“We are the people of Mesopotamia, one of the most remarkable areas of the world, known as the cradle of civilization. We are the people of Hasankeyf in Turkey and of the Marshes in Iraq. We are connected and combined by the Tigris River. The Tigris is our common root, our common lifeline and our common future.”
The Rojava revolution is under attack. Debbie Bookchin and Emre Şahin share their thoughts on this unique revolutionary process after recently visiting the region.
In the women’s village of Jinwar in northern Syria, the residents are preparing fields and gardens for the next growing season. In times of crisis it becomes clear how fundamental the possibility of self-sufficiency is.
Women are leading the campaign to make Raqqa green.
The cultivation of vegetable project in Tirbespiyê area contributes in fulfilling part of the region’s need for seasonal vegetables, in addition to securing jobs for women.
On May 1st, both Kongra Star and the Executive Council of the Autonomous Administration in al-Jazeera region congratulated all workers on this occasion.
Residents of the women’s village Jinwar protect themselves from Covid-19 with their own system of autonomy and self-sufficiency.
In the context of the community initiatives undertaken by the people of northern and eastern Syria, “Lavin” sewing workshop produces 500 pieces of medical scrubs on a daily basis as an aid to doctors and hospitals.
Natalie Szarek is currently in Rojava, North Eastern Syria, participating in ecological work and learning from the work of the revolution, which is based on radical democracy, ecological sustainability and gender liberation. Before transplanting to Rojava, Natalie was involved in the ecological food movement in London, including coordinating the Community Food Growers Network, founding Audacious Veg CIC, and working in various community gardening projects. This is the first in a series of articles where she will attempt to apply the experiences and perspectives of the revolutionary movement in Rojava to the community growing and food sovereignty movement in England.
The documentary collective Şopdarên rojê ya çandê have made a short film about Jinwar, the free women’s village in Rojava.
North and East Syria faces serious challenges in the fight against COVID-19. 600,000 IDPs and refugees live in camps across the region, their situation already precarious without a pandemic. Ongoing attacks by Turkish forces, Turkey-backed militias, and ISIS complicate the security situation and threaten essential civilian infrastructure like water lines. According to the Rojava Information Center,
The co-chair of the Water Directorate in al-Hasakah canton, Suzdar Ahmed confirmed that the maintenance teams are continuing their work until the water is pumped to the city of al-Hasakah, as well as the completion of maintenance of the damage left by the Turkish occupation’s assault on the electricity network in the city of Tel Tamr.
