Eighteenth International Conference on Diversity in Organizations, Communities & Nations

Abstract

Stateless: Global Power and Powerlessness of Kurds and Palestinians Thirty million Kurds and ten million Palestinians are just two of the stateless populations that have major impact on world and regional politics. Like 80 million Tamils, 15 million Uyghurs, two million Rohingya and many others, stateless populations have institutional and constructivist obstacles to having their voices heard and their concerns addressed by global powers. Palestinians and Iraqi Kurds are distinguished not only by their central role in key global conflicts, but also by their relative success in attracting recognition and support from other states. — Is there something more “legitimate” – inherent, conditional, behavioral – about Palestinians and Iraqi Kurds that attracts the support of regional and global powers? Can other stateless populations imitate or construct these legitimizing factors to gain more recognition? How can “legitimized” stateless populations exercise more power in global politics? Why do powerful states choose to legitimize (or not) stateless populations? To what extent does achieving statehood – like for Pakistan or Kosovo – empower previously stateless populations? — This research examines the politics of Palestinians and Iraqi Kurds as stateless peoples; analyzes their tactics, successes, failures, and prospects; and considers possible implications for other stateless populations.