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Commoning the Justice System in North East Syria
Abstract
The revolutionary movement in North East Syria, commonly known as Rojava, has pursued a radical transformation of all spheres of social life based on the principles of women’s liberation, direct democracy, communal economy, social ecology and pluralism. It is also trying to create an alternative justice system which, I argue, represents a practice of commoning even though the movement itself does not use the language of commons, as developed by Silvia Federici, Massimo Di Angelis, and others. In this paper, I propose and explore a two-part definition of commoning the justice system based on the theory and practice of the alternative justice mechanisms in Rojava. First, these mechanisms constitute a practice of commoning because conflict resolution is not delegated to state institutions that have no connection to the community. Rather, it is the responsibility of the community members themselves. Second, the goal of Rojava's conflict resolution mechanisms goes beyond making restitution to the side that has been hurt or punishing the guilty one. Rather, they work towards reestablishing community balance upset by a disagreement or a conflict, mending community ties and ensuring lasting peace. The focus is thus shifted from an individual misstep and grievance to collective well-being. This paper is based on the interviews and observations that I conducted during my fieldwork in North East Syria during Summer 2022.
Discipline
Sociology
Geographic Area
Kurdistan
Sub Area
None