Cohabitations on the edge of war territories: Jinwar, a village self-run by women in Kurdistan

Abstract

The article presents a unique case study where the principle of territoriality is applied in war-torn Syria (2012), particularly in the northern part of the country, where self-governance has taken root. In the territories of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), known as Rojava, the population has established an exemplary form of direct democracy (KNAPP ET AL. 2016; CEMGIL & HOFFMANN 2016; DIRIK ET AL. 2017). Within this context, the Kurdish Women’s Liberation Movement (KJK) founded the women’s eco-village Jinwar, built by women for women to live according to communal principles. The village was established near the Turkish border, an area threatened by potential attacks from Turkish military forces. This active research experience allowed the author to participate in both the construction works (2018) and the communal life (2019/20). The model of reconciled coexistence of Democratic Confederalism, which supports the village’s experience, constitutes the foundation for evolving a free society capable of finding a new balance with its territory.