Rojava

The Assad family has ruled Syria under dictatorship for 40 years. The official name for the country is the ‘Syrian Arab Republic’, formally denouncing the existence of Kurds, Assyrians, Armenians, Turkmen and many other minorities, despite the rich tapestry of cultures and languages that have always inhabited these lands.

In 2012, in the midst of the Syrian Civil War, the rule of the Assad Regime weakened in the Kurdish majority northern regions. The Rojava Revolution was announced on 19 July 2012. The Kurdish term Rojava includes the regions of northern Syria where the revolution began and was the strongest, such as Kobani and Afrin, and regions which today are under occupation by the Turkish military and allied militias, such as Serekaniye and Afrin.

Rojava is Kurdish for West. It refers to the land in the western part of Kurdistan (the land where Kurds live), in the north of Syria. However, today the revolution has spread far outside of these regions and over a third of Syria.

Below you can find articles about co-operatives, communal and women’s economy, daily life, livelihoods, and the three pillars of the Rojava Revolution in the regions today governed by the Autonomous Administrations of North and East Syria (AANES): democracy, women’s freedom and ecology.

 

Greenhouse project in NE Syria empowers women, increases self-reliance

The “Damsal Greenhouse” project was launched in 2015 and covers a large part of the needs of the local market for vegetables, especially in winter.

Amara Library in Rojava offers over 15,000 books in different languages

Amara Library, one of the first cultural achievements of the Rojava Revolution, became a must for language and literature lovers with 15 thousand books written in different languages.

Cleaning Action with the Municipality of Dêrik

Members of the Make Rojava Green Again Campaign took part in a cleaning action in the city of Derik in North East Syria. They published the photo post below.

Ten Years of the Rojava Revolution: The Legal System of North and East Syria

A communal legal system has been established in North and East Syria that focuses on conflict resolution through grassroots social mediation. While justice committees play an important part in the judicial work, the high number of IS prisoners and the lack of international support in dealing with them poses a serious test to Rojava’s legal system.

Women of Afrin earn living with their skills

Women, who were displaced to Shahba Canton after the Turkish state occupied Afrin, earn a living with their skills due to rising prices caused by the embargo imposed by the Syrian government on Shahba Canton.

Syria and Rojava after Maras-centered earthquake

The Maras-centered earthquakes destroyed more than a hundred buildings in Syria and Rojava. 3,581 people lost their lives and 5,348 were injured. Thousands are still under the rubble in the Turkish-occupied areas as the death toll is not disclosed.

NE Syria: Women’s Foundation to develop new projects in 2023

710 women received certificates after attending language and training courses organized by the Syrian Free Women’s Foundation in 2022. The foundation aims to develop new projects for women in 2023.

The Rojava Revolution – A Decade On (Part I)

History of the Revolution: Much Achieved, Still Much to be Done.

Sara Women’s Organization to open new branches in 2022

Sara Women’s Organization, which carried out many actions, events, campaigns, protests, and followed many violence trials to combat gender-based violence in 2021, will open new branches in 2022.

Women’s Foundation works in every part of life

Syrian Free Women's Foundation works for women in every part of life. The foundation has recently begun to work for the education of women and children.

Turkish Dams Could Cause Environmental Disaster In Aleppo Region

Only one kilometer from Shahba Dam in the northern countryside of Syria’s Aleppo governorate, , the 50-year-old farmer Mahmoud Osso is staring at his land, which he has not cultivated this year due to drought and lack of rainfall.

Internally Displaced Women Run restaurant in Syria’s north Aleppo Countryside

Along with three other displaced women, Zeyneb Battal, an IDP [internally displaced person] from the city of Afrin, northwest Syria, is busy preparing kibbeh (a fried ball of spiced ground meat, onions, and grain, popular in Middle Eastern cuisine) and other dishes in a small restaurant in the town of Fafeen in the northern Aleppo countryside.

The Work of the Health Committee

The Health Committee was established on 6/12/2020 and is responsible for organizing and promoting women’s health work and stands against the policies of global capitalist powers that monopolize health care and make it a profit sector. It deals with the issue of health in all spheres of life physically, psychologically, spiritually, politically and socially, in contrast to the distortions caused by capitalist modernity which defines health only within the framework of the good physical condition of the person.

“Letting society solve its own problems”: Developing a New Justice System in Northern Syria

The Syrian regime under the Ba’ath Party of Bashar al-Assad is not only infamous for its war crimes and human rights abuses during the war in Syria, but also held a thick record of systematic violence prior to the uprisings in 2011. Apart from its extensive intelligence apparatus, its law and justice system enshrined authoritarianism and state power in the legal realm. The population of Syria, and minorities in particular, were taught to fear the law as the representative will of the oppressive state. In northern Syria, since the beginning of the revolution in Rojava in 2012, manifold initiatives have been systematically launched to undo the state and its domination not only in the realm of politics and society, but also in the psychology of people, who experienced not only Assad’s regime, but more recently the fascist rule of ISIS. Efforts are led not only in the sphere of law and justice, but also in the realm of grassroots-organizing, education and political, economic and social action. There are many difficulties however. What could an alternative, non-statist justice system look like? Let us take a look at Anja Hoffmann’s observations from an Arabic language justice academy in Tel Marouf…

10 ways how the Turkish State destroys nature to wage war on Rojava

For the recently announced new invasion we have to expect chemical weapons attacks of Turkey! Already during the Turkish invasion of Serêkaniyê in 2019 the Turkish state used chemical weapons, including white phosphorus and napalm. 33 people were burned in this attack. Nature is being harmed and transformed in the long run. “Effects of chemical

Harvest season for barley, wheat starts in Deir ez-Zor

Women of Deir ez-Zor, who have started reaping barley and wheat crops, complain that they could not get the desired results from the crops due to the insufficient rainfall and the low water level of the Euphrates River.

Women farmers in Deir ez-Zor affected by water shortage

Women farmers in Deir ez-Zor, who have been suffering from water shortage as Turkey has cut off the water flowing into the Euphrates River, call on the international community to put pressure on Turkey.

Families in Syria’s Deir ez-Zor manufacture mud bricks to sustain food security

Mish’an al-Saleh, resident of Hajin city, 100 km east of Deir ez-Zor, east Syria, found mud bricks as an affordable alternative of cement construction to build his family’s house.

Turkey exploits Euphrates water to displace people

Women and farmers from Deir ez-Zor explained that withholding the Euphrates River is a policy that Turkey exploits to displace and starve the region's population and destabilize the region's security.

Baxoz Water Station being repaired

The Public Services Committee is working to minimise the problems caused by the reduction of the Euphrates river carried out by Turkey. To this end, the Baxoz water station is currently being repaired.

Support will secure job opportunities: factory owners in Syria’s Deir ez-Zor

Abdullah al-Mirkaz, a detergent factory owner in the city of Hajin, in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor, east Syria, cannot afford to buy additional machines or hire more workers, despite their necessity for his growing business.

