24/02 In the morning we join a big demonstration organized together with the people in Afrin. This is a very important part of the resistance, bringing the people together and showing determination to resist. We interview different women from different ages involved in the campaign ‘women rise up for Afrin’. After the demonstration, we talk
23/02 The convoy was attacked by the Turkish army and we had to split in different groups looking for shelter. During the night some people was able to reach a car and go to the city of Afrin, especially the groups with injured people. Other groups stayed with families in the villages, waiting for the
Rojava – After almost seven years since the war in Syria began, battles between Kurdish-led democratic forces (SDF/YPG/YPJ) and Daesh (IS) have left the Islamic State nearly defeated throughout the region. When Rojava was liberated from direct Syrian government control in summer 2012, this set off a political revolution towards a self-organized democratic society across the northern regions of the
22/02 We passed the night with a family of Kobane. They shared everything with us. Early in the morning we continued our way to Afrin and some people from Kobane also join the convoy, we were almost 50 buses. We crossed the check point of the syrian regimen after several hours. In the night, when
Reports indicate that Turkey continues to cut water flows to Syria resulting in reduced electricity power and hurting farming in northern Syria. The cutting of water doesn’t only affect Kurdish cities in northern Syria, but also cities like Raqqa. Most of northern Syria depends on the water dams and water flows for electricity. The State
The Committee of Industry, which was formed by the Union of Co-operatives in the Jazira Canton [Kantona Cizîrê / Cezîre] formed a committee for a bakery co-operative in Sheddadi [Şeddadê / Shaddadi / Shaddadah]. The meeting where the committee was formed was attended by 52 of the bakery co-operative shareholders, and Samir Sadeq, a member of the Committee of
21/02 We decided to join the solidarity convoy to Afrin. We started our travel in the city of Qamishlo. 38 buses left the city on the 21th of february. The buses were full of moral and happiness. We were singing and dancing all the way. We reached the city of Kobane around 6pm and we
85 members of the Union of Pharmacists formed a medicine co-operative called Zanîn in order to prevent the selling of expired medicines.
The war in Afrin starkly highlights how the dynamics of power and resource grabs by the US, Russia, and their regional alliances, have shaped contemporary struggles for life and democracy. On 20 January, Turkey launched a brutal air and ground invasion of Afrin canton in Northern Syria. Turkey claims that the Orwellian-named ‘Operation Olive Branch’ is
Adiba Tawoos moved from Aleppo to Qamishlo [Qamişlo / Qamishli / Al-Qamishli] seven years ago, and now she works in Şilêr Co-operative [pronounced Shi-lair]. We had an interview with her, she said, “We didn’t have work, but since the Rojava revolution we’ve been getting work opportunities to provide us with our daily bread.” Fifty-four year old Adiba moved to
We, the Internationalist Commune of Rojava, want to contribute to the ecological revolution in Northern Syria. To this end, we have started the campaign Make Rojava Green Again, campaign in cooperation with the Ecology Committee of the Cizire Canton. The campaign has three aspects: Building up the Internationalist Academy with an ecological ethos, to serve as a
A great part of the agriculture in Afrin [Afrîn / Efrîn] relies on women’s labour. Women living in rural areas work in agriculture, co-exist with nature and improve their economy. The agricultural work of women is often characterised by collective work; women get together and go to work in the fields and gardens. This scene is
