The commune meets monthly or fortnightly and all residents are entitled to participate. The only caveats were the major cities of Qamishlo and Heseke, in the Jazeera region (then the Heseke Governorate). The sobering lesson realized by the Syrian Kurds in the aftermath of the violent crackdown on the Qamishlo uprising was that they needed to form their own armed defence units. Each commune has an executive committee, composed of the two co-chairs and additional members from the committees working under the commune initially the committees on economy, education, health, organizing society, self-defence and a womens committee. Democratic confederalism is therefore both a political line and a radical but also pragmatic alternative to nationalist solutions. 8 Popular organizations prevented acts of revenge and destruction, protecting the still intact infrastructure. One year later, in 2004, a city-wide uprising was sparked at a soccer match in Qamishlo. also had to be maintained. In addition, there are economic problems among the population caused by the war and the, at times, triple embargos by the Syrian state, Turkey, and the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). In particular, reconciliation committees provide support in such cases. The right to self-determination and the prohibition of the death penalty and torture are also firmly enshrined in law. Back then it was very difficult for us as Kurdish people. Goods continued to circulate between Rojava and regime territory, with taxes levied by the Syrian army as well as various Assad-allied and rebel militias. Approximately thirty million Kurds live in the Middle Eastprimarily in Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkeyand the Kurds comprise nearly one-fifth of Turkey's population of seventy-nine million . Turkey subsequently occupied Afrin with little to no international objections. Kobane an Eco Challenge for Humanity. The three cantons also called themselves Autonomous Regions or Democratic Autonomous Administration., In an attempt to federalize the Administration and expand the model of democratic autonomy to areas newly-liberated and incorporated into the NES, the SDC was founded in December 2015. On average, a neighborhood council will comprise seven to thirty communes, depending on the size of the population in that area. The Democratic Federation of Northern Syria, to give its contemporary name, regards itself as a model for a new devolved Syrian constitution after the war is over. For example, the Union of Kurdish Youth Coordination Committees took the lead in the protest movement across Kurdish cities, reaching out to youth groups in the cities of Damascus and Homs in order to unify their political demands. The model is interesting for its commitment to a feminist, devolved and democratic but also a secular state, where decisions are taken weekly at general meetings in every community. He drew on anarchisms lack of authoritarianism and married it with environmentalism to bring people closer to nature and in equal relationships with each other. So before building up councils and communes, as a basis, we needed for different people to come together, trust and believe each other and love each other. "Self-defense is a natural characteristic of all life," the report reads. On top of this, Rojava cares for some 74,000 refugees who have fled the fighting in both Syria and Iraq at the huge al-Hawl camp. This area is the birthplace of Jabhat al Akrad (Kurdish Front), a Kurdish democratic armed group.[3]. A popular delegation to the armed force demanded that they hand over their weapons but guaranteed safe passage. Another specific committee is the problem-solving committee or the committee for reconciliation. All of these actions strengthened the position of the PYD-led and SDF-defended Autonomous Administration as the hegemonic political-military power in northeastern Syria. We need 2 cookies to store this setting. On March 24th 2018, Turkey gained full control over Afrin, largely due to their air superiority. We pray for their resilience, protection and perseverance. Societies have always adapted and changed in order to defend themselves against attacks. This encompasses the Euphrates (the former Kobane canton, including Tel Abyad, Sarrin, and Ayn Issa), and Cizr (Jazira) Regions, as well as the local civil councils of Raqqa, Manbij, Tabqa, and Deir ez-Zor Regions. Decisions are made through the cooperation of citizens and the Administration, and opinions are sought in a democratic manner. As a result of such efforts, in 2017, the SDF included some 30,000 Arab fighters, who made up about 60 percent of the SDF. In fierce battles between 2012 and 2014, the militia succeeded in bringing several border towns under its control and proved to be the most effective force at controlling territory and defending Kurdish areas from the growing threat of armed extremist militias. Click to enable/disable essential site cookies. In spite of the powerful opposition of the Turkish government, it took two years from the withdrawal of the Syrian army when YPG militia began to successfully protect enclaves of Kurdish inhabitants, to the adoption of a new democratic constitution in 2014. Autonomous Rojava started to take shape in 2012, as a major aspect of the progressing Kurdish struggle. The group is focused on protecting each other, resisting the Islamic State militant group (ISIS) and building an egalitarian community in the middle of a warzone. Decision number 7 of this declaration states: 'The peoples and communities living in the federal system in Rojava/Northern Syria can develop their political, economic, social, cultural, and democratic relations with whom they see fit, or share their beliefs and culture with the people and communities on a regional and international level'. The first political structures adopted post-revolution were as shown above the autonomous administration of the Kurdish-dominated areas in the district of, , Kobane and Afrin, which formed an Interim Transitional Administration, adopted in 2013. However, it is important to emphasize that TEV-DEM did not have to start from scratch. The 2012 revolution was thus able to build on existing structures. The Guardian (2014) Why is the world ignoring the revolutionary Kurds in Syria. In January 2014, the three Kurdish-majority cantons of Cizr, Kobane and Afrin declared their autonomy from the Syrian government. Brief but ery precie information The 2012 revolution was thus able to build on existing structures. Rojava Information Center (2019): Beyond the Frontlines. The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Wagner vs. Russias Defense Ministry in the Middle East, Iranian Reactions to the Wagner Standoff in Russia, Turkeys Growing Ukrainian and Russian Communities. Experiences vary widely, from impeccably-functioning communes, with regular meetings and a working council structure, to less