cooperative grain growing

Explainer: Cooperatives in North and East Syria – developing a new economy

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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,…

Explainer: Why is Turkey arresting its own proxy council members in Afrin?

Thousands of Kurds have been disappeared by Turkish forces in Afrin, but arrests targeting Turkey's own political apparatus are unusual (file photo, al-Andalou) Why is Turkey arresting its own proxy council members in Afrin?Mass arrests,…

Explainer: Christian Communities in North and East Syria

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Syriac Orthodox Church, Heseke Origins The Assyrian and Syriac Christian communities in North and East Syria trace their origins to the Assyrian empire, a Mesopotamian kingdom in the ancient Near East and the Levant that existed as a…

Explainer: The Religious Assembly and Academy for Democratic Islam

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The Autonomous Administration’s secular position on religion is laid out in the Social Contract, the founding document of the Democratic Federation of North and East Syria. The Social Contract states that public affairs are not to be conducted…

Explainer: NGOs in North and East Syria – political and humanitarian obstacles

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Kurdish Red Crescent workers on water distribution in Heseke city Developments in aid delivery and NGO sector in NES since 2011 In the face of the mass displacements the region has seen in recent years, aid from international organizations…

Explainer: The Syrian Democratic Council – A proposal for a democratic Syria

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The Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) is a political assembly representing political parties and organizations in North and East Syria. The SDC creates a political framework for the governance of Syria along a decentralized, federal model.…
Kongra Star

Explainer: Kongra Star, the Women’s Congress

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Kongra Star, which means “Star Congress” (in reference to the ancient Mesopotamian goddess, Ishtar), is the congress of the women’s movement in North and East Syria. It was first established in 2004 as Yêkitiya Star (Star Union),…

Explainer: TEV-DEM – Unions and Counter-Power

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TEV-DEM was founded in 2011 to build up the democratic system of communes and assemblies. This is the role that it played in the previous system, in the three initial cantons: Afrin, Jazeera and Kobane. In Manbij, Raqqa, Tabqa and Deir ez-Zor…

Explainer: Communes – the building block of democratic confederalism

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