Agreen Dilshad of Kirkuk won the category for best song in World Music in the 2022 UK Songwriting Contest (UKSC), one of the world's longest-running and most successful international songwriting events.
His song, “Shari Dunya” (Global War), expresses the impact of war on all living entities: humans, animals, nature, and especially children.
Agreen, who has won multi national and international awards, grew up in the ancient and diverse Kurdish city of Kirkuk in Iraq, which has been subjected to countless wars and conflicts throughout history, giving him firsthand experience of his song’s topic. He studied music for five years at the Kirkuk Institute of Fine Arts and later gained his degree in Music at the College of Fine Arts in Erbil.
Writing to the UKSC, he expressed his commitment to promoting peace through his music and said: "I understand the trauma that children go through as a result of wars."
“Shari Dunya” speaks to his experience, poignantly conveying his understanding of the trauma that children undergo during war. It is for this reason that Dilshad feels a duty to promote peace with his music, something he accomplished by winning the UKSC 2022 World Music award.
The power behind Agreen’s compositions is in both its lyrical content and its ability to evoke emotion and create change among listeners. In “Shari Dunya,” we feel what life was like for Agreen growing up. Despite everything he endured, hope remains at the core of each of his songs, which resonates with audiences around the world who have also experienced similar traumas due conflict or other forms of oppression.
This sentiment underscores why Agreen’s work deserves recognition: it serves both an artistic purpose and can be used as a tool for social justice activism towards creating global peace initiatives. His song ultimately speaks to how our past experiences can inform the art that we create today and provide us the strength to build better futures tomorrow.
Global War (Original Text in Kurdish Sorani)
What is the reason for this war?
I cannot find an answer.
Men destroying humankind.
Why does mankind remain unfaltering?
Trees, plants, flowers, and blossoms,
The earth and the sky lie in disbelief.
This child was not born
To be deprived of his/her life.
For the sake of your own desires,
To be torn to pieces in your wars.
What is the purpose of this war?
What do you gain from this war?
By spilling all this blood
How do you sleep at night?
Trees, plants, flowers, and blossoms,
The earth and the sky lie in disbelief
لە پێناوی چی ئەم شەڕە؟
وەڵامێکم دەست ناکەوێ
مرۆڤ مرۆڤ لە ناو دەبات
ئەم مرۆڤە بۆ ناسرەوێ!
دار و درەخت گوڵ و گوڵزار
زەوی و ئاسمان سەریان سووڕما
باڵندەکان ئاژەڵەکان
لە دەست مرۆڤ واقیان وڕما
ئەم منداڵە نەهاتووە
لەم ژیانە بێبەشی کەن
لە پێناوی حەزی خۆتان
لە جەنگێکدا لەت لەتی کەن
لە پێناوی چی ئەم شەڕە
لەم شەڕە چیت دەستدەکەوێ؟
تۆ ئەم هەموو خوێنە بڕژی
شەو چۆن خەوت لێدەکەوێ
دار و درەخت گوڵ و گوڵزار
زەوی و ئاسمان سەریان سووڕما
باڵندەکان ئاژەڵەکان
لە دەست مرۆڤ واقیان وڕما