active communes with unclear responsibilities, opening hours and missing structures. She is currently Co-Chair of the Executive Council of the AANES, which coordinates the work of the various commissions on health, nature, the economy, and a host of other institutions. There are several Turkmen villages in Euphrates Region and a small Chechen minority in Serekaniye, Jazira. In doing so, the cantons, consisting of their different district councils, also established their own transitional administrations. Ottawa Citizen The SAA and Syrian government institutions withdrew from these areas (with the exception of Qamishlo and Heseke) without firing so much as a shot. Later, this was expanded to include the youth and sports committee, the committee of the families of the martyrs, and the arts and culture committee. The neighborhood councils comprise recallable delegates that are sent from various communes. These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features. Harriet Allsopp, Wladimir Wilgenburg (2019): The Kurds of Northern Syria: Governance, Diversity and Conflicts, London: I.B. Farmers had to take part in very strict regime-mandated production plans that excluded other crops. We may request cookies to be set on your device. The abrupt termination of the peace process between the PKK and Ankara in July 2015 also did little to calm the situation between the Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria and Turkey. Basndose en los principios de la lucha de liberacin kurda, los habitantes de la NES se [], [] & https://rojavainformationcenter.com/2022/07/10-years-of-the-rojava-revolution-much-achieved-still-mu%5B18%5DCornelius Castoriadis:Democracy and Relativism( , 2013), [], [] becoming deeply unpopular throughout Syria. Despite all these adversities, NES society has continued to establish and develop (relatively) stable political structures. As a result of this revolution, a democratic autonomy project was proclaimed. Amazing read! Kurdish fears were confirmed on January 19. Since then, it has trodden a careful path between satisfying both the Syrian government and the foreign aid providers to maintain a working administration. We wanted to live according to our own language and our own culture on our own land. The Rmelan thermal power plant covered only strategic needs related to oil extraction; most other electricity came from the Baath, Tishrin, and Thawra dams on the Euphrates. Everybody could live together according to their own culture and reality. By allowing them to speak out and directly influence decision-making, politics becomes an integral part of social life. Building on principles from the Kurdish liberation struggle, the inhabitants of NES organise [], [] en 2012, durante el segundo ao de la actual guerra siria, en lo que se conoce como la Revolucin de Rojava. Domination versus cooperation, colonisation versus autonomy, oppression versus freedom, patriarchy versus partnership these values are the warp and weft of the defining struggle for the future of humanity. This report particularly part II aims to focus on the day-to-day challenges in order to provide an accurate insight into NES society ten years after the revolution began. Hasaka also produced 80 percent of the country's cotton before the war. Declaration by the Kurdish Front, YouTube Europe PERSPECTIVES FOR PEACEBUILDING IN SYRIA: THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS IN ROJAVA December 23, 2017 | by admin_tono The region of Rojava, in the north of Syria, also known as Western Kurdistan, received wide international attention for its peculiar system of autonomous administration. Relatively unexpectedly, Syria was struck by such cross-societal anti-government protests in 2011. Confronting authoritarian populism with radical democracy. This makes them a means of democratizing all social life. If an issue exceeds the capacity of the commune, it goes to the neighborhood, (sub-)district and then to the region. The Rojava courts have already tried and sentenced 7,000 ISIS suspects most of them Syrian, and some Iraqi. Officially, Ankara described the operation as directed against terrorist forces on its borders, though Turkey had been coexisting with ISIS on its border for years. Ahmet Sik/Getty Images . The revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt were big inspirations for us. As a result of these developments, the structures of the AANES are highly dynamic, which has led to constant changes in council structures, especially at the higher levels. Rojava has major dams along the rivers of Euphrates and Khabur. In 2003, the PYD was founded as the Syrian offshoot of the PKK, which had operated from Syria and Lebanon until 1998. Both SDF and SDC are committed to the goal of a secular, democratic, and federally-structured Syria. In doing so, it would be possible for everybody to gain basic rights and to become active members in society. 5. century, some of these Kurdish people in Greater Syria (also named Bilad al-Sham) kept their Kurdish culture and their relations with Kurds in other parts of Kurdistan. The constitution maintains a commitment to private property, but Syrian Kurds are seeking to develop a social economy, in which co-operatives form the basis of the economic system. As RICs own State of the Occupation reports documented since the last Turkish military operation ended at the end of 2019, the situation in Afrin and the M4 Strip has been marked by hundreds of cases of human rights violations. Previously, Hasaka had been assigned the role of producing raw materials, particularly oil, cereals, and cotton. No doubt, the Rojava Revolution has major achievements under its belt, and its importance (especially for the region, but also beyond) cannot be overstated. Despite their desire for greater independence, Syria's Kurds have shown a willingness to broker agreements with the Assad regime in order to secure their near-term economic interests, and they may soon do the same with Iran. They learnt from the experiences of the Kurdish Women's Movement in other parts of the Middle East (the report mentions Bakur in southeast Turkey, Bashur in Iraq, and Rojhilat in northern Syria) and established a network of organizations to defend themselves. Today, the PYD advocates a self-sufficient economy to liberate itself from unequal relations with Damascus. In 2014, the three cantons of Rojava Cizr, Kobane and Afrin united on a federal basis. is how Berivan Khaled sums up the importance of the communes. (Jazira) Regions, as well as the local civil councils of Raqqa, Manbij, Tabqa, and Deir ez-Zor Regions. Ecology and feminism are central pillars. Before Turkish invasion, Afrin used to export olive-products such as olive oil, soap etc. For example, its cereal output typically constituted around half of the country's total production, helping to ensure Syria's food independence. (International Womens Day in Qamishlo, March 8.