William I. Robinson, Professor of Sociology at the University of California, sent a message of support to Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan and the Peoples' Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party for the Peace and Democratic Society Process. 

 

The message reads: "Write to Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan and to the DEM partyto express my support for the peace process underway in Turkey.  We are living through a time of deep crisis andmomentous transformations in the world order.  Our epoch is full of great dangers but also opportunities that force us torethink how poor and dispossessed majorities may push forwardthe struggle for emancipation in our tormented global society.  The Kurdish experience in recent years with Democratic Confederation gave us a window into how autonomous strugglesfrom below based on participatory democracy – even whenfaced with the most adverse of circumstances – can challengepatriarchal oppression, class exploitation, and politicaldomination.  

 

The PKK has proposed now to transition from an armed struggle into a peaceful socialist social movement.  Several things must happen for this process to move forward.  First, there must be a political opening in Turkey that allows forthis transition.  Second, the Kurdish struggle against ethnicoppression must unite with the proletarian class struggle forsocial transformation through peaceful mass mobilization in thecivic arena, as there can be no real peace without social justice.  And third, Abdullah Ocalan must be released from prison as theundisputed leader of this peace process and as someone who is central to Turkey’s future."