Rojava

The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (NES) or commonly known as Rojava (sometimes called Kurdistan by western media) is an ongoing effort since 2012 to create a anarchists society in the north of Syria according to the principles of Democratic Confederalism. This began with the Rojava Revolution, Rojava is currently battling an apocalyptic war with Turkey.

Decision-Making

Decisions are made by community assemblies and a unique four-level model of a confederation. These are divided into four main levels of decision-making.

• Commune: Between 30 and 400 households gather in local assemblies to discuss, debate and vote on how to solve the issues affecting them the most.
• Neighbourhood or Village People's Council: Delegates from 7-30 communes gather to coordinate efforts between communes and solve larger-scale issues in either rural or urban contexts.
• District People's Council: Delegates from neighbouring people's councils gather to discuss issues affecting the city and surrounding land and villages. There are political parties, civil societies and social movements at this level which advocate for various political perspectives.
• People's Council of Western Kurdistan: The highest level of decision-making that affects region-wide issues. This is made up of delegates from all district people's councils. By law, 40% of delegates must be women.

Each council can create 'commissions' made up of various specialists and experts which perform tasks for the communities whilst still be highly accountable to them in a democratic fashion.

Crime

A new criminal justice approach was implemented that emphasizes restoration over retribution. The death penalty was abolished. Prisons house mostly people charged with terrorist activity related to ISIL and other extremist groups. A September 2015 report of Amnesty International noted that 400 people were incarcerated of a population of 4.6 million, or 8.7 people per 100,000, compared to 60.0 people per 100,000 in Syria as a whole, and the second lowest rate in the world after San Marino. However, the report also noted some deficiencies in due process.

Economy

As of 2015, around 75% of land within the NES is owned in common and 33% of industry is run according to the principles of workers' self-management. The economy is divided into three major sectors:

1. The Social Economy, composed of worker cooperatives.
2. The War Economy, composed of commune efforts to finance the military and public services.
3. The Open Economy, an incomplete attempt to encourage foreign investment and support.

Industry includes 50 soap factories, 20 olive oil factories, 250 olive processing plants, 70 factories making construction materials, 400 textile workshops, 8 shoe factories, 5 factories producing nylon and 15 factories processing marble in the canton. Two mills, two hotels and a dam have recently been built and a new 84,000 square meter industrial park has been opened which is home to at least 800 workplaces.

Public Services

Following the Rojava Revolution, hundreds of schools for people of all ages have been established. Many such schools focus on teaching the languages spoken by ethnic minorities (previously punishable by torture) and uncovering much of the wisdom hidden within the history of Western Asia. The schools borrow elements from democratic schooling, being compared to John Dewey's vision of an ideal education. In 2014, the first university (Mesopotamian Social Sciences Academy) was opened in Qamişlo in the Cizîrê Canton. It offered students classes, a library, internet access, sports facilities and a dormitory.

Councils and communes have also pooled together to provide citizens with clean energy, food sovereignty, waste management, water security, internet access and cultural festivals.

Environmental Protection

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In 2018, many local communities agreed to the campaign titled 'Make Rojava Green Again' which aims to restore the region to its natural ecological health. Measures taken include the construction of areas for solar and wind electricity generation. The construction of urban and rooftop agriculture within cities. The creation of large wildlife reserves and reforestation campaigns. Water and material recycling, compost in agriculture as well as safe and clean waste management. The campaign is done on the advice of specialist advisors with backgrounds in physics, chemistry, biology, systems theory and ecology.

Culture

Parts of the NES have seen an explosion in the development of art, including a rise in music, film and theater productions.

Biman Khalaf, 25, born to a Kurdish father and an Arab mother, told Al-Monitor, “I started singing at the age of 12 and joined Kurdish folkloric bands in our region. Despite our community’s negative perception of a young girl who goes out alone and sings on popular stages and during national celebrations, my neighbors and cousins had a different view. I have also had to deal with other challenges, which came in the form of security pursuits by the regime, as Kurds were banned from celebrating their folklore.”

“After the revolution started, … I was given more freedom. My mother’s family especially showed great support and my siblings now encourage me more than ever. I feel that we can finally spread our wings, especially after the regime forces left our regions in northern and northwestern Syria, which are now part of Rojava,” Khalaf said.

Kurds are no strangers to revolutionary art, which has played important roles during the many Kurdish revolutions such as the one led by Mustafa Barzani (the father of KRG President Massoud Barzani) in Iraq in 1958. The Kurdish revolutionary artistic scene boasts figures such as singer Sivan Perwer, whose songs supported the Kurdish revolution in Turkey in 1984. When the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) was founded, revolutionary art reached its zenith with the rise of the Kurdish resistance band Koma Berxwedan, which was widely popular among Kurds split among Iraq, Iran and Syria.

After that, the artistic scene saw the rise of Kurdish bands formed by PKK fighters in the mountainous region. Awaze Ciya is one of them. All of its members are fighters who sing for the revolution.

Salman Ibrahim, a co-director of Rojava's Center of Art and Democratic Culture in al-Jazeera canton, told Al-Monitor, “Under the rule of the Assad regime, we worked privately among the people, as Kurds faced pressure and crackdowns by the regime. We weren’t allowed to exhibit our talents, especially if they carry anti-regime messages. We would sing and celebrate the revolution in private and in places away from the eyes of regime informants. Popular and folkloric songs helped us to preserve our spoken language, which the regime forbade us from using.”

He said, “Examples of Kurdish fighters who hold a weapon in one hand and a musical instrument in the other can also be found in the Kurdistan mountains, where PKK members opposed to the Turkish state live. As a result, musical bands were formed to celebrate the revolution. Many revolutionary artists died in battle like Shahit Sarhad, who became the singer of the revolution.”

Ibrahim added, “Five years into the Syrian revolution, artists now have the support of the Kurdish administration in Rojava, the safest area in Syria. The amount of freedom we have allowed us to express ourselves and our solidarity with our Kurdish fighters, especially the women, who are now considered the face of the revolution.”

Revolutionary art has also been revived in Rojava with the formation of popular theaters in many cities and villages. They celebrate the Kurdish folklore that was banned in Syria as well as in parts of Kurdistan.

Despite losing his sight due to an illness, musician Nouri Kazem plays the tanbur, a Kurdish folkloric instrument. He told Al-Monitor, “I started performing at a young age in weddings. Now I make a living out of music, which also comforts me. The revolution had a significant impact on us. As an artist, I have always been a supporter of the revolution in Rojava through my music, defending the Kurdish dream of living peacefully in our country, Syria, where we weren’t allowed to speak to each other in our native tongue during the regime’s era.”

Art has always played a significant role in the Kurds' lives. They sing Kurdish epics and songs in celebration of heroic deeds by the many leaders who fought during Kurdish revolutions, such as Ihsan Nuri, the leader of the Agri revolution in Turkey in 1925, and many others who died fighting for freedom like Mashaal Tammo, a leading Kurdish opposition figure in the Syrian revolution.

International media and local journalists operate with few restrictions in the region, one of the only regions in Syria where they can operate according to the principles of freedom of the press.

See Also

• Criticism of Rojava