The Communes of Rojava Six Years On: Towards Many Democracies of Neighbors

[@plahhhh]

extremely grateful to be seeing this video and ur channel in general for the first time. in my own neighborhood situation, i live in south florida in a part that doesn’t really ever flood and that’s gotten the attention of rich real estate ppl and they’re slowly building these much bigger (and rly boring looking) homes and setting up new electrical wiring systems and whatnot, my parents and i have noticed and speak about it but i’ve never taken action to engage my neighbors about either this gentrification issue or just engage with them generally about whatever and it seems that i’ve been getting signs here and there to put effort into doing that, and this video is a very elaborately designed sign to say the least. a lot to consider and practice. thank youuuuu

[@solk.posner7201]

All I want for these people is to be happy and free, together

[@ibrahimkuyumcu2649]

Your government and people want the worst to happen.

[@SepSyn]

We can all do this. We must! Thank you

[@NeighborDemocracy]

Thank you!! So what's your first step?

[@KenTails]

I'm glad this showed up in my feed! Now I have to watch the original documentary.

[@futurecaredesign]

Yes! I have been hoping for a follow up video!

[@smelterich9004]

I really appreciate your empowering way of facing the fears and challenges of building neighbourhood democracy in western countries and how to get through it - because we will only have a free society, if we don't ignore our fears and the challenges on our way, but to go right through it! ❤🖤

[@ignatiushazzard]

26:07 that kid is 100% gonna eat that booger

[@AVOH96]

very happy to see this in my feed today. ive started to organize among friends and associates out here in california, both in the bay area and los angeles. would love to open up a line of communication, what would be the best way to reach out to you/your organization?

[@NeighborDemocracy]

Amazing! I'm so happy to hear that. You can email me at [e-mail].

[@Piggyinahat]

This is AMAZING work! All love to you.

[@blindey]

Woooo so hyped!

[@EliasArris]

Yesssss Part two!!!

[@snowstrobe]

Great stuff. Have to say tho, I found the repeated imagery to be more distracting than helpful. Some towns in Britain (ie Bristol and Stroud) are setting up Commons groups, focussed on community-based support and action, and using sociography structurely.

[@NeighborDemocracy]

Ugh yes I can see that :( Tbh, I hate doing the video footage part, and I originally was just going to do a few pictures and the audio. But then the perfectionist in me started thinking about clips that would go well with certain parts of the audio. The main reason for the repeats? Very quickly, the video clips I had to download took up all the space on my computer. I had to delete every non-essential app and all my largest files just to progress, and would get messages that would not go away that my computer was full until I deleted something else. So I couldn’t download any more videos and just had to use what I had! Now you get the behind the scenes. I would love to see videos of these commons though if you could send links! Thanks for the good feedback.

[@xdmich6018]

New video!!!

[@NeighborDemocracy]

It only took me years!

[@ADHDisYippeeeeeeeeee]