Baghouz Water Station Comes into Service

The water station repaired by the People's Municipality of Baghouz town in Deir ez-Zor, is expected to be put into service in 25 days.

A Catastrophic Decline in Summer Crops in Mansoura as Turkey Blocks the Flow of the Euphrates

Wheat and other crops that the people of al-Mansoura town, southeast of Tabqa [Tebqa / Al-Thawrah], rely on in their daily survival have declined to less than half as Turkey continues blocking the flow of the Euphrates river, which constitutes a violation of the Convention on the Law of Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses. The Euphrates passes through Turkey, Syria
Tabqa, dam, Rojava, Syria, Kurdistan

Turkey is Using Water as a Weapon of War

Turkey has always shown little understanding of the environment, also from an ecological point of view. It has shown no mercy towards nature and people, destroying the landscape and burying a millennia of history under water. One of the most perverse and ruthless ways of interfering in a country without actually entering it is by cutting

The communes of Sheikh-Maqsoud are an actual implementation of Democratic Nation Theory

The neighborhoods of Sheikh-Maqsoud and Ashrafieh in the Syrian city of Aleppo have been under a suffocating siege for years by the Syrian regime forces, and this siege continues, contrary to all human rights laws, even after the area was exposed to a devastating earthquake, a number of buildings fell, and dozens of civilians were killed and dozens injured, and the psychological suffering of children continues and the elderly.

Hemze Kobanê fell a martyr as a result of attack in Şêxmeqsûd

An attack has been carried out on members of the Autonomous Administration economic committee in Şêxmeqsûd in the north of Aleppo. Hemze Kobanê was killed and three other people were injured.

Rîhan Temo: War policies cause ecological destruction

Pointing out that the war policies of the ruling powers cause ecological destruction, Rîhan Temo, Spokesperson of the Ecology Committee of Kongra Star, said that despite warnings for earthquakes, the Turkish state did not ensure the safety of the people

​​​​​​​Jineolojî’s many activities held in 2022

JINEOLOJI has intensified the pace of its work and activities for the year 2022, when about 10,000 women and men received training, and it held about 457 seminars and lectures on the reality of women and society alike.

Small agricultural project turns into basic source of income for Four families

The agricultural project that started last year in al-Sheikh Maksoud neighborhood achieved positive results in achieving an economic return for the families that adopted it, in a way that helped them expand it to include livestock breeding and launch future plans.

Communal Co-operative Production by Families in Sheikh Maqsoud

Despite the attacks and threats, the people of Rojava and Northern Syria continue to build their communalist social model.

Turkey’s Reduction Of Khabur River Water Threatens Fishery In Syria’s Northeast

Fishermen expressed on Sunday their concern over the increasing level of the pollution in the water of al-Basel Dam, south of Hasakah, northeast Syria, which led to the death of many fish.

The Attempt to Dry Up a Revolution

The Turkish state uses water as a weapon against the population in North and East Syria.

Interview: Sozda Ahmed from Heseke Water Bureau on water cut-offs, impact on Corona prevention

Sozda Ahmed is the co-chair of the Water Bureau for Heseke canton. She was interviewed on 8 April 2020.

Plans to provide water in southern countryside of Hasakah

The Municipality of Al-Arisha, in cooperation with the Water Directorate in Al-Hasakeh, activated a mini drinking water station, and contracted with tanks to transport water from the wells to cover the needs of the people of the region.

Model organization for all women: Kongra Star [parts 9 and 10]

Women in Rojava improve economy Pointing out that the women have improved the economy in Rojava, Armanc Mihemed, executive of the Economy Committee of Kongra Star, said that they have achieved significant successes by realizing many projects.

Rojava Gardens provide fresh produce and a livelihood for people

The Rojava Gardens in Serekaniye’s Eziziye village has become the livelihood of many migrant families with the vegetables and fruits grown.

Olives stolen from Afrin on the world market

Since the occupation of Afrin in March 2018, the Turkish state has established a regime of looting and exploitation. Olive and olive products were the main source of income in the region before the invasion. With the Turkish invasion, Afrin’s olive groves have been plundered and have become a source of funding for militiamen from the Turkish-established mercenary “Syrian National Army” (SNA). The SNA militias loot the region’s olive production and bring it to the world market via Turkey.

Blessings of spring makes women of Shahba happy

The displaced women of Afrin and the women of Shahba, who are engaged in agriculture and husbandry, say that the blessings of spring this year ease their suffering under siege.

Agricultural cooperatives develop with women in North-East Syria

The Economic Committee of the North-East Syria manages 45 thousand acres of agricultural land through cooperatives which provide income for about a thousand women.

Agricultural projects of Kongra Star aim to empower women

The Economy Committee of the Kongra Star has launched a new agricultural project to support displaced women.

“Jiyan Restaurant” provides job opportunities for women

Women are employed in Jiyan Restaurant, which was opened by the project of the Women's Committee in Shehba. Women working in Jiyan Restaurant, where mainly local dishes are served, are happy to achieve their economic freedom.

Vegetable Market Run by Afrin Women Opens in Shehba

The vegetable market will be opened after the Eid al-Adha, from 7 am to 7 pm and 60 women will work in it.

Project for Women Refugees from Afrin Kicks off in Shehba

Project mangers said that their work will be expanded to produce yogurt, pepper and tomato paste and added that products will be sold and profit shared among women.

​Commune’s Work Provides Streets of Al Ahdath Area with Electricity

A number of communes in the Al Ahdath area of Al Shahba canton, in a co-operative work, installed light bulbs in the streets.

How North and East Syria’s Co-operatives and Autonomous Structures Handle a Pandemic

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,

AANES to establish new water station in Syria’s Deir ez-Zor

An official of Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) said that they are working on a station which will feed 1,000 homes in the villages of Hariza and Barshim, eastern Deir ez-Zor, eastern Syria.

Humanitarian disaster looms in Hesekê and Deir ez-Zor

There is an extreme water shortage in northern and eastern Syria. The water level in the Hesekê dam has dropped massively. A humanitarian catastrophe is looming in the greater regions of Hesekê and Deir ez-Zor.

Turkish water policy in Syria and Iraq

In light of the conditions that Syria is currently facing, water has been cut off from North-east Syria and Iraq, and a policy is being pursued to starve and dehydrate millions of innocent civilians. This is not only happening on top of the current political conflicts in the region and its associated inhospitable living conditions but amidst the corona pandemic – all of which is taking place in front of the international community.

Al-Basira council managed to provide basic needs of residents of town

The People's Council continues to provide basic services to the people of the town and its villages. In a short period of time, the council was able to take a positive step towards the reconstruction of the town and to provide drinking water and irrigation to the town and its villages.

Foam factory covers demand, produces new products in Syria’s Derik

A factory in Derik countryside, northeast Syria, has been producing rebound foam for more than two years, and is the first of its kind in the Syrian Jazira region.

