Alongside grassroots democracy and women’s freedom, social ecology is one of the pillars of the Rojava revolution, which is based on the paradigm of Abdullah Öcalan.
The Ecology Council of the Democratic Autonomous Administration in the North and East Syria Region (DAANES) is holding its first conference at the University of Rojava in Qamişlo. The two-day meeting is attended by 120 delegates from the Autonomous Administration, civil society organisations and political parties.
Alongside grassroots democracy and women’s freedom, social ecology is one of the pillars of the Rojava revolution, which is based on the paradigm of Abdullah Öcalan. At the conference, Kurdish leader Öcalan’s perspectives on a return to social ecology were presented. A film presentation illustrated the destruction of nature caused by military attacks and targeted interventions by Turkey in Kurdistan.
The conference will address the topics of “Ecology in democratic modernity”, “Conducting ecological struggle alongside the struggle against capitalism and colonialism”, “Developing ecological agricultural culture as part of ending the occupation in Northern and Eastern Syria” and “Solidarity between institutions and organisations in Northern and Eastern Syria”.
Hesen Koçer, Co-Chair of the Democratic Autonomous Administration Executive Council, talked about the importance of the conference and said, “An attack on nature is an attack on society and its values. As we can see, the ecological system is in danger. That is why we must always protect the environment and nature.”
Hesen Koçer stated that the world uses nature to establish its own economic system, which leads to the destruction of nature, and said, “If the world continues to exploit nature in this way, the world will be in danger. Scientists should be careful against this danger. For this reason, we wanted to discuss the dangers to nature and find solutions through this conference.”
Koçer also drew attention to the wars in the world and the damage they cause to the environment and the will of the people and added: “This is a political, moral and cultural war and society is being targeted every day.”
Stating that democratic systems attach great importance to the protection of nature and the environment, Koçer said, “Leader Abdullah Öcalan also attaches great importance to nature, so we must return to him and the nature of humanity.”
Hesen Koçer’s speech was followed by the screening of a film about how the nature of Kurdistan was destroyed by the attacks and bombardments of the occupying Turkish state.
Afterwards, Bêrîwan Xelîl, Co-Chair of the Environment Committee of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of Efrin-Şehba Canton, read Leader Abdullah Öcalan’s perspectives on ecology.
In his speech, Ibrahim Assad, Co-Chair of the Environment Committee of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, emphasised the importance of protecting the environment and nature by strengthening the rules of natural society and said: “Peoples control nature and they have destroyed it.”
Ibrahim Assad hoped that important decisions will be taken at the end of the conference for the protection and development of the environment.
