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Title: The Rojava Experiment Author: Shawn Hattingh Date: June 14, 2018 Language: en Topics: Rojava, democratic confederalism, Zabalaza Source: Retrieved on 4th August 2021 from https://zabalaza.net/2018/06/14/alternatives-to-capitalism-the-rojava-experiment/ Notes: In this article, the first article of the education series on alternatives to capitalism, we look at an experiment that is taking place today, known as the Rojava Revolution, to overturn capitalism and the state system in northern Syria (which is being subjected to an imperialist and civil war). In Rojava a social revolution, influenced by libertarian socialism, has been underway since 2012 and a new society has emerged in the process.
Rojava is an outcome of the struggle that has been waged by the Kurds
for national liberation. Nonetheless, it has gone beyond even national
liberation and has become an experiment to create a confederation of
worker and community councils and communes to replace capitalism and the
state.
Initially up until the 1990s, the Kurdish national liberation struggle
was mainly influenced by Stalinism. However, in the late 1990s the
movement began reflecting and analysing the failed experiments in
Russia, China and Cuba which saw the Communist Parties in those
countries setting up state capitalism in the name of revolution. As part
of the reflection and analyses, the Kurdish liberation movement – in
which the Kurdish Workers’ Party (PKK) plays a key role – came to view
all states as hierarchical and patriarchal institutions that, far from
brining freedom, always ensured the oppression of a majority by a
minority that headed these states.
As part of this, by the early 2000s, the Kurdish liberation movement had
come to be heavily influenced by some of the ideas – although not all –
of the libertarian socialist Murray Bookchin. Bookchin himself started
out his political life as a Stalinist but moved to anarchism before
adopting a form of libertarian socialism based on communalism, social
ecology, feminism and libertarian municipalism.
Under this, the goal of the Kurdish movement broadened to struggle for a
revolution in the Middle East as a whole. As part of this desired
revolution, and in line with its left libertarian and feminist
orientation, the movement has explicitly stated that it does not aim to
create a state; but rather a system of direct democracy that would be
defined by people setting up assemblies, councils and communes that are
confederated together. It has called this ‘democratic confederalism’.
However, there are contradictions too; for example there is a
glorification of the symbolic leader of the Kurdish struggle, Abdullah
Ocalan, that runs counter the egalitarian goals of democratic
confederalism.
Nonetheless, in Rojava in 2012 – as the Syrian state withdrew from the
area as the civil war erupted – elements of democratic confederalism
(although not all) began to be implemented. As part of this communes,
federated neighbourhood assemblies and a federated Rojava council have
been established with the aim of ensuring that there is a direct
democracy in Rojava without a state. Women play a central role in this
and each community assembly, commune or council has to ensure gender
equality amongst the mandated and recallable delegates that participate
in these forums. This is one of the central pillars of the experiment in
feminism.
In terms of the economy, it has been reported that the people in Rojava
have also begun rolling back aspects of capitalism. Some sources
estimate that 80% of the economy is now run through democratic workers’
co-operatives. Small private businesses still exist, but they are
reportedly accountable to the communes – and are mandated by these to
meet the needs of the people.
To defend the Revolution, Rojava has established a democratic militia
called the People’s Protection Units (YPG), in which unit leaders are
elected and recallable. The establishment of democratic militia has been
part of shunning the notions of a hierarchical standing army, which are
associated with states. Thousands of people – including from other
countries – have joined these militia and have been engaged in struggle
against various grouping wishing to destroy the revolution, including
the Islamic State (ISIS). Women play a central role in the militia – in
fact there are women-only militia’s called the Women’s Protection Units
(YPJ). The YPJ are some of the best units of all and played a key role
in the defeat of ISIS.
Rojava, however, does face threats. Internally a state may yet still
arise, and the elevation and glorification of Ocalan is deeply
concerning. Externally, the biggest threat to Rojava in the foreseeable
future is Turkey. In January 2018, Turkey invaded parts of Rojava to
stop the revolution spreading to its territory – which has a large
Kurdish population. The invasion is ongoing. The US temporarily backed
Rojava militia against ISIS. With the defeat of ISIS, however, it too
could turn on Rojava. Despite the threats, Rojava shows a more just
society can be created by working class struggles, even in the context
of a harsh civil war.