Erbil honors centennial of Danielle Mitterrand’s birth with ceremonies

ERBIL — The French School of Erbil marked the 100th anniversary of Danielle Mitterrand’s birth on Tuesday with a ceremony celebrating her enduring legacy as a human rights advocate and ally of the Kurdish people. The event, attended by the French Consul and the Kurdistan Region’s Minister of Education, emphasized the strong ties between Kurdistan and France and highlighted Mitterrand’s contributions to Kurdish rights.

Danielle Mitterrand, born October 29, 1924, was a prominent French human rights activist and the wife of former French President François Mitterrand. Known for championing the oppressed, she became a key advocate for Kurdish rights in the late 1980s. She passed away on November 22, 2011.

Kurdistan Democratic Party President Masoud Barzani attended a separate ceremony in Erbil honoring Mitterrand’s centennial. In his remarks, Barzani praised her dedication to the Kurdish cause, stating, “Madame Danielle Mitterrand has a profound legacy for us, the people of Kurdistan. She played a very, very significant role in supporting the Kurdish cause, doing everything within her power. I am confident that she wanted to do even more for the Kurds.”

Barzani recounted their first meeting in Paris in 1989, shortly after Iraq’s Anfal genocide campaign. He also recalled her visit to Kurdish refugee camps in Turkey, where she witnessed their struggles firsthand. “It was the first time I saw a European shed tears for the Kurds,” Barzani stated.

Emmanuel Poulin, representing the Danielle Mitterrand Foundation, explained Mitterrand’s primary objectives in supporting Kurdistan. “In the past, we would say that the two strongest actions of the foundation, through Danielle Mitterrand, were: first, making the Kurds known to the world, and second, contributing to and sometimes helping to reconcile the Kurds of Iraq among themselves. This space of fraternity and reconciliation was something that was very important to her and remains a legacy. The photos we see behind us with Jalal Talabani and Masoud Barzani are symbols of those reconciliations,” Poulin said.

He added, “Looking to the future, the foundation is currently working with Kurdish youth to pass on this vision of the world to them. We are also imagining projects for environmental protection, to ensure that Kurdistan can face the challenges of climate change and find solutions.”

Poulin also highlighted the foundation’s current initiatives, including youth-oriented programs and a project to plant 10,000 trees in Duhok Governorate.

Mitterrand founded the Danielle Mitterrand Foundation in 1986 to promote human rights, social justice, and environmental protection. Her involvement with the Kurdish cause deepened during the Gulf War in 1991 when she visited Kurdish refugee camps and advocated for international recognition of their plight.