Democratic Confederalism

Democratic Confederalism is a left-libertarian, culturally progressive ideology and political system coined by Kurdish politician Abdullah Öcalan that currently exists in Rojava, a de facto autonomous region in northern Syria.

Democratic confederalism believes in a system of administrative councils elected by the people that allow local communities to exercise autonomous control over their assets while linking to other communities via a network of confederal councils. Private property is abolished, in favor of "property of use" which lets individuals use infrastructure and land, but restricts them from turning it into a private enterprise. They greatly value the principles of Direct Democracy,  Environmentalism,  Third-World Feminism,  Multiculturalism, and voluntary self-defense. Another core part of the ideology is the critique of Nationalism and nation-states as a concept. It seeks to establish a "Democratic Nation" to destroy nation-statism which is multicultural, decentralized, and destroys capitalist profit accumulation

They take heavy inspiration from Bookchin Communalism.

[[File:PKK-icon-pcb.png]] In Turkey (Bakur region) [[File:Ottoman.png]]
The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) was initially established in 1978 as a liberation movement that used  Marxist–Leninist ideals. As the party became less radical over time, Abdullah Öcalan, one of its founders, drifted further from the organization and began looking for a form of socialism that was more distant from the authoritarian characteristics of the Soviet Union. When he was captured and arrested by Turkey in 1999, he worked further on the Kurdish question using his access to numerous western philosophical texts. He eventually came across the works of Murray Bookchin, Friedrich Nietzsche, and many other philosophers, using them to create a new form of  democratic socialism called democratic confederalism. In 2005, Öcalan published his first work, titled Declaration of Democratic Confederalism in Kurdistan, which laid out the foundations of his new ideology. Soon after, the PKK adopted his program and sought to put his concept into full effect. A new organization with the goals of spreading Democratic Confederalism was soon created after words known as the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK). The PKK has since fought with the Turkish military in the Qandil Mountains in Iraq and attacked Turkish police and military inside the country. There were multiple attempts at peace deals and in 2013 a ceasefire was declared. This however did not last long as in 2015 12 PKK members were killed trying to cross the Iraqi border by the Turkish military and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria did a bombing in Suruç, which the PKK accused the Turkish government of either helping or being complicit in. Since then the clashes have resumed and the fighting between the HPG (People's Defense Forces, PKK's armed wing) and the Turkish military in Northern Iraq and many on both sides have been killed.

[[File:Rojava.png]] In Syria (Rojava region) [[File:Cball-Syria.png]]
Many political parties came together with the intention of bringing the ideals of democratic confederalism across Kurdistan. The Syrian Civil War brought an opportunity to the Democratic Union Party (PYD) to declare autonomy over Rojava, which soon became an autonomous region that implemented a democratic confederalist government, which is currently identified a libertarian socialist federated semi-direct democracy. The PYD's armed wing People's Protection Units (YPG), engaged in many battles with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) the most important of which being the siege of Kobanê and the battle of Raqqa. The PYD being linked to the PKK lead to Turkey invading into many areas they controlled, including Afrin. A new guerrilla group was then created there known as the Afrin Liberation Forces (HRE) which has carried out numerous attacks against the Turkish military

[[File:Pjak.png]] In Iran (Rojhilat region) [[File:Cball-Iran.png]]
An armed Kurdish rebel group in Iran known as PJAK lead by Abdul Rahman Haji Ahmadi first attacked the Iranian military in 2004. They were originally a student movement that was inspired by Iraqi Kurdistan and the  PKK, but soon became a more militant movement after Iran began cracking down on them more. They are based in the Qandil mountains, just like the PKK. Iranian funded media has long accused PJAK of being funded by the US and  Israel, but they have always denied the allegations, and in an interview with Today's Zaman, a PJAK spokesperson said they will attack American interests as well as Turkish and Iranian ones. In 2009, PJAK was designated as terrorist by the US. The conflict has been relatively calm since 2015 but recently some clashes between the Iranian forces and PJAK have broken out leaving some dead on both sides. PJAK holds the same Democratic Confederalist beliefs as the PKK does and hopes to create a federal and democratic Iran

How to Draw
Demconflagnew.png Here's how to draw Democratic Confederalism: and you're done!
 * 1) Draw a ball
 * 2) Give it three horizontal stripes, from top to bottom: yellow, red and green, the colours of the TEV-DEM flag.
 * 3) Draw a 5-pointed yellow star (same shade) in the middle of the red stripe.
 * 4) Draw the eyes.

