The Town Twinning Association was founded in autumn 2017. There were at least three reasons why some residents of the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg district of Berlin founded this association in the spirit of international relations.
- Firstly, they wanted to inform other people about the self-government and multicultural model of society in northern and eastern Syria and about the struggle of the people there against IS, against the Assad government and against the intervention of Turkey and other international actors. In Germany and around the world not enough is actually known about this.
- Secondly, they want to give specific support to the people in Dêrik in recognition of their achievements in the fight against IS and for democracy.
- Thirdly, in the medium and long term, they also want to make direct contacts and mutual visits between people from Dêrik and Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg possible. This is also the reason why we have chosen Dêrik and not another city in northern Syria. Of all the northern Syrian cities, Dêrik is currently the easiest and quickest to reach via northern Iraq.
In our association, people of different ethnic groups, different political directions and different beliefs have organised to work together and voluntarily for the town twinning. New members are very welcome to learn about our work or to join one of our working groups such as women’s, ecology, culture, education, health and public relations.