Right at the beginning of April, we are sending you our new Newsletter #10. In the past months, with the end phase of ISIS in Baghouz (Deir Ezzor), the world's attention was again focused on the revolutionary struggle in Northern-Eastern Syria. At the same time, around the world the new youth movement #FridaysForFuture turned our attention to the crisis of global climate change, and with the women's strikes on March 8 all around the world, the women clearly showed their will to fight the patriarchal order.
And for us in Rojava, the month of March has been determined by remembering our fallen friends in the resistance in Afrin against Turkish fascism one year ago. In all of this, we were connected with our comrades and friends in Rojava, but also with hundreds of others around the world.
Even we could not do more, to support the hunger strikes around Kurdistan, Turkey and Europe, who are demanding the end of the isolation of Abdullah Öcalan, with our thoughts and wishes we were with our comrades, first of all with Leyla Güven.
For more than 5 years, the democratic, revolutionary forces in Rojava, Northern Syria have fought ISIS. Just in time for Newroz, the QSD announced the military defeat of this force of suppression, death and torture. This was a moment of celebration, and with the spirit of Newroz, we, the Internationalist Commune of Rojava congratulate all young people in the world with the hope, that it will strengthen our unity and revolutionary struggle.
But Newroz and the defeat of ISIS were also a moment to remember our fallen friends. Around 10.000 of the brave people in Northern Syria that stood up against ISIS and the Turkish fascism, lost their lives in the fight for freedom. Under them also many Internationalists, like Şehîd Tekoşer Piling (Lorenzo Orsetti) and Hêlîn Qereçox.
On March 18th, only some days before the end of the military fight against ISIS, Lorenzo Orsetti, our friend and comrade fell Şehîd. Thousands of people around the world flocked to the streets in memory of Lorenzo Orsetti to express their will to continue his fight against fascism in all its forms. Also, we offer our condolences to the family of Lorenzo and pay tribute to a great comrade, a great anarchist, a great revolutionary. Heval Tekoşer was an example of extreme courage and sacrifice.
We all remember the resistance in spring 2018 against the occupation of Afrin by Turkish troops, backed and supported by Islamic groups. To remember the resistance also means to remember our fallen friends, their stories and lives.
On the 15th of March, together with many other internationalists, we remembered S. Hêlîn Qereçox and S. Legerîn Çiya (Alina Sánchez). Members of the Internationalist Commune came together and recorded a video to send our warmest and revolutionary greetings to all her friends and family. To keep the memory of S. Hêlîn Qereçox alive, and to share her story, we published an interview with her friends, speaking about their own lives, Anna's life, and the influence that Anna has had on them.
# FridaysForFuture – Make the world green again!
Although the new youth movement #FridaysForFuture started some months ago in March, with the global day of action on March 15, the movement is now a global one. Many of the questions the youth are asking, and their will to reclaim their future, are also subject of the work of Make Rojava Green Again and the youth in Rojava.
For our global day of action, we asked our youth from Rojava, to share their perspective on the global climate crisis with us and we sent their solidarity message to #FridaysForFuture in a video. Speeches from Make Rojava Green Again were held on the Global Day for Climate Strike in different cities, like Geneva, Zürich, Munich, Copenhagen and Berlin.
As we face the threat of a further war of the Turkish state against the revolution in Rojava and the exacerbation of the ecological crisis in the Middle East, we called in an article for growing the resistance against war and fascism and the struggle for an ecological world.
The oppression of the states is increasing everywhere against the Kurdish liberation movement and also against the activities of solidarity. On February 12th, 2019, the German state banned the Kurdish publishing house Mezopotamya in Germany. Our ecological campaign was directly affected by this ban because 200 copies of our newly released book have been confiscated there as well. Campaign activists released a statement commenting on the ban directly from Rojava.
As we reported in our last newsletter, members of our media committee participated in the 2nd Middle East Youth Conference held in the historical city of Kobane from February 20th to the 23rd. There we had a chance to speak with Ahmet Osman, a student from the University of Rojava and Member of the Democratic Student Organization about the ecological revolution in Rojava.
To mark International Women's Day, the women of the Internationalist Commune and women from the women's youth movement of Northeast Syria came together at the Commune to plant trees in the Commune garden. We celebrated that day with dance and discussions about the role of the women's youth movement in the revolution, and the relationship between the Kurdish freedom movement and ecological struggles.
Following an invitation by the International Confederation of Labour (ICL), we participated through a video at the Global Women's Strike on March 15th, sharing the perspective from the view of women from Rojava, and sent their greetings to fighting women around the world.
In the context of the March 8th celebrations, demonstrations and publications, we translated and published an article by Komundergi, written by Aslı Polat on the Role of Women in the Paris Commune, remembering the fighting women like Elisabeth Retiffé, Eugénie (Léontine) Suétens, Eulalie Papavoine, Louise Michel and many more, that shaped one of the most important revolutions and inspirations.
This month, too, Internationalism in today's time and in history was discussed many times in the Internationalist Commune. On March 4th, we took a look at the history of the Third International, which celebrated its 100th anniversary. We published an article, asking questions about Internationalism today, the history of the Social Democratic Movement, and the Tricontinental Conference of the anti-colonial struggle.
With great respect, we received a message of international solidarity with the popular Kurdish struggle for free self-administration and determination from the leadership of the Ka'apor Administration Council, Itahu Ka'apor, on behalf of this indigenous ethnic group in Brazil. Only by building connections of lived solidarity between the oppressed people around the world will we be able to overcome the capitalist modernity.
Once more again, we want to thank all of the people who have helped us with translation work. With this support we could publish texts and articles in many different languages on our website in addition to English, including: French, Italian, Spanish, German, Kurmancî, Swedish, Greek, Polish and Russian.
We are always happy about new people joining our translation team. If you are interested in finding out more, just write an email to internationalistcommune@riseup.net.
We hope with this newsletter we were able to share some of the progress of our efforts and of the atmosphere of the revolution in Rojava with you. If you have suggestions for improving our newsletters or any questions, we look forward to receiving your feedback.