Going a bit off of specifically Rojava in relation to the whole of Syria, as I think it should be said considering what is happening in Syria now with the overthrow of Bashar and the creation of a new "opposition transitional government", that I think is often not understood by a lot of progressive Westerners, that the struggle of local rule in Syria was far from just in Rojava, though it's struggle too is without a doubt an incredibly important one, especially right now with it's local populations are under threat from all sides. I do think it must be said however, that as someone who has been interested in the civil war in Syria for a long time, I think one thing often is left out in discussions of the civil war by all political factions, who when they give an opinion regarding the conflict, that one of the inherent aspects of the Syrian Opposition and the rebels who identify themselves as such, are most typically regarded by both the most milquetoast mainstream media sources, and the most niche and radical platforms I see, were that they were a force that was almost entirely pro-Turkey, and American backed, either standing as a more moderate centrist, liberal-leaning order to contrast a totalitarian Ba'athist political system, or as an irredeemable Islamist terrorist group, that was founded to be a foreign proxy consisting of extremists and thugs, both with absolutely nothing to offer but should instead have imposed our "superior progressive western values" onto without understanding the more nuanced realities that began in the initial uprising, including the more diverse make-up of the revolutionaries with their own groundbreaking solutions to dictatorship. I hear these same two, often greatly oversimplified views of the opposition from most people on all sides nowadays, at least in the West anyways, including many pro-SDF, libertarian, and leftists individuals, who see the victory of the HTS as an inherent sin of the opposition, that the opposition was by nature a reactionary, Islamist revolt, perhaps with a few misguided centrists and minorities in between in the beginning stages, with a few more stereotypical "tankies" using this to argue to the rest of their fellow comrades how "color-revolutionaries" only lead to rule by regressives, and that "there is no sustainable alternate for progressives and socialists to follow but to defend leaders like Assad", the same status-quo which has already been shown to have failed, and which in my eyes ignores the true potential, and sentiments of real social change, of sincere button-up revolution which the Syrian uprising (along with many others in history) first began with, in contrast to such an authoritarian "socialist" state which claimed to represent them. As surprising as it may be to some, the initial Syrian uprising began primarily as a decentralized movement of many individuals from all walks of life, with some of the first opposition organizations coming about being locally run councils of individuals, and which had been organized by figures such as the anarchist Omar Aziz, who imagined the Syrian Revolution to be a movement managed by local grassroots councils and assemblies, who was soon suppressed by the Islamists and the Assad state and forgotten, which in my eyes is an even more important teaching for us people who seek to form local anti-authoritarian means of governance. We must always be aware of the potential and opportunities in all countries to fix the suffering and injustice that top-down ownership has created, to be aware of them in your local communities and regions, and latch onto them, to help support and bolster them through forming communities and networks of mutual aid, and perhaps if nobody else does, be willing to create assemblies of your own, because if we do not, the noble actions of the bold and the righteous in the fight for the freedom of others, may soon be left as a faded memory forever, or worse, have such dreams become corrupted beyond recognition by the selfish and power-hungry who DID take action when others didn't. It really breaks my heart, to see the revolution having turned into this, now waving the flag of independence, which is actively being used to betray that which initial revolutionaries fought for, by groups who proclaimed themselves to be the staunchest revolutionaries, witnessing how those many dreams of a frustrated people soon went down the drain, through co-optation and reaction, having destroyed both their own councils of their own revolution, and now seek to destroy the councils of the very revolution that succeeded it, we may find it indeed a depressing and unfortunate reality, and the odds may be against us, but as dreamers who seek to make the world a better one for all, to form one for our children without all the present injustices we face now, we must also see that this also can show us a very important lesson on what it means to organize. We may have been unable to save Omar Aziz and the democratic councils of many people like him of the Syrian revolution, but if we are willing to make sure we don't remain ignorant of the revolutionary opportunities of change before us, and make sure to make us actively put our own efforts and determination to fight for and defend the grassroots systems we dream of, perhaps we can save those of the Rojava revolution.

[@knowledgeanddefense1054]

Do you think there's any chance the HTS would agree to adopt a similar model?..

[@BesniliHaco]

Dear friend, what is your understanding of HTS? I suggest that; you have to keep in mind that HTS combined of different jihadists organisations and it includes the ISIS, the Al- Qaida and the Nusra etc. According to these jihadist groups, society is a sphere of domination, which must be conquered, and women are properties who belong to the society of sharia. Best Regards.!