New Co-operatives in Rojava to Consolidate the Participatory Economy

The House of Co-operatives in Girkê Legê district seeks to establish more co-operative societies in order to promote the principle of the participatory economy and to consolidate social ties among all groups of society.

Co-operatives in Til Hemis provide employment and contribute to social economy

Co-operatives opened in Til Hemis provide employment for citizens and contribute to the social economy.

First cheese and dairy factory opened in Syria’s Derik

On Sunday, the Economic and Agriculture Board of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) opened the first cheese and dairy factory in the city of Derik, far northeast Syria.

Building Peace

Thanks to the primarily-Kurdish female fighters in the YPJ militia, many people now know that a women’s revolution is underway in North and East Syria (NES), the autonomous region more commonly known as Rojava. Women are organizing autonomously in civil society, and participating as co-chairs with guaranteed 50% representation from the highest levels of the new

Are the fires a war against Rojava’s economy?

ISIS was defeated in the military arena, but now the Northern and Eastern Syrian Federation is fighting against fires. With the start of the harvest season, suspicious fires have destroyed decares of cultivated lands.

The Rojava Union of Co-operatives Holds Special Meeting for Women in Tell Hemis

The Committee of the Union of Co-operatives in the region of Tell Hamis in Qamishlo held a special meeting for women in the village of Nayem to discuss women’s rights in the co-operatives societies and to encourage them.

Civil campaign in Syria’s Raqqa aim at reintegrating ISIS women into society

In mid-summer 2021, local, social and civil committees were formed under the name of “Dispute Solving Committees”. It was made up largely of tribal leaders and activists of civil society organizations in Tabqa, Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor. Last February, those committees initiated a campaign under the name “Among your Relatives” to re-integrate ISIS-related families returning from Hawl Camp into society based on tribal sponsorships.

Girê Spi Canton Assembly Economic Committee implements project to support refugees

Girê Spi Canton Assembly Economic Committee implemented a communal project to support the refugees in Girê Spi Camp.

The growing struggle of women in Rojava

Rojava women's struggle began with Yekîtiya Star and moved to a new stage on 26 February 2016 under the name of Kongra Star. 52 women's organizations have been getting organised more efficiently under the umbrella of the Women's Assembly of North-East Syria.

Women’s Council plans to open 10 “Houses of Life” in 2023

The Women's Council in the Euphrates Region has carried out many projects for women and children since its foundation. The council plans to open 10 “Houses of Life” in 2023.

Tişrîn Dam back in operation

Tişrîn Dam started to work again on Wednesday after being stopped for a week. According to the new work program, there will be a reduction in the hours of electricity supplied to the region.

Tishrin dam halted service due to hitting dead level – Administrator

An administrator at the Tishrin Dam, on the Euphrates River in northern Syria, said on Wednesday that the dam was put out of commission after its reservoir hit dead level, which is caused by severe shortage of water flow from Turkey.

Zenûbiya Women’s Community focuses on education

The main aim of the Zenûbiya Women's Community is to provide education for the whole society, particularly for women. It holds education courses based on women's liberation and the democratic nation project.

The education system in North East Syria

With the Rojava revolution a new education system was established in North East Syria. Today, there are not only Arabic schools in the region, but also Kurdish and Aramaic ones. Could you tell us what the school system is like? How successful is the education system and with what difficulties do you have to deal with?

An Overview of AANES Women’s Institutions in Manbij

The case of Manbij, liberated from ISIS by the SDF in August 2016, shows how women in a multi-ethnic Syrian city used AANES [the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria] frameworks to build institutions, take on leadership roles, and organize in their communities to change discriminatory attitudes.

Manbij Women Develop Their Own Economy

With a view to empowering women and developing themselves economically, the Women's Committee opened the Women's Economy Center in Manbij city and its rural areas on 20 November, 2017 as a starting point for launching plans to activate the role of women in the economic sphere, and confirm of [their] basic role and [their] achievements in work at all levels.

Beit Al-Barakah Co-operative Prepared Winter Supplies in Two Months

The ten workers in Al Barakah Co-operative are about to finish making the winter supplies, such as dried vegetables, pickles, pumpkin jam and olives. The Women’s Council announced the formation of this co-operative, in co-ordination with the Committee of Economy and Municipalities. The co-operative is called Beit Al Barakah [House of Delight], and it aims to get women

The First Women’s Co-op in Manbij: The House of Delight

The Women’s Committee in Manbij formed a co-operative for women on 6 September in co-ordination with the Economic Committee. It included a number of women who will make winter foods and distribute them to the markets. The co-operative includes 10 workers who joined as members by buying 16 shares.

An Important Project Develops Women’s Economy

The Women's Committee of the Civil Democratic Administration in Manbij started working in the sewing workshop which was named on behalf of the Martyr Sakina Asalieh.

The Role of Co-operative Societies in Developing Rojava’s Economy

The Economic Committee in Manbij has opened many co-operatives to improve the economy and curb monopoly.

A Meeting with the Veterinary Pharmacy Co-operative Distributes Dividends

The Administration of Co-operative Societies related to to the Economic Committee in Manbij held a meeting with members of the Agricultural and Veterinarian Pharmacy Co-operative at the Centre of Economics to distribute the co-op's dividends.

Mualda Co-operative to Provide Electricity to 200 Houses in Village of Manbij

The people of Fars al-Ghanam village in the countryside of eastern Manbij have formed a co-operative society to run an electric generator in co-ordination with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Economic Committee in Manbij.

The Consumer Co-op of Manbij

The House of Co-operatives has coordinated with the Economic Assembly has to hold a meeting with the share holders in the Manbij Consumer Co-operative.

Women’s cooperatives overcome water wars and climate drought in Rojava

Ever since devastating twin earthquakes hit Turkey and Syria on the night of 5-6 February killing over 50,000 people and displacing millions, the world’s attention has once again returned to the Turkey-Syria border. A catastrophe for all affected, it has been intensified for Kurds in Turkey and the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria

Building the Women’s Revolution: Women’s Communes in Efrîn Canton

Before the Turkish occupation, Efrîn was a center of the ‘women’s revolution’ that North and East Syria has become famous for. Women’s institutions based on direct democracy and aimed at addressing gender inequality and other social challenges were active, and laws and policies mandating political equality had been put into practice. Efrîn Canton saw minimal

Explainer: Afrin, 5 years under Turkish occupation

For the fifth anniversary of the Turkish invasion, in this explainer we want to focus on four aspects of the current situation of the Afrin region: SNA crimes, administration and living conditions, forced demographic change, and new role of HTS (Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, the dominant militant group in Idlib).

The Afrin Resistance

This report by the Information Centre of Afrin Resistance was first published on 25 January, 2018. Sadly, Afrin is now completely under the control of Turkey and its Jihadist allies. We are publishing it now because we believe it is important to maintain an awareness of the situation of Afrin and its history.

The First Women’s Agricultural Coop in Cindirêsê

The first women's agricultural cooperative society has been formed in the area of Cindirêsê in Afrîn, with the participation of twelve members from Kongreya Star, the communes and civil society in the area. 

