Nurshan Abdi

Kobani — Women from the Arab component in the Euphrates Canton of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria are receiving ideological training on the Manifesto of Peace and Democratic Society presented by leader Abdullah Öcalan as a roadmap for resolving the Kurdish issue and achieving peace in the region.

Kongra Star operates across the regions of North and East Syria to develop women and strengthen the role of women and youth in building a democratic society based on justice, equality, freedom, and democracy. This is carried out through organizing ideological training courses and specialized sessions for reading and analyzing the defenses of leader Abdullah Öcalan, particularly the Manifesto of Peace and Democratic Society.

Training as the Basis of Development

On February 27, 2024, following the historic call, leader Abdullah Öcalan issued the “Peace and Democratic Society” manifesto, which outlines his vision for ending tendencies toward armed conflict and moving from an era of wars and strife to one of peace and democracy.

Accordingly, the Martyr Shilan Academy affiliated with Kongra Star in the city of Kobani, Euphrates Canton, launched a training course that began on December 1, with the participation of 31 members from across the canton. During the training, women received lessons on “the meaning and importance of training, culture, and ethics; special warfare and the history of Kurdistan; the reality of leadership and the history of women; women’s science (Jineology); the history of Syria; the revolution in North and East Syria; participatory and egalitarian life; social justice; the revolutionary people’s war; and the social contract.”

Over the past ten days, participants began reading the Manifesto of Peace and Democratic Society.

A Call for Peace

Regarding the importance of ideological training for women, and particularly the Manifesto of Peace and Democratic Society, Rukiya Al-Mahawash, a member of the Ain Issa Municipality, said: “Training is very important for women, as it enables them to demand their rights.” She noted that women have reached this stage thanks to the thought of leader Öcalan, adding that “his philosophy is very profound, through which he seeks peace and democracy for the world, and especially for the Middle East.”

At this stage the world is going through, she explained, peoples are suffering from the scourge of wars and conflicts; therefore, “we, the peoples of the Middle East, are in need of this thought, and the manifesto put forward by leader Abdullah Öcalan contributes to spreading peace, justice, and democracy.”

Al-Mahawash emphasized that leader Abdullah Öcalan is the only person calling for the spread of peace, yet he remains imprisoned in İmralı Prison to this day. Therefore, she said, “he must be physically freed in order to lead this stage.”

She pointed out that the Manifesto of Peace and Democratic Society “entrenches the principles of peace and strengthens the values of a democratic society, and training on its importance represents an important and essential step toward promoting justice and equality.” She added that “the ideas put forward by leader Öcalan aim to end wars and conflicts and steer society toward peace, hope, and democracy.”

Al-Mahawash considered the manifesto not merely the ideas of an individual, but a project that liberates society as a whole: “The manifesto is a project aimed at building a free, democratic society based on peace and coexistence, and it gives women and youth a central role in building society.”

“Through Training, We Will Build a Democratic Society”

For her part, Samira Mohammad, co-chair of the Ramaila Municipality affiliated with the city of Sarrin, confirmed that she joined the training course with the goal of “self-development and strengthening my personality so that I have the power to demand my rights.”

She advised women—especially women from the Arab component—to be encouraged to join ideological trainings to enhance their societal role. Through these trainings, she said, “women come to know their true selves, their environment, and their society, and thus become able to confront society and combat the patriarchal mentality.”

She explained that the training began about a month ago: “We received many trainings, among the most important of which were lessons related to women, their history, and their reality.” She considered that “women before the training are different from after it; after receiving ideological training, especially reading the defenses of leader Öcalan, they develop strong willpower and are able to challenge the patriarchal mentality.”

The Manifesto as a Historic Turning Point

Meanwhile, Kalthoum Houshan, a member of the Follow-Up Committee in the municipality of Sarrin, said: “This is the first time I have joined a training course. I received many lessons on the history of women, the history of Kurdistan, the Kurdish issue, and the July 19 Revolution. Through these lessons, noticeable changes occurred in my personality and thinking, and I became able to express my opinion and developed a strong motivation to participate in building society.”

She noted that “after completing the ideological lessons, we began reading, discussing, and analyzing the manifesto. Since leader Öcalan, through this manifesto, focused on women and youth, we will be the fundamental pillar in building a free, democratic society and spreading peace.”

Kalthoum Houshan affirmed that applying the thought and project of leader Öcalan according to this manifesto constitutes a basis for ridding the world and the Middle East of conflicts and working toward spreading peace. “Training on the thought of leader Öcalan is an important step at this stage toward building a democratic society and establishing a democratic Syria that includes all its components