NEXEM ÇAÇAN

Qamishlo – Communes play a key role in building social organization and peace. These structures, in which the values of solidarity and collective life are realized, provide an important framework for protecting rights, ensuring social justice, and strengthening democratic stability. Through communes—an organizational sphere that reflects the direct will of the people—participatory decision-making processes at the local level are implemented. Within this framework, it is stated that convening commune conferences with the participation of residents and institutional representatives is necessary to identify society’s needs, unify people’s demands, and develop solutions.

Commune conferences stand out as a new step toward strengthening social solidarity and consolidating the values of peace and democracy.

Co-chair of Qamishlo City Council, Hêvî Ehmed, shared information with our agency regarding the purpose of the first communes conference.

The Importance of Communes

At the beginning of her speech, Hêvî Ehmed drew attention to the critical role communes play in North and East Syria. Recalling that at the beginning of the Rojava Revolution, Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan presented a perspective on the necessity of protecting communes and municipalities, Hêvî Ehmed said:

“Leader Apo proposed that the people organize themselves on the basis of communes. Within this framework, the people built their organization through communes and carried out their activities within these structures. Today, everyone in the region is a member of a commune and fulfills their responsibilities within this framework.”

‘Decisive Also in Terms of Social Transformation’

Pointing to Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan’s latest defenses, Hêvî Ehmed stated: “In his latest defenses, Leader Apo once again emphasizes the importance of communes in North and East Syria. He points out that communes play a key role in solving the problems of the region’s peoples and defines these structures as the model of ‘the most advanced democracy.’ He also states that communes are the nucleus of the Democratic Nation and that they encompass all social components. Within this framework, Leader Apo, with his statement ‘In North and East Syria, a moral, political, and peaceful society must emerge,’ demonstrates that communes are not only organizational but also decisive in terms of social transformation.”

The First Conference

Stating that the first communes conference was held in Qamishlo, Hêvî Ehmed said: “All institutions and organizations affiliated with the Autonomous Administration, commune co-chairs, tribal sheikhs, and Syrian voters participated in the conference. Opinions and proposals were presented at the conference, and the demand was raised for communes to be further developed as a solution to problems. For the first time, a communes conference was organized, and the people approached this conference with high morale and great hope. Participants democratically discussed and addressed the problems within the communes, the reasons behind their dysfunctionality, as well as criticisms and proposals. In the future, a congress will be organized, and the decisions, opinions, work, and activities of the communes will become clearer.”

‘Now Is the Time for Freedom’

Hêvî Ehmed concluded her remarks by stating that the purpose of the conferences is to further develop communes: “Our aim is to develop our communes and embrace them more strongly. To build a power of solution that will strengthen the communes, we must turn communes into the home of the people. Preparations will be made for a congress in order to establish healthy communes. Our demand is that lovers of freedom protect the communes. The martyrs left us sacred values, and the achievements in our hands are the work of Leader Apo and the martyrs. Our call is to build a communal society, because now is the time for freedom.”