[@knowledgeanddefense1054]

@@BesniliHaco I know, but I'm gonna give their leader the benefit of the doubt about making a change considering how, unlike the SNA, they haven't invaded the AANES yet (nor have they harmed any minority groups in Syria like he promised

[@NeighborDemocracy]

@@knowledgeanddefense1054 I must admit that I am trying to hold the points each of you have made at the same time. Both have some truth, some to lesser extents and some to greater. Somehow, despite everything, I am cautiously optimistic that the vast majority people and even many fighters on all sides (at least in Syria) are tired of the war and are ready to move on. I believe that the Syrian Democratic Council's plans represent the most realistic option, especially since Islamist groups, provided they agree to focus on their own society and don't try to dominate other groups (and preferably if they show some ability to moderate on questions of gender), would have space in the SDC's proposal to self-govern. Somehow, there are some promising signs. Even some parties within Turkey that have never showed any willingness to negotiate before are making hints. I want to strongly emphasize the *cautious* part of my optimism, but I also believe that the SDC/SDF have some negotiators that have worked remarkably with the mess they have had to work with.

[@NeighborDemocracy]

The DAANES has shown some incredible gestures of good will and commitment to a peace process in the last few days: allowing the Syrian revolution flag to be raised alongside their own in public buildings, offering to help return the Turkish-beloved Tomb of Suleyman Shah to its original location, declaring a general amnesty for all non-terror offenses, refusing to join with Russia to fight HTS, etc. Peace talks are actually a part of the conversation and major actors like the US and HTS are for the first time showing willingness to include the SDC.

[@knowledgeanddefense1054]

@NeighborDemocracy Sounds great! I hope it's not too good to be true, especially considering the US doesn't sound like it would stay any more loyal to a libertarian socialist project than a state capitalist dictatorship...

[@yrlousy]

Yooooo I can’t wait to watch

[@flobblem1825]

what is the song in the opening?

[@NeighborDemocracy]

Tîna çiya by Hunergeha Welat. All songs with links can be found in a google doc in the description!

[@Varkhal218]

Much respect. The revolution is not over and everything is far from perfect but I hope for strength of will and power to push forward the cause of liberation.

[@darkagerush3098]

What if the new Syrian gov just unalives all the experienced people

[@Anarcho_Gablogian]

That's millions of people who are also experienced in collective self defense. That will be no easy conquest and they're already war-weary.

[@darkagerush3098]

@Anarcho_Gablogian Turkey seems happy to keep the conflict going. Already did for Afrin and have started taking ground. We'll see what happens I guess.

[@mr.zimtus5231]

Just vibes? No theory? Without material analysis this will just fizzle into nothing.

[@NeighborDemocracy]

Could you flesh out your critique more? Where am I just relying on vibes? Where do you want more theory? Is it that I am not using enough leftist language?

[@jcomden]

gtfoh with that theory crap

[@azliaheaven]

i used to donate to rojava and like them until i learned they were armed by the Cia and remain in collaboration

[@NeighborDemocracy]

The CIA did nothing but accidentally stumble into doing the right thing in Kobanê because they had exhausted every other option. They promptly have failed to do the right thing at every juncture since. The people of Rojava have no illusions that their alliance is purely tactical. What would you have had them do in the circumstances?

[@ibrahimkuyumcu2649]

@@NeighborDemocracy The CIA funds ISIS/Al Qaeda hence HTS et al. The Pentagon funds Rojava.

[@hive_indicator318]

If a bad person from the other side of the world wanted to give you tools to help keep the bad person nearby from harming you, would you decline? And what's your source for these claims? (Don't tell me to look it up. I'm not going to expend energy looking for something I have no reason to believe exists)

[@0Er0]

As a kurd it's insane to me to think my people believe that after a kurdistan is formed Turkish kurds, iraqi kurds and iranian kurds will get along just fine. You are living in delusion. 😂😂😂

[@ibrahimkuyumcu2649]

Turk spotted.

[@AudioPervert1]

Have a question. From where do these folks get their energy, electricity from?

[@NeighborDemocracy]

Sadly, they are pretty reliant on oil and diesel generators. They have hydroelectric power, but Turkey controls the water that flows downstream and regularly shuts it off. They have some solar, but because they are economically embargoed from all sides, it is difficult to get panels, batteries, etc.

[@lacrimis_solis]

@@NeighborDemocracynot to mention the scheduled power outages I lived with for 3 years over there 😭