From Mesopotamia to world democratic revolution

“Why did you come?” is a frequent question asked to all internationalists who come to Rojava. The response varies from person to person, and in the case of those who have just arrived, usually consists of a smile and a few broken sentences in Kurdish or Arabic. But despite our varied origins, all who come searching for something.

Internationalism is one of the founding principles of the new phase of organization and struggle of the oppressed classes that started during the second half of the 19th century. Since then, it has been clear that borders and States are nothing but a farce. Different peoples have been suffering exploitation and tyranny from a supranational system; it follows that it is essential to seek unity and organization across geographical and cultural boundaries. Building class unity among peoples was possible because it was accompanied by building ideological unity – a project of society for the whole world, an international alliance of peoples for socialist democracy.

Examples of internationalism can be found throughout revolutionary history. Brave revolutionaries from outside France fought alongside native French revolutionaries to defend the Paris Commune. During the Mexican Revolution, some internationalists crossed into Mexico to take up arms, especially in the PLM’s uprising in Baja California. Others formed support and solidarity committees for Emiliano Zapata’s armed movement.

Revolutionary groups across the world recognized the strategic importance of the events in Mexico, aware that in the absence of international solidarity, each movement would have to face global capitalism alone. As we have seen, the enemy, that is the ruling classes of the world, the patrons, the generals, the capitalists, are all organized internationally. Pentagon operations like the Plan Condor and GLADIO made this clear in the past, and today, signs of this collusion continue to exist in the forms of the IMF, G20, and other organizations. Indeed, it was the work of an international conspiracy involving the intelligence services of multiple nation-states that eventually caused Abdullah Ocalan to be abducted and imprisoned.

In the revolutionary syndicalism of the Americas, in the steppes of Russia and Ukraine, in the fields of Manchuria, in the streets and valleys of Spain, and in the mountains across all Europe, internationalism has been a living part of different struggles and revolutions. In a world that has become increasingly industrialized and globalized, the possibilities of developing cross-border relations between movements also grew. World revolution become a more pressing topic, inspired by such examples as Cuba and Vietnam.

Despite what the prophets of neoliberalism had to say, history didn’t end in the 1990s. Today, revolutionary struggles continue, and internationalism remains a central element. From the Selva Lacandona to the streets of Genova to mountains of Zagros, the struggle for social transformation echoes across the globe.

In 2012, in the early days of the Syrian Civil War, the Rojava Revolution sprang forth. It declared its international character and gained worldwide attention. In the battle for Kobanê (2014), a wave of solidarity backed the city’s resistance. People all over the world gave their support to the YPG and YPJ in solidarity against the Islamic State. It was then that internationalist men and women began to come to Rojava to join the fight against IS, that was defined as the enemy of humanity.

The contributions of internationalists in Rojava once again demonstrated the living spirit of internationalism. Among the many thousands of martyrs the sacrifices of almost 50 Şehids from YPG and YPJ International have proven the determination of people from around the world to take part in the revolution of North and East Syria until the end. People, communities and organizations around the world see in this revolution a light of hope and a virtuous example; an alternative to capitalist modernity, which leads our species towards exploitation and destruction.

What does it mean to be part of revolutionary self-defense

The military strength and accomplishments of the YPG and YPJ are a physical representation of the will and determination on the people of Northeastern Syria. Our forces do not protect or fight on behalf of the people; they are the people. The Syrian people lived under a regime that sought to weaken their self-confidence and make them more reliant on undemocratic governance. As long as the state could monopolize the organization of armed forces, it could convince the people of their inability to defend themselves, and thus justify its own existence. Now, the YPG and YPJ have proven the opposite; the responsibility of defense must lie with the people themselves. Now, the democratic structures in SDF territory have the space to gain confidence and develop themselves.

Our commitment to egalitarian and communal principles runs deep through the structure of the YPG and YPJ: there is no pomp associated with command and there are no obsequious salutes to superiors. The only form of address is heval, meaning friend or comrade, applied to all and without discrimination of rank. The discipline is maintained through revolutionary self-discipline and the respect given to the commandship and the organizational structure. This is in opposition to the traditional method favored by state militaries of severe punishments for the smallest infractions. Authority is not imposed by privileges such as family or religious background, as is common elsewhere, but is gained through earning the respect of others by one’s own good example.

The feeling of comradeship, hevaltî, is the backbone of our revolutionary organization. The love that we feel for our comrades is what allows us to undertake incredible sacrifices; love is what allows us to overcome adversity collectively, because we know that it is in this love that the new world grows.

Some people when thinking about what it means to join the YPG may think it’s just about military training, shooting and throwing grenades. And if indeed part of our time is dedicated to military activities, of equal importance are the actions of communal life – of cleaning and cooking, and of ideological development through discussion and education. It is in this daily life that we seek to practice democratic society, analyzing and always seeking to improve ourselves, and especially as men to overcome patriarchy and “kill the dominant male” within ourselves. Every revolution must be accompanied by many internal revolutions.