Inanna Agricultural Co-operative Harvests Onions and Garlic

After two months of hard work, Inanna Agricultural Co-operative, which is supervised by Kongreya Star in Afrin has started harvesting the crops of green onions and garlic, and selling them in the markets of the region.

Inanna Co-operative Starts Planting Wheat

Inanna Agricultural Co-operative began its first agricultural project in the area of Rajo in Afrin by planting wheat, onion and garlic.

Afrin IDP women take up sewing for living in Syria’s Aleppo

Karim and other women work in a sewing workshop in Sardam Camp, which shelters IDPs of Afrin, in Aleppo northern countryside. The women all share the same goal to challenge the hardships of displacement and provide for their families.

Model organization for all women: Kongra Star [Parts 3 and 4]

Rihan Loqo: Kongra Star organizes everywhere Riham Loqo, a coordination member of the Kongra Star in Rojava, states that the works of Kongra Star spread everywhere, “We will continue to work in line with the Democratic Nation Paradigm.”

Universities sow seeds of new life in NE Syria

There are four universities in NE Syria, first was founded in Afrin. These universities have many faculties such as Kurdish Literature, Economics, Engineering and Jineology. The new departments are opened in the universities according to the demands of the students. The universities are ready to welcome students for the academic year 2021-2022

Revolutionary Education

Over the past thirty years, instructor Dorşîn Akîf told us, women participated in the Kurdish freedom movement, first as fighters, then in women’s institutions. Three years ago Kurdish women produced Jineolojî, or “women’s science,” which they regard as the culmination of that decades-long experience. At the academy in Rimelan, students are first given a general overview of Jineolojî, “the kind of knowledge that was stolen from women” and that women today can recover. “We are trying to overcome women’s nonexistence in history. We try to understand how concepts are produced and reproduced within existing social relations, then we come up with our own understanding. We want to establish a true interpretation of history by looking at the role of women and making women visible in history.”

Greenhouse projects contribute to local economy in North-East Syria

The greenhouse project initiated in Rimêlan provides vegetables for nearly 450 thousand citizens. About 100 people are employed in greenhouse projects.

Binefsh Water Plant: A Pioneering Step Toward Enhancing Participatory Economics

Binefsh Water Filtering and Bottling Plant Co-operative is another step toward enhancing participatory work, achieving self sufficiency, supporting people with limited income, and creating jobs.

Impressions of Rojava: a report from the revolution

In early December an international delegation visited Rojava’s Cezire [Jazira] canton where they learned about the ongoing revolution, cooperation and tolerance.

Women are supported through new projects in North-East Syria

The Syria Free Women Foundation is preparing to introduce new projects to support women and children in 2023.

Economic projects for women in Deir ez-Zor continue to flourish

The bakery produces 4 tons of bread daily and tries to meet the needs of the people with overtime in case of higher demand.

Deir ez-Zor Women Strengthen their Economy through co-operatives

The women of Deir ez-Zor have started to take on a leading role in all areas after the region was liberated and are now strengthening their economies through the cooperatives they build.

Farmers in Al-Jarniyah Face Disaster if Turkey Continues Hogging Euphrates Water

Farmers in Al-Jarniyah have had to stop harvesting summer crops as a result of Turkey cutting the flow of the Euphrates river. The farmers rely on the flow of the Euphrates to irrigate their crops. About 70% of the people in Al-Jarniyah and its countryside use farming as a primary source of income, but a disastrous
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The ‘Future Society for Tailoring’ Co-operative in Tabqa

The House of Co-operatives in the Democratic Self-administration in Tabqa in co-ordination with the city council has inaugurated the first co-operative society in Tabqa, Almustaqbal - the Future Society for Tailoring Co-operative. The new co-operative will create jobs and motivate people to form co-ops.

The House of Co-operatives in Tabqa Opens More Women’s Economy Projects

The House of Co-operatives that belongs to the Economic Committee in the Democratic Administration of Tabqa is working to improve the communal economy, which benefits all members of society, especially women. The communal economy solves social problems such as unemployment, and empowers women.

Women in Tabqa Reinforce their Economic Independence

The Women’s Council in Tabqa organised a meeting with the women who are registered to work in new projects. These projects will be supervised by the Women’s Council there, and will raise awareness about the role of women in society and the importance of these kinds of projects to create more jobs for women, and

Raqqa Zenûbiya Women’s Community Office launches campaign to plant 4,500 saplings

The Economic Committee of the Raqqa Zenûbiya Women's Community Office launched a campaign to plant 4,500 saplings.

The Raqqa Women’s Committee Provides Women with Employment Opportunities

Early 2019, the Raqqa Women’s Committee put forward plans and projects for the future. In two years, these have been realized. The Committee has thus provided jobs for nearly 5,000 women in Raqqa and its surrounding villages. At the start of this year, the Women’s Committee implemented several plans that were previously approved. In this

Women’s gains in North and East Syria in 2021 testify to their successes

During the year 2021, women in north and east Syria made many achievements at various levels: Diplomatic, political, economic and organizational, and women's organizations intensified the pace of their activities aimed at reaching the largest possible segment of women in the world to support them to achieve their rights and freedom.

Raqqa Municipality Factory Run by Women

Naya Detergent Factory was opened by Raqqa Municipality Women’s Bureau four months ago. Only women have worked in the factory. 40 percent of the factory's income will be used for new projects promoting women's employment.

Women in Girê Spî Camp Develop Communal Projects

As part of the project women grow different vegetables and sell the tomato paste and pickles they prepare.

Explainer: Co-operatives in North and East Syria – developing a new economy

Currently, North and East Syria (NES) faces enormous economic difficulties: rampant inflation, a partial embargo, war and the draining of resources by occupying Turkish forces in Sere Kaniye, Tel Abyad and Afrin. In this crisis context, NES is developing an economic model which aims at self-sufficiency and sustainability. The economic program of the Autonomous Administration

Women establish food co-operative in Raqqa

A group of women founded the al-Fardos Co-operative to care for the needy in Raqqa. The co-operative is open especially at mealtimes and gives the needy the opportunity to eat for free. The women have been working on the project in the neighborhood of al-Fardo in the war-torn city for five months.

2022 Marked By World Openness To AANES

2022 was full of events in northeast Syria in military, political, and economic terms.

Farmers In Syria’s Hasakah Rejoice At Rainfall, Fear Turkish Shelling

Farmers in the countryside of Hasakah, northeastern Syria, were delighted by recent rainfall after two years of drought that had affected the region.

Refugees in Girê Spî Camp Set Up Vegetable Co-operative

60 decares of land was allocated to the newly established co-operative.

Drinking water project to be completed in Syria’s Hasakah countryside

The Hasakah Water Directorate of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) held a meeting with Shaddadi Civil Council, south of Hasakah, to discuss the project of rehabilitating Shaddadi water station in order to cover the residents’ water needs.

