democratic, social institutions and the democratic self-governance of the people. Those brutal attacks carried out by the Turkish army and jihadist proxy forces are taking place under the command of Turkish terrorist leader Erdogan. Read more...
Renaming of the medicinal herb garden
In memory of our friend and inspiring politician, who was murdered on 12.10.19 in Rojava during the current war, the medicinal herb garden in Berlin, which is
currently under construction, bears her name from now on: Hevrin Khalaf.
About the project
Flamingo e.V. - Network for Refugee Women* and Children - is in close and regular exchange with the women's village Jinwar in Rojava. Together, we have built up a partner project that focuses on
the medicinal herb garden on both sides.
The management of the garden in Jinwar has already begun. In Berlin, we moved into a garden property in October and completed the preparations for the upcoming cultivation in spring 2020.
One goal of the medicinal herb garden in Berlin is to produce products from the garden through a crowd-funding campaign. For this purpose, we initially offer medicinal herbal teas and creams. The
proceeds will go 100% to Jinwar.
In Berlin the project consists of activists from different areas. We are doctors, midwives, anthropologists, philosophers, gardeners and lawyers, Social workers, artists and therapists.
What we're going to do
- Offer a medicinal herb garden and meeting place in Berlin, for empowerment and creative workshops
- Build a crowdfunding campaign / An online alternative pharmacy for women: aloe vera gel, teas, creams, oils, etc.
- An educational exchange between Jinwar and Berlin: female anatomy, disease and healing
Medicine and gynaecology
Based on the science of women, Jineoloji (from the Kurdish: Jin: woman, loji: science), the aim of the project is to record, preserve and pass on old knowledge, mostly handed down orally to women
over generations of women, in the fields of medicine and gynaecology.
This is mostly forgotten and by social structures to forgotten forced knowledge.
Empowerment and knowledge transfer
Especially through the work for and with refugee women at
Flamingo e.V., the desire to learn and offer other cultural and alternative forms of dealing with experiences of violence and trauma has become ever greater. We want to create a new place for
meeting and political exchange in which knowledge of old healing methods can be reactivated.
Jinwar in Rojava inspired us to set up a partner project in Berlin. On the one hand because there is no access to alternative healing methods for women here, on the other hand because we want to
show solidarity with the women in Rojava and build a sustainable project together.
Old, forgotten knowledge of our female ancestors and above all of the high culture of women's history and their natural way of life in Rojava are to be collected, recorded and passed on to future
generations.
Through regular Skype meetings, delegation trips and a joint website, the project is also visible and open to other interested parties.
Hevrin Khalaf Garden - Berlin
In addition to the management of the medicinal herb garden, we want to create a place where political exchange, creative workshops and advanced training on women's science, as well as alternative
healing methods can take place. It should become a place for participation and self-empowerment, away from stigmatisation and female victimisation.
Participatory training on alternative healing methods for chronic and other illnesses such as:
- Migraine
- Insomnia
- Mourning / Trauma
and other disorders out of natural balance will be part of our offer for interested girls and women. The practical implementation and preparation of ointments, medicine, oils and teas can also be
learnt by experts in workshops.
The main team consists of women, but it should be a place for everyone! Following in the footsteps of Jinwar, everyone in Berlin is welcome to get involved in the garden or visit us.
Timeline
From autumn 2019
Garden construction and planning
Business plan and networking
Video and communication for crowdfunding campaign
From spring 2020
Gardening and action days
Garden management and creative / artistic workshops
Beginning of the cultivation of teas
Crowdfunding Campaign
From summer 2020
First prototypes for teas
Structure of the medicinal herb garden
Implementation of expert lectures
Establishment of an online pharmacy - website - distribution network
Delegation trip to Rojava in May 2018
Solidarity network with women* in Rojava
The solidarity delegation, to which also one of our association members belonged, met above all the Kurdish women* movement around the organisation of Kongreya Star.
The delegation was given a warm welcome and was accompanied by Kongreya Star during the stay in Northern Syria from 02.05.2018 to 11.05.2018.
The organization exists since approx. 2005, at that time under the name "yekedia Star" and has grown strongly every year. The women* try to fight together for a social position and participation
and thus to change the awareness of the men in the region to women* rights. There are more than 1000 members of different ethnic groups. The delegation met with Yezidi, Arab and Kurdish women*
from Kongreya Star.
The work of the women* of Kongreya Star is a very diverse networking of women* in different committees. These are divided into committees of politics, diplomacy, economy, press, society, justice,
art and culture, health, defence and communal affairs. In the committee of diplomacy and health, the delegation and the members of the committee were made aware of the need to overcome traumas
and violence through an open exchange and to draw strength for political work.
The current wish and goal of the discussions with the delegation is above all to create a European public discourse for the situation of women* and children after the attack, the war contrary to
international law and the occupation of Afrin. On the other hand, it was a concern to understand and "experience" the real grassroots democratic organization of women* of Kongreya Star - that
there is indeed a great improvement of women* and human rights in the confederal system.
The women* come together in different cities where they exchange ideas. The delegation was in Quamisli, Derik, Konbane, Sheba, and Amude, where they met the local associations of Kongreya
Star.
Flamingo e.V. wants to show solidarity with the organization of Kongreya Star and its campaign "#WomenRiseUpForAfrin".
"The campaign 'Women rise up for Afrin' will continue until the occupation by Turkey ends and the people can return", announced the spokeswoman of the Kongreya Star, Evin Siwêd, in a report to
the news agency ANHA. The campaign was initiated by the Kurdish women's movement on 8 February this year with the aim of supporting the resistance in Efrîn. As part of the "Women rise up for
Afrin" campaign, various women's meetings, actions and seminars have been held in Northern Syria.mThe campaign attracted attention far beyond the borders of Northern Syria. Delegations including
doctors, lawyers and activists from France, England, Germany and Argentina came to Northern Syria as part of the campaign and visited, among other places, the women's village of Jinwar and the
two camps of the refugees from Efrin in Şehba".
NGOs and state aid organizations refuse their support because the democratic self-administration is not recognized as a state, even regardless of the fact that the fugitives from Afrin are still
endangered by evictions and attacks from Turkey.
Besides the urgent financial support for the construction of a hospital for women* and children, generators are needed for the networking and organisation meetings. There is almost no electricity
in the whole region. Above all, functioning electricity is indispensable in the rooms in which injured women* and children are accommodated.
The aim of the networking meetings on site and the information about the current situation in Germany is to make the network of supporters* bigger and bigger. The exchange with women* on site
through delegation trips is just as important as individual solidarity manifestations and events in Germany.
The project was supported by