The YPG and YPJ did not rely upon technical or numerical superiority to defeat the Islamic state, and we make use of our same strengths now in the war against the fascist Turkish State and the jihadist gangs it props up. In this assymetrical war, the strength of belief and conviction are more important than ever. By defending our territory from the Turkish state, our fighters demonstrate that the fundamental concept of people’s war is still valid. In order to counter the ever-growing technological arsenal of the Turkish military, we develop new tactics and capabilities, all based upon the knowledge that determination is the most valuable quality a fighter can possess, and that creativity and ingenuity will triumph over technology and numbers.

The success of the YPG and YPJ demonstrates the necessity for a revolutionary pluralistic military structure. The unique organization of the YPG and YPJ is what allows for men and women, Kurds, Arabs, Armenians, Turkmen, Assyrians and of course Internationals to fight together on the frontlines. Even though fighters from different backgrounds often join through their own organizations, they train and fight together.

The unity of the many peoples organized within the YPG and YPJ would not be possible without revolutionary methods of conflict resolution and dialogue. Most important is the system of Tekmîl (feedback) and Civîn (meeting). Tekmîl allows fighters to criticize and self-criticize in a structured environment that aims to develop the individual, and thus the group as a whole. Likewise, Civîn is an opportunity for fighters to bring criticism, proposals, or other important points directly to their leadership. The result of these interactions, beyond simple problem solving, is to encourage fighters to take initiative and responsibility over their shared work. By giving a place for all to speak, the structure of the YPG and YPJ can adapt to the varied cultures and values of their members. Even more importantly, by linking the fighters to one another and to their leadership, the unit benefits as a whole from the ideas and perspectives of each of the members.

Our role as internationalists

Our work and our presence as internationalists is to break down the walls – of geographical distances, of imaginary borders, of cultural, historical and linguistic differences, of ideological dogmas – in order to build bridges between our peoples, organizations and experiences.

The Revolution in North and East Syria is well aware that no state can be trusted, and it is not in its interest to seek alliances that go beyond tactical immediacy. The only possible alliance is with the oppressed peoples all over the world.

Over these years we have demonstrated that solidarity is much more than a written word, and through it we hope that our participation in the Revolution can be consolidated in each one of us so that we can contribute to the translation of this experience and develop similar processes in our countries, uniting all workers in the world.

In this new phase of the war, we are sometimes to maintain defensive positions, a condition which, however, in no way requires us to adopt a passive posture. On the contrary, there is a lot of work to be done, and more than ever we need to insist and seize every opportunity to pursue and preserve the political offensive.

If Daesh (ISIS) is the enemy of humanity, what should we say about the fascist Turkish State that supportedand financed the caliphate in in every way possible, and now recycles the ex-jihadists in the gangs of mercenaries at its service in the occupied territories of Rojava? What to say about all the destruction, killing, raping, bombardments and cutting of water that provide life for hundred thousands of peoples?

After all, who is this enemy? If the caliphate and religious-terrorist fundamentalism are a product of the policies of the powers and financial markets in the Middle East, does this not show that the real enemy of humanity is capitalist modernity and the patriarchal mentality as a whole? A war that does not only concern Mesopotamia and the Middle East, a war that cannot be fought only with weapons: a real world war, of humanity against the chains that want to subjugate the possibilities of building a free life. Therefor it is not wrong to frame it as the third world war.

Now is a very good moment for internationalist to come. The Rojava Revolution is starting its tenth year, demonstrating against all expectations and an international imposed embargo a quiet rare longevity, and it is possible to see and understand all the great advances that where made, as well as all the contradictions, questions and problems that are faced and still remain to be overcomed.

It is not about recruiting people to fight this revolutionary world war. Most likely, if you are reading this article, it is because you are already involved. It is more about how and how we are going to fight capitalism and patriarchy, how we can organize their global defeat through the democratic action of peoples. At once each of us represents the collective aspirations of one’s own country, and in the same moment we are a unified voice demanding freedom not only for North and East Syria but for every oppressed class and people in every corner of the world.

Alone, Rojava can never be definitively safe, and will always be under siege, target of attacks and intrigues. It is essential that other processes of social revolution develop around the world. Today Rojava and the YPG – Int are an opportunity to establish a practice, a style, of revolutionary people’s warfare shared throughout the world. Its important also to remark that women friends that are reading this and want to join this unique womans revolution, can look for YPJ – International.

The challenge we seek to face here is that of pursuing a world democratic revolution, in a process similar to the Neolithic Revolution. That is to say, a long and diversified process, which takes place everywhere, each place according to its own time, but which, starting from common bases and premises, allows us to reach a new great and deep transformation of society.