The Success of the Women’s Bakery Project in Şeddadê, North East Syria

Şeddadê District Women’s Economy Committee provides employment opportunities for women with economic difficulties, unemployed or trapped in the home, in the Al-Hasakah (Hesekê) canton of North East Syria. Developing new projects to integrate women into economical life, the committee also continues to support ongoing projects of women. The committee previously founded a bakery in the

Bread Crisis in Syria’s Shaddadi Due to Insufficient Flour Distribution

Fahed Khedair, an official in Shaddadi City Council’s Economic Committee, said on Sunday that they had obtained approval to increase the quantities of flour in bakeries in order to solve a bread shortage.

The Village of Attala Opens Erisa Bakery Co-operative

Considering the shortage of bread around the villages of Sheddadi, the Committee of Co-operative Societies in Hasakah has opened Erisa Bakery Co-operative in the village of Attala, 10 kilometres north of Sheddadi.

Important Projects by the Sheddadi House of Co-operatives

The House of Co-operatives in Sheddadi has been working on many projects that aim to improve the economy in and around the city.

Women in NE Syria come together to develop new projects

The Women's Committee of Til Temir Council held a meeting with the participation of women co-chairs of towns and rural areas to develop new projects in order to minimize the effects of the economic crisis in the region.

Sheep Raising Becomes Means of Money Saving in Syria’s Til Kocher

Sheep raising experienced recently a significant turnout in the countryside of Til Kocher eastern Syria’s city of Hasakah due to higher margin rates and Syrian currency collapse. People of the countryside of Til Kocher, which is located to the east of the city of Hasakah on the borders with Iraq, tend to raise sheep as

More farmers in Rojava switch to solar energy as an alternative to diesel generators

Despite war and constant attacks, the ecological development of Rojava continues to make progress. More and more agricultural workers are converting their irrigation systems from diesel to solar energy.

Young women empower despite attacks

In Tell Tamer, young women keep working to empower women economically despite the ongoing Turkish attacks. The women attending the Martyr Berfin sewing course started by the Young Women’s Movement received their certificates after completing the course.

Fact Sheet: Til Temir – A District Under Constant Attack

In the last 2 weeks, the villages of Til Temir and Zirgan have been bombed with at least 524 heavy artillery shells. However, already for almost three years the region is facing constant shelling and the destruction of civilian homes, schools, and municipalities, with the aim of scaring people and make them leave the area.

Women’s Toil Eases Burdens of Economic Crisis

Despite the simple capabilities under the capitalist economy, and the constant attacks of the occupier on the regions of northeast and Syria, the economic toil of women has bore fruit to good results during 2020, as they played a leading role in easing the economic crisis that the region suffer from.

Women’s economy projects grow in Rojava

Despite the embargo and attacks, grassroots democratic women's structures in Rojava continue to work on building a self-managed women's economy. This is intended to ensure self-sufficiency and empower women.

Women Strengthen Economy

Kongra Star Economy Committee Administrator Armanc Muhamed spoke to Jinha Women's News Agency about the economic projects led by women after the Revolution in Rojava.

Through the Rojava Revolution, women have created an economic revolution

Armanc Mohammed, head of the Women’s Economy of North and East Syria, evaluated their work during the past year and discussed the projects that had been implemented and the economic level that women had reached in North and East Syria. Armanc said that women had begun a revolution in the economic field and given color to the year 2020 with their efforts.

Eyewitnesses to the Rojava revolution: women empowerment

The Rojava revolution is under attack. Debbie Bookchin and Emre Şahin share their thoughts on this unique revolutionary process after recently visiting the region.

Lavin Sewing Workshop Co-op in Rojava Provides 500 Medical Scrubs Daily for Free

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.

The Bakery Co-operative in Girkê Legê

The House of Co-operatives has initiated a project of building a bakery in Girkê Legê to satisfy people's need for bread.

Families of Martyrs Bakery Co-operative to Secure People’s Need for Bread

The bakery project will be finished in a few months, and once it’s ready it will be supervised by a co-operative society that includes families of martyrs.

The Advance of Women’s Economic Projects and Co-operatives in Rojava’s Cizire Canton in 2016

The year 2016 was characterised by the advance of economic projects that aimed to improve the communal economy in Rojava, especially the projects that were connected to women.

The Opening of a Duck Co-operative

Eleven people participated in the co-operative. The price for a share is 60,000 SYP.

“Women improve the soil fertility with their labor”

Growing corn with her labor, İlhan Ebd-El Semed said, “I want every woman to be involved in agriculture because women improve the soil fertility with their labor and production.”

6 women’s cooperatives in Tirbê Spî aim to empower women

Six women’s cooperatives, agriculture and bakery cooperatives, have been started in Tirbê Spî, town of Qamishlo. 46 women make a living at these cooperatives.

Common life in Hasûd village: Commune Village Project

A project named “Commune Village Project” has been put into practice in the Hasûd village of Tirbespiyê, a city in the Qamishlo Canton for the villagers to earn a living from what they produce.

Women Growing Vegetables in Tirbespiyê for Two Years

After the success of the winter vegetable growing project in its first year, the Women's Economy Co-operative, which aims to support the social economy and spread the idea of working together, grows vegetables this year as well.

Agricultural cooperative in Tirbespiyê

Five years ago, four women founded an agricultural cooperative in Tirbespiyê. Today, forty women work there and the cooperative covers a large part of the demand for vegetables in the Northern Syrian region.
women, Rojava, economy, Syria, co-operative

Women Manage Projects in Rojava

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.

Women’s Co-operatives Promote Collective Work

The women's cooperatives in Tirbespiyê in Northern Syria are working on building alternatives despite the permanent threat of war and have meanwhile become examples of collective forms of work.

Rojava Women’s Co-operative DemSal

The cooperative Demsal is a project of the women's economy committee of the women's movement Kongra Star. The cooperative has been active since 2015 and the agricultural process is constantly being expanded to give women the opportunity to take their lives into their own hands.

Autonomous women’s economy built in Rojava

A model of women's economy is under construction in Rojava and northern and eastern Syria. Half of the agricultural land is now farmed by women's cooperatives.

Demsal Project becomes hope for women

The “Demsal Project” is the most concrete form of women's labor in agriculture. In the beginning, four women worked on the project but now the number of women working on the project is 70.

Women are leading- The result of decades of heroic resistance and struggle by women’s movements

In this text, Women Defend Rojava shows the latest developments in North- and East Syria.

Al-Raed Co-operative for Guest Lounges

Al-Raed Co-operative in Tirbespiye is specialised in making guest lounges with harmonious designs and colours. It was formed a year ago, and it has five members, each of whom paid 700,000 SYP [around £1,080]. The Centre for Co-operative Societies has donated 1,5000,000 SYP for the project.

