Draft:Along the Rivers of Kurdistan

Along the Rivers of Kurdistan is a community-based multimedia project that focuses on the ecological and environmental aspects of rivers in the region of Kurdistan. The project was created by the cultural anthropologist Şermin Güven. It is part of the wider water project hosted by Spore Initiative in Berlin and starting point of the exhibition Wasserspiegel – Waterbodies, which highlights the necessity of addressing ecological and political challenges in a global context with strong local roots.

The project engages with local Kurdish communities, especially women, who are connected to these natural resources. Spring, river and rainwater. The project combines the voices of these communities with a broader political and ecological dialogue through ethnographic research and fieldwork. It emphasises collaborative, localised solutions to river and water protection.

The exhibition aims to act as a bridge between local knowledge and broader ecological concerns. It uses video, mapping and voices to document experiences and interactions with the rivers and their surrounding communities.

The collaboration between different actors, including local initiatives like Platforma Jin a Ekolojî, Jineolojî and academic institutions such as Rojava University, demonstrates a clear multidisciplinary and intersectional approach, drawing from grassroots activism, gender politics and environmental science.

The project is part of the wider water project hosted by Spore Initiative in Berlin, which highlights the necessity of addressing ecological and political challenges in a global context with strong local roots.