Why Secede?
What鈥檚 so important about having your own country?
What鈥檚 so important about having your own country? On Monday many Kurds in Northern Iraq voted for independence, and the Spanish government is seeking to stop a separatist referendum in Catalonia this Sunday. But why do many Iraqi Kurds and Catalans want an independent state given that both regions already have a large degree of autonomy?
Is it about national identity or economic independence? Are there common themes or is every case unique? And what are the legal precedents for secession? Owen Bennett Jones and his guests look at self-determination, secession, and what it means to be a nation.
(Photo: students in Barcelona demonstrating in favour of Catalan independence. Credit: Getty Images)
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Demanding Kurdish Indpendence
Duration: 02:45
Contributors
Elizabeth Ohene - Ghanaian politician and journalist
Neal Ascherson 聽- writer and historian of nationalism
James Irving - lecturer on self-determination at the London School of Economics
Also featuring:
Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman - US representative of the Kurdistan Regional Government of northern Iraq
Maysoon Al-Damluji - Iraqi MP for the liberal, secular Assembly of Independent Democrats
Jordi Sol茅 i Ferrando - MEP with the Catalan Republican Left and Mayor of Caldes de Montbui
Santiago Fisas i Ayxela - 聽Catalan MEP with Spain's ruling People's Party (PP)
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The Real Story
Global experts and decision makers discuss, debate and analyse a key news story.