Today in Labor History January 27, 2014: The Kobani Canton declared its autonomy from the Syrian Arab Republic during the Rojava conflict. Supporters claim they have implemented a form of libertarian socialism, influenced by American anarchist Murray Bookchin, with decentralization, gender equality and local governance through direct democracy. They have created worker cooperatives and govern the cantons through district councils, each with one male and one female co-president. The councils have gender quotas requiring at least 40% female participation. They have banned child marriages and honor killings. They are attempting to replace punitive justice with a system of restorative justice. And women play a prominent role on the battlefield, as well as within the political system. Yet private property remains a part of their system, which is inconsistent with Bookchinian anarchism. And according to Andrea Glioti, remnants of the PKK’s Stalinist past remain in Rojava. He cites the ubiquitous portraits of PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, often accompanied by the slogan “There’s no life without a leader.”
#workingclass #LaborHistory #syria #kurdish #anarchism #kobani #rojava #murraybookchin #pkk #abullahocalan
