The Global Kurdish Initiative for Peace at American University’s School of International Service hosted its third annual Newroz celebration, bringing together students, faculty, staff, and international guests in the U.S. capital to mark the Kurdish New Year.
Organized to foster cross-cultural dialogue, the reception aimed to introduce Kurdish traditions and cultural practices to an academic community representing more than 100 countries. Yerivan Saeed, Director of the Initiative and Barzani Fellow-in-Residence, noted that the event has been held for the past three years as a venue to bring together individuals from diverse national and ethnic backgrounds. Saeed emphasized that the gathering serves not only to promote Kurdish culture but also to introduce the Kurdish community to individuals who have had no prior exposure to it.
Kurdish students highlighted the deeper significance of celebrating the holiday outside the region. Aheen Hajibadri, a Kurdish student at the university, described Newroz as a holiday of resistance and celebration that connects past history with a new future, reinforcing the strength and continuity of Kurdish identity within diaspora communities.
Attendees from outside the Kurdish community also participated, drawing comparisons with similar seasonal observances in their home countries. Talha Mahmud, a guest from Pakistan, noted shared elements such as traditional food, music, and communal gatherings observed during spring festivities in regions like Gilgit-Baltistan and among the Hazara community in Balochistan.
Organizers emphasized that Newroz, observed annually around the spring equinox, represents unity, collective identity, and seasonal renewal across Kurdish populations in Iraq, Türkiye, Iran, Syria, and diaspora populations in Europe and North America. As these traditions continue globally, academic and institutional events provide an important platform for cultural representation, public outreach, and mutual understanding.