Rojava Wheat Spikes Women’s Co-operative Starts Work

After the economic success of agricultural co-operatives in the last few years, 20 women from Tirbespiye formed a co-operative called Rojava Wheat Spikes Agricultural Co-operative. The Economic Committee was so impressed they decided to give full support to the emerging co-operative. The co-op will cultivate 1,330 dunam (decares) of agricultural land. The women have already started cultivating wheat on 800 dunams.

Co-operatives, Experiments and More Participation of Women

Co-operative societies in Tirbespiye have been giving economic support for many families, and contributing in developing the communal economy. Women have played the largest role in establishing and developing these co-operatives.

Against the Odds, a Stable Economy in Syria

Faced with a war economy and massive historical obstacles, it is remarkable that the AANES has been able to create one of the most stable and self-sufficient economies in the country.
Rojava, coops, co-operatives, co-ops, cooperatives, solidarity economy, Syria, Kurdistan

Solidarity Economy and Co-operatives in Rojava

The economic sector has been reorganised anew in a more democratic way. For each canton an “assembly on economy” has been developed which consists of five sub-sectors: Industry, Trade, Agriculture, Co-operatives and Women's Economy.
Rojava, Syria, Kurdistan, communes, cooperatives, coops

Co-operatives and Communes: the third way of Rojava in the Syrian conflict

A journey into the heart of the revolution and the strategies of transition towards a social economy: the multiplication of communes and cooperatives, and experimentation with new models of social, political and economic organisation.
Syria, Rojava, Kurdistan, Kobanê, Kobanî, Kobani, Kobane, cooperative, women, coop, coops, Amarge

Women’s Co-operatives: a glimpse into Rojava’s economic model

In Rojava, the significance of the co-operative system lies in efforts to democratise all sectors of society, including the economy. For this reason, creating alternative means and avenues that allow traditionally marginalised groups such as women to actively participate and engage with the market is an essential aspect of the radical democratic model.

New projects developed in Cizîre Region against drought

Leyla Saruxan, co-chair of Hasakah's Economy Committee for the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, talks about how drought and war seriously affect agriculture, “We will overcome this crisis by developing new projects.”

Arî Clinic uses herbs to treat diseases

Women working at the Arî Clinic, opened in Hasakah Canton three years ago, use herbs and plants as medicines in the treatment of various diseases.

The defense of the revolution leads through ecological justice

The Rojava Revolution is based on the theory of Democratic Confederalism according to Abdullah Öcalan. Democratic Confederalism, in turn, is an ecological paradigm by its very nature. What does this mean concretely in Rojava?

Agricultural Projects for Displaced Women from Serêkaniyê

Kongreya Star Women's Economy Committee has developed agricultural projects for the immigrant women from Serêkaniyê on 5,800 decares of agricultural land.

Centre for Co-operative Societies Starts Cultivation Process in Hasakah

After dissolving the agricultural committees, the Centre for Co-operative Societies has started to cultivate barley in the agricultural lands in the Easter Dam. The co-operative has 340 participants, and the size of the land is 10,366 dunams [decares].

Important Projects for Women’s Economy

The Women’s Committee under the Hesekê Economy Directorate has developed several projects to develop women’s economy in the region.

Women’s Economy Strengthened through Co-operatives in Cizire

Women's movement Kongreya Star is a motor for the development of women's cooperation and the economic independence of women in North and East Syria.

Jinwar Women’s village newsletter February 2023

But also during the intensified war and the earthquake disaster, the daily life continues and the preparation for planting new vegetables and crops have been completed. Besides other things, beans, wheat and barley have already been planted and the women continue to bake their own delicious bread.

Women build common life in Jinwar

Speaking about the Internation Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the women living in the village of Jinwar, an all-women village, said that women must struggle against all forms of violence.

“We don’t face male violence here,” says Zeynep Siri, who lives in Jinwar village

Zeynep Siri, one of the women who took shelter in the in Jinwar village due to the pressure and violence they faced, who has been living in the village for four years. “I have been realizing my dreams in the village. Women should stand against the slavery to free themselves. They should defend their rights,” she said.

Life goes on in Jinwar despite the war

War is raging in the autonomous region of northern and eastern Syria, and Turkish bombs have also hit near Jinwar. Nevertheless, life goes on in the women's village.

Jinwar, the centre of communal life

Rûken Rojda, a member of the Jineology Academy, said that the communal system is implemented in the village of Jinwar, the women’s village.
Kurdistan, Rojava, Syria, Cizire, co-operatives, cooperatives, co-operative, cooperative, co-op, co-ops, solidarity, solidarity economy, workers co-op, workers co-operative, workers cooperative, cooperative economy

More than 5,000 People Participate in Derbesiye Co-operatives

Akri Ibrahim – Ahmad Darwish The Economic Council of Dirbêsiyê‎ [Derbesiye / Al-Darbasiyah] succeeded in making several socio-economic achievements in less than one year. The Economic Council of Derbesiye that was formed more than a year ago has managed to develop community economics in the region, and has made six economic achievements to date. 5,161 citizens participate in co-operatives. The Economic

Kasrek Co-operative Begins Harvest

Dirbêsiyê ─ With the start of June, agricultural and livestock co-operative Kasrek [Qesrik], the largest co-operative society of Jazira Canton [Kantona Cizîrê‎ / Cezîre], began harvesting their rain-fed and irrigated crops. They will distribute the profits among 5,300 members. Kasrek Co-operative, a project of The Centre for Economy in Derbesiye‎ [Dirbêsiyê / Al-Darbasiyah], is considered the largest co-op in Jazira

Kasrek: a Rojava Co-operative with 4,000 Members

In Kasrek [Qesrik] village of Dirbêsiyê‎ [Derbesiye / Al-Darbasiyah], a co-operative society with 4,000 members started working on its economic, agricultural and livestock projects that will boost the community economy in the region. After a series of meetings of the people in the region, organised by the Economic Council in the Dirbêsiyê area, a new co-operative was formed

Syria’s AANES to build new water pipeline to Hasakah

The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) plans to build a new pipeline to deliver drinking water to the city of Hasakah in northeastern Syria.

How Turkey’s Anti-Kurdish Crackdowns Threaten Women Across the Middle East

This article analyzes women’s political representation in Kurdish-majority regions of Turkey before and after the 2019 crackdown on elected mayors from the People’s Democratic Party (HDP), as well as women’s political representation in the Syrian region of Serekaniye (Ras al-Ain) before and after Turkey’s Operation Peace Spring.

They Contributed to their Communities by Forming a Co-operative

Eleven women have successfully formed a co-operative society by buying a power generator. These women were previously stripped from their natural right to work and were distanced from contributing to the communal economy, but thanks to the Rojava Revolution they have reinforced the women's economy and reinstated a role for women in their society.

Improving Rojava’s Economy: forming co-operatives in Serekaniye

“The co-operative societies in Serekaniye are based on social, co-operative and communal principles. They are not established only to make profits, and for that reason the administrators of the co-operative societies form meetings and seminars with the participants in the villages and cities, in order to raise awareness and introduce the ideas of co-operatives to the people. It is important to rely on small businesses and encourage participation in co-ops. The organisers in those meetings and seminars also get a chance to listen to the complaints and the needs of the people.”