Friends

 * [[File: Aneco.png]] Eco-Anarchism - While we have small debates about how socialism should save the environment, but we're actually pretty chill.
 * [[File: Fem.png]] Feminism - Smash the patriarchy!
 * [[File: Minsocf.png]] Minarcho-Socialism - They're very similar to my ideology.
 * [[File: Bckchn.png]] Bookchin Communalism - My parent and main inspiration
 * [[File: Libsoc.png]] Libertarian Socialism - We are literally the same!
 * [[File: Hoxha.png]] Hoxhaism - Even if we disagree on a lot you're still very helpful and one of the only authoritarian leftists who's willing to support me
 * [[File: MLM.png]] Marxism–Leninism–Maoism - Another AuthLeft who helps me!
 * [[File:Zapa.png]] Zapatism - Similar to me, but from Mexico. Based!
 * [[File:Gaddafi.png]] Gaddafism - Thanks for funding me and supporting my cause, although you could cool it on the religion.
 * [[File:Postconan.png]] Post-Colonial Anarchism - He is very close to me. Based!
 * [[File:PostColFem.png]] Postcolonial Feminism - Glad we set up the Women's Protection Units together. We scared off those Jihadists who thought women could never fight.
 * [[File:Guevara.png]] Guevarism - You were our strongest inspiration

Frenemies

 * [[File: Baath.png]] Ba'athism - Filthy authoritarian and I still hate him, but saved me from [[File:Ottoman.png]] that invader.
 * [[File:Cball-FSA.png]] Free Syrian Army - I never wanted to side with [[File: Baath.png]] Him but why did you rebels have to ally with  [[File: Muslim 2.png]] [[File:Ottoman.png]] [[File: Jihad.png]] ? Some of you are comrades though and some of you even helped form the SDF with us.  Still won't forgive your Turkish-allied factions for takin Afrin from us though with [[File:Ottoman.png]] Neo-Ottomanism.
 * [[File:Cball-IraqiKurdistan.png]] Kurdish Nationalism - Based Kurdish comrade. But even while useful for promoting the liberty of Kurds, Öcalan isn't the biggest fan of the nationalist ideology and us identifying ourselves with such beliefs.
 * [[File: ML.png]] Marxism–Leninism - We're supposed to be on the same side, why do you support [[File:Baath.png]] Assad over me? Why won't you accept me?
 * [[File:Absoc.png]] Arab Socialism - I like your socialist ideology and you dedication to anti-imperialism in the Middle East, but why did you try to Arabize Kurds when you controlled Rojava?

Enemies

 * [[File: Trumpism.png]] Trumpism - He stopped supporting me, and instead started supporting Turkey.
 * [[File: Muslim 2.png]] Islamic Theocracy and [[File:Ottoman.png]] Neo-Ottomanism - Invaded me to do ethnic cleansing, and is basically the new ISIS.
 * [[File: Jihad.png]] Jihadism - The old ISIS, of course, is even worse. HAHA! WOMENS PROTECTION UNITS GO BRRRRRRRRRRR!!!
 * [[File: 3way.png]] Third Way - Assisted in the capture of Öcalan and declared the PKK a terrorist organization!
 * [[File:Grey-Wolves-icon-pcb.png]] Islamic Fascism - Has done too many crimes against Kurds and leftists to count!
 * [[File:KDP-icon.png]] KDP - YOU TRAITOR! YOU TRADE WITH TURKEY AND KICKED US OUT OF IRAQI KURDISTAN! FUCK YOU!
 * [[File:Nation.png]] Nationalism - Even though some of my Kurdish and other minority allies like you, assuming that we would compare the nation-state to a living god then nationalism would be the correspondent religion.
 * [[File:Khom.png]] Khomeinism - FUCK YOU! [[File:Pjak.png]] PJAK WILL LIBERATE ROJHILAT AND IRAN FROM YOUR TYRANNY!
 * [[File:Zio.png]] Zionism - Palestine has always played a huge role in our struggle
 * [[File:Cball-FSA.png]] Syrian National Army - FILTHY TURKISH PUPPETS!
 * [[File:Sep.png]] Separatism - In the solution to the Kurdish question, too, the path that is meaningful and consistent is the one that does not rely on separatism and violence and that accepts democratic autonomy. All other paths will either lead to a postponement of problems, and therefore to a deepening of the impasse, or to violent conflict and separation.

Literature

 * The Philosophy of Social Ecology (1995) by Murray Bookchin
 * Declaration of Democratic Confederalism in Kurdistan (2005) by Abdullah Öcalan
 * Democratic Confederalism (2011) by Abdullah Öcalan
 * Liberating Life: Women's Revolution (2013) by Abdullah Öcalan
 * Democratic Nation by Abdullah Öcalan

Videos

 * Jineology: Feminism & Patriarchy In The Middle East by Saint Andrewism
 * What is Democratic Confederalism? by Everything About Kurdistan
 * How Anarchist Government Works (Democratic Confederalism) by RE-EDUCATION

Interviews and news

 * PKK Youth Fight for Autonomy in Turkey (Vice News)
 * From Grief Over Kobane To Chaos: Istanbul's Kurdish Riots (Vice News)
 * An Interview with PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan (Journeyman Pictures)
 * Rojava: Syria's Unknown War (Vice)

Wikipedia

 * Democratic Confederalism
 * Abdullah Öcalan
 * Rojava
 * Movement for a Democratic Society
 * Jineology
 * Kurdistan Workers' Party
 * People's Protection Units

Gallery
Demokratyczny konfederalizm