Kavien’s Visit to London

 
The invitation by Jack Lopresti MP, chairman of APPG on Kurdistan Region in Iraq, and High Representative Karwan Jamal Tahir was personally addressed to Kavien.

 
Kavien was well-known to the Kurdish Regional Government Representation in the United Kingdom because of his activities in the JFK (Justice for Kurds). The Justice for Kurds Network of Student Ambassadors was established to bring together the brightest and most accomplished students from the United States, Europe and around the world to advocate for the Kurdish cause and demonstrate this people’s commitment to humanist values and democracy. Kavien also contributed to the Halabja Book campaign organized by the Kurdish Regional Government Representation. Kavien had built up a considerable collection of books on the Halabja gas attacks and on the Anfal campaign. In 2019 he donated most of these book to the University of Halabja, see the letter of appreciation from the High Representative to the United Kingdom of the Kurdistan Regional Government.

 

The reader may wonder about Kavien’s informal dress. The invitation mentioned Lounge Suit/National Dress, so perhaps one would guess that this Christmas sweater is Dutch national dress:), which it is not. There is a story behind it, related to the situation that the U.K. is not in the Schengen region. Kavien went to Schiphol, with an ID card and an expired passport, checked in his suitcase (which contained his suit) and then encountered the inevitable bureaucratic hickup, from which he was rescued by the Marechaussee (Dutch immigration officers) who issued an emergency passport. By the time that was ready, the plane was already gone, the luggage disappeared. Kavien did not give up, bought a new ticket and flew to London where he arrived just in time for the reception. The KRG Representation was glad Kavien made it, but the suitcase and the suit were never recovered.