Co-operatives Play a Major Role in Northern Syria

After the Democratic Autonomous Administration was able to establish a democratic way of life in Northern Syria, they introduced the socio-economic model of co-operative societies. As the revolution has developed, people have begun to form co-operatives. Hundreds of co-operatives are now operating in the area. One of the areas where many co-operatives have spread is in Serêkaniyê city, where residents began forming co-operatives in 2014.

Kongra Star supports women victims of war by developing projects

The Economy Committee of Kongra Star has developed a “poultry farming project” to support Arab women’s economic empowerment. The committee plans to develop more projects for women.

Market to Secure Jobs for Women Brings Prices Down

The Women's Economy Committee in Amuda district opened a market for vegetables and foodstuffs to break the price and monopoly.

Successful Projects Help Women’s Economy

On 17 August 2018, the Kongreya Star Economy Committee opened the Lara cake shop in the neighborhood Enteriyê, east of Qamishlo, to promote women's economy.

Qamishlo Women’s Economy Committee plants 3,800 fruit trees in Derik

Within the scope of the 'Jiyan' project promoted by the Qamishlo Women's Economy Committee, 3,800 fruit trees were planted in Derik.

‘Women are more successful than men in North and East Syria’

North and East Syrian Dêrik People’s Municipality Co-mayor Bêrivan Hisên says the number of women working for the municipality has increased since the revolution in Rojava, adding, “Women municipal workers are more successful than men.

Women plant 4,000 trees in Mele Merzê village

Economy Committee of Kongra Star in the Cizîrê region planted 4,000 trees in the Mele Merzê village of Dêrik as part of the “Jiyan” project.

The economic reality and the social economy in NES

The economy of the autonomous Administration takes social economy as its main pillar, in which everyone participates to establish a local economy that seeks to reach self-sufficiency.

MRGA are greening up a school in Rojava!

Together with the children of Dêrîk Make Rojava Green Again are greening up the schoolyard of the elementary school “Mesrûd Mirad”.

Sunflower Harvest with Make Rojava Green Again, August 2022

A picture blog about the sunflower harvest by Make Rojava Green Again.

A call to the Climate Movement from the Make Rojava Green Again Campaign

We call up on you to defend Rojava! We call you to raise your voices and actions, to organize and to connect with each other. We call up on you to support us in solidarity and spread the word. Let’s build an international front fighting for climate-justice! Rojava can be a role model for humanity to save mother earth. Let’s stand up for it together!

Ecology in Times of War

In 2021, too, the war in Kurdistan has a great impact on the struggle for an ecological society there. So we need to take a closer look at how these two issues relate to each other and what an ecological stance can look like in times of war. To that end, Make Rojava Green Again conducted an interview with Kamuran Akın from Humboldt University in Berlin.

The Ecology of War

The ideology of the Kurdish liberation movement contemplates ecologism as one of its fundamental pillars. Even so, owing to nine years of war, barriers remain to its implementation.

Sarhad Farm: a New Livestock Co-op in Derik

Sarhad Farm is the second biggest livestock-breeding project in Derik. The project is expected to be launched within one month, and it will be owned by a co-operative society with 400 members.

Axa Welat Co-operative Starts Cultivation Process

The House of Co-operatives in Derik has started cultivating the 1,550 dunams (decares) of agricultural land that belongs to Axa Welat Co-operative in the village of Haji Matri, one of the villages around Derik in the Qamishlo canton.

Pêşketin Co-op, a Model of Co-operative and Participatory Work

Pêşketin Co-operative Society is one of the co-operatives that has taken an important position in the region of Derik. It is divided into two parts, livestock and agriculture. The co-operative has accomplished partial self-sufficiency since its inception, and it has a participatory nature.
Dêrik, women, cooperative, coops, Cizîrê, Cizire, Rojava, Syria, feminism, jineology, Syria, Kurdistan, workers co-op, workers co-operative, workers cooperative, cooperative economy, agriculture

Women of Kojerat form a Co-operative

The co-operative started with the participation of 50 women who work the land, cultivating, planting and overseeing the growth of the crops.
Dêrik, women, bakery, cooperative, coops, Cizîrê, Cizire, Rojava, Syria, feminism, jineology, Syria, Kurdistan, workers co-op, workers co-operative, workers cooperative, cooperative economy

Adar, the First Bakery in Rojava Run by Women

Adar Bakery is the first bakery to be founded and run by women in Rojava. With the support of the TEV-DEM Women’s Economic Committee, six women were organised in a cooperative and began production in April 2016, communally making the bread and sharing the revenue.

Profits of Rojava Women’s Agricultural Co-operative Surpass 30 Million SYP

The Women’s Agricultural Co-operative was established in 2015 by Kongreya Star and the Committee of Women’s Economy. It includes 135 members from Derik and the villages of Braaf and Kojerat, who each participated with 65,000 SYP, and planted on 380 dunams of land.

Women of Kobanê: The Turkish state uses water as a weapon

“The Turkish state uses water as a weapon,” said women of Kobanê calling on the international community to stop the violation committed by the Turkish state, which has reduced the water of the Euphrates River.

Orphanage “Keskesora Alan” in Kobanê named after internationalist Lorenzo Orsetti

The orphanage "Keskesora Alan" in Kobanê is a project implemented by the women's foundation WJAS. The medical centre has now been expanded - and named after internationalist Lorenzo Orsetti.

18 villages west of Kobanê face thirst as earthquake damaged water treatment plant

18 villages to the west of Kobanê faced thirst because their groundwater became unusable after the severe earthquake in North Kurdistan.

Economic Autonomy Ensured in Kobanê through Young Peoples’ Co-operatives

Young people in Kobanê are ensuring the economic autonomy of their community through cooperatives being grown to feed needy people.

Kurdish-led Authorities Establish Foodstuff Factory in Syria’s Kobani after Ba’ath Regime’s Decades-long Ban

The Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration in northeast Syria announced on Thursday the inauguration of the first foodstuff factory in the country’s northern town of Kobani.

“Women’s Will” provides job opportunities for women

A project called “Women’s Will (Vîna Jinan)” carried out in Kobanî provides job opportunities for women, who couldn’t go to school. Kobanî Women's Committee Spokesperson Cemila Faris spoke to NuJINHA about their project.

“Vina Jin” is a New Economic Project to Empower Women of Kobani

House of Supplies or "Vina Jin" is considered one of the most important economic projects that help women - working in the project in particular, and women employed in the city of Kobani, in northern Syria in general - to enable them economically.

Rebuilding Kobanê

It's been one year since the US bombing of Kobanê—then partly occupied by Daesh [ISIS/IS]—and most of the buildings are still in tatters. Kobanê is in Rojava (meaning 'West' in Kurdish), a Kurdish majority region in the north of Syria that declared autonomy from the Assad regime in 2012.

Women of NE Syria maintain cultural heritage through handicrafts

Women in Qamishlo maintain their cultural heritage through handicrafts and ornaments.

New projects developed for women in Qamishlo

New projects allow women to participate in life stronger in Qamishlo. Lilith café and restaurant is one of these projects. The café, run by women, was opened two months ago in the city.

Women at the heart of democratic experimentation in Rojava

The women’s market in Rojava aims to develop women’s economic autonomy, enabling them to forge social ties and giving them confidence. This souk project is being set up by women in the heart of a region, Syrian Kurdistan in northeastern Syria, where unprecedented political experimentation has been taking place for ten years. Municipalism, or democratic confederalism,

Women Work and Socialize at All-Women’s Market

The Women's Products Market opened by the Qamishlo Municipality is both a workplace and a space for women to socialize. Women working in the market read books written by female authors while drinking coffee or tea. Now, women have 14 stores in the market and they earn a living by selling their products.

Women’s economy getting stronger with co-operatives

3 women raising sheep in the co-operative they founded in the Tenuriye town in Qamishlo are strengthening women’s economy.

Cattle-breeding Co-operative in Mizgafta

Sewal Darî is a cattle-raising co-operative in Mizgafta. This co-op started in February, 2016 with a herd of 96 lambs. After breeding this grew to more than 179 heads. In order to keep the herd in good health, a special vet has been appointed to look after them.

Newroz Bakery Co-operative

The bakery has been working well every day, and the bread is being distributed to everyone in the area. The bakery has made 5 million SYP in 6 months. The families of martyrs have received 3 million, and the rest have been used to buy more necessities for making bread such as new machinery and flour.

A Project to Reinforce Communal Spirit Among Women

The Economic Committee of Kongreya Star has opened a grocery shop for three women.

Rojava’s Electric Generator Co-ops

One of the power generator co-operatives in Qamishlo is Jiyan Co-operative. The generator started work a year and two months ago [September 2017]. It has more than 150 members, and the price for a share is 25,000 SYP [around £40]. The project cost 7,400,000 SYP [around £11,500]. The House of Co-operatives donated a fair amount of the cost. The generator needed other equipment in order to operate, including a tablet which cost 400,000 SYP [£620], a battery that cost 100,000 SYP [£155], some cables and other items.

Women in Qamishlo Open Yekbûn Co-operative

A food manufacturing co-operative society called Yekbûn has been opened by some women in the Hilaliyah neighbourhood in Qamishlo. Yekbûn means "to be one".

150 Families form Ronak Electric Co-operative

The two communes of Shehid Mohammed Amin and Shehid Bahuz, which include 150 families in the Sweis neighbourhood of Qamishlo, have formed an electric co-operative society called Ronak. Their objective is to solve their problems autonomously and serve their neighbourhood. The administration includes seven people, and the price is 1,000 SYP [Syrian Pounds] per amp. The electricity generator will work from 12:00 to 17:00, and from 20:00 to 00:00 on a daily basis.

Awareness of Co-operatives Spreads in Qamishlo

There are 21 co-operative societies in Qamishlo that are embodying the ideas of communal and participatory life, creating a collective environment at work, and building solidarity among the members of society.

The Rojava Revolution: The Revolution of Economic Achievements and Return to Communal Economy

After the announcement of the Democratic Self Administration in 2014, institutions were organised and local councils and committees were formed which concentrated their efforts on the economic situation in the region. One of the missions of the Economic Committee was to support the agricultural, industrial and commercial projects throughout Rojava, with the aim of reaching self-sufficiency, curbing monopoly and exploitation, reducing unemployment and activating the work force, both male and female.

Zanîn Medicine Co-operative Prevents Selling of Expired Medicines in Qamishlo

85 members of the Union of Pharmacists formed a medicine co-operative called Zanîn in order to prevent the selling of expired medicines.

An Essential Step Toward Curbing Monopoly and Individualist Capitalism: Zanîn Co-operative for Medicine and Medical Equipment

Zanîn is a co-operative for medical, dental and pharmaceutical supplies and equipment for hospitals and clinics. The idea for this project came from a group of doctors who work in Jazira. Zanîn is a communal co-operative, and the price of a share is 100,000 SYP. There are a total of 5,000 shares which are collectively worth five hundred million Syrian pounds.

Introducing the People of Northern Syria to Co-operatives

House of Co-operatives in Qamishlo has distributed flyers to introduce people to the concept of co-operative societies, explain how they work, and strengthen the relationship between people and co-operatives.
Rojava, Syria, women, cooperatives, coops

The Role of Communes in the Communal Economy, Nisrîn and Shîlan are Examples of Successful Co-operatives

''Considering the economic situation, the deterioration of the living conditions and the lives of some of the people who live around the two communes, some steps have been taken to help them and support them financially. By letting people participate in the co-operative as members and workers who sell necessities at reduced prices, we help the people to endure the living conditions in the suburbs. There are some people who live in the neighbourhood working in the two projects, and that is reducing unemployment and creating a workforce. We are aiming to increase the economic projects around the commune in order to include more people, help them and cover their needs.''
Shîlan Cooperative, Qamishlo, Syria, Rojava, Kurdistan, cooperatives, coops

Exclusive: Shîlan Underwear Co-operative

A group of mostly women residents of Qamishlo set up Shîlan Co-operative for the sale of underwear on 7th January, 2017 in Hilaliya, a neighborhood in Qamishlo. They were able to establish the co-operative with the support of the local council of the city.

Co-operative Societies are Essential for Communal Life

The spread of co-operative societies in the region has strengthened the communal spirit and increased participation, many people from villages and towns have approached the centres of co-operatives either to propose projects or to participate in them. In 2014, Nisrîn Co-operative was formed to manufacture cleaning products. There were discussions about it in the commune

Nisrîn Co-operative, a Model of Communal Labour

Nisrîn is a co-operative society for cleaning products that was formed in Qamishlo five years ago by seven members who collaborated to serve the area of Hilaliyeh, which is far away from the market. In these times there was a lot of monopoly. Each participant contributed with 75,000 SYP. They bought cleaning products from the market, put some shelves up, and started selling them for lower prices than in the market.

“In Turkey we were treated like slaves, here we work for ourselves” – Avîn Muhammed Sherif, Nisrîn Co-operative

Avîn went to Turkey looking for work at the beginning of the Rojava Revolution, but she couldn’t endure the injustice in the treatment of the workers. She returned to Qamishlo and now works in Nisrîn Co-operative. Avîn saiys that in Turkey, they were treating the workers like slaves.

Lilit Bakery: Developing and Revitalising the Women’s Economy

The Women’s Office in east Qamishlo [Qamişlo / Qamishli / Al-Qamishli] has opened a bakery called Lilit to make pastries and manakish. The opening was attended by many of Qamishlo’s residents, as well as members of Kongreya Star [the women’s movement umbrella structure], local councils and institutions of civil society. We headed to Qamishlo’s eastern municipality to get more information,