​​​​​​​Democratic Society Movement , TEV-DEM from A to Z

 The Movement is the first movement that took the organization of society in Rojava, northern and eastern Syria as a basis for its struggle, and in 2011 the movement took a social and political struggle and self-protection as its basis, and was largely able to unify the societal discourse with all components in the region, through the organizational process it followed, starting with the formation of communes, ending with public councils in cities and regions, and organizing political forces to represent the general public in international and regional forums.

 Founding and Organizing

 The first building block of the Democratic Society Movement was laid in 2006, under the name (Kurdish Society System in Rojava Kurdistan), and it was built on the basis of the freedom of Kurdistan and the democratization of Syria, and it operated secretly throughout Syria and in Rojava, away from the eyes of the security services of the Damascus government,  The movement focused on expanding its struggle in northern and eastern Syria and some Syrian cities such as Aleppo, Damascus, Latakia, Homs and even Lebanon.

 Between 2006 and 2011, dozens of members and leaders of the movement were arrested, and many were martyred in the prisons of the Damascus government, while the fate of the Movement member Nazliya Kajal is still unknown.

 In 2011, and in order to avoid the dispersal of the Syrian society by some forces such as the coordination that appeared throughout Syria and Rojava, in implementation of the agendas of some foreign and regional countries, foremost of which is Turkey, and to be an incubator for all the sons and components of Rojava and northern and eastern Syria, the movement organized itself according to the requirements of the stage, and in particular  After the outbreak of the crisis in Syria, which opened the doors to external interventions and mercenary and extremist organizations such as Jabhat al-Nusra and ISIS.  During the first conference, the name changed from the Kurdish community Union in Rojavai Kurdistan to the Democratic Society Movement (TEV-DEM.

 The Democratic Society Movement is a social democratic movement, of a confederal nature of society, that works to reach an ethical, political, ecological society and achieve women's freedom.  It is based on the values ​​of societal equality, coexistence, respect for cultural and ethnic diversity, protection of the rights of all societal groups, and respect for freedom of opinion, thought and belief. It organizes itself horizontally and away from the concept of state.

 The movement held its first public conference on the soil of Rojava, on July 3, 2011, in the Girê Legê area in the Jazira region, in the presence of dozens of national figures and the participation of all societal groups of women, youth, dignitaries and a group of intellectuals from all components of the region.

 Since its founding, the movement saw that the policy of extermination applied against the Kurdish people and other peoples is still continuing, with the aim of erasing the Kurdish identity and existence and striking the will of other peoples coexisting with the Kurds.  And that the movement's struggle takes multiple forms and paths that serve to achieve the freedom of the Kurdish people and a just and democratic solution to their cause.

 The Democratic Society Movement has developed its struggle in several areas. Since its establishment, it has organized society in order to spread the culture and values ​​of democracy and self-defense, which is what the movement to have an effective role in supporting the societal revolution at all levels for a just political system at the general Syrian level.

 Movement principles and goals

 The Democratic Society Movement (Tev-Dem), according to its internal system, takes the struggle for a free and dignified life for all social groups, achieving social and economic development and raising productive efficiency, in addition to its support for the democratic, moral and political approach and the protection of rights and freedoms according to the following:

 1 - renouncing discrimination on the basis of race or creed.

 2 - Ensuring the rights and freedom of women and youth and supporting their plans and projects.

 3 - Develop and preserve public freedoms and the rights of civil society organizations.

 4- Striving to guarantee the right to work, create equal opportunities, and improve and develop the means of production through vocational training.

 5 - Developing a democratic culture through awareness programs within the academies of democratic society.

 6 - Awareness of societal groups within the framework of civil society institutions and highlighting their role in serving the public interest to achieve social justice in building national unity.

 7 - Supporting the democratic the transition from a consumption pattern to a production one.

 8- Work to achieve solidarity and coordination between civil society organizations on the one hand, and members of those organizations on the other hand, and develop the spirit of cooperation and resolve disputes by amicable means.

 9 - Activating civil society organizations in the field of production and various social services.

 10 - Strengthening the bonds of brotherhood, cooperation and unity among civil society organizations at the Syrian national level.

 11 - Cooperation with civil society organizations and regional and international labor unions in accordance with national goals.

 12 - Supporting the right of peoples to self-determination.

 13 - The struggle for the return of the displaced to Rojava and Syria.

 14 - The struggle to defeat and end the occupation and terrorism from the occupied territories.

 15 - The struggle for the safe return of the displaced to their homes under international and international auspices.

 Stages of development of the democratic society movement

 Following the holding of the first conference of the Democratic Society Movement, which was a strong response to all the attempts that sought to create a rift within the community and target its organizational state and undermine its will, as the organizational roots were mainly present in Rojava, but needed an institution that embraced them and on this  basically, the Democratic Society Movement has turned into an influential party in the Syrian situation.

 In its social organization, the movement adopted democratic standards and foundations, in order to achieve the people’s goals, freedom, coexistence and equality, and the movement’s outcome was the formation of committees through real participation in the democratic Autonomous Administration project.  It also completed the organizational reality within the administration in a manner commensurate with the society's vision and the goals of its components and its tireless quest to build a free and democratic society.

 The movement presented many initiatives related to finding an appropriate solution to the Syrian crisis and presenting a project based on purposeful foundations to stop the chaos afflicting Syria and unify the Kurdish house in Rojava.  In February 2014, I presented the project for a democratic solution to Syria, which included all political, cultural, diplomatic and self-defense aspects. It also included several principles for solving the Syrian crisis, which included;  The transition from despotism and the chauvinistic nationalist structure to a decentralized democratic system in which everyone shares in the administration and construction.  Fighting extremist groups with their various names, preserving the unity of the Syrian homeland.  Respect for the diversity of the Syrian community with all its components.

 The Democratic Society Movement followed an intellectual, organizational and political path, and interacted with the crisis issues in Syria and promoted Ava in the spirit of the societal revolution and a sense of responsibility towards society. It relied on the philosophy of comprehensive change to solve the outstanding issues in a structural manner.  It blocks the way for any authoritarian mentality, especially as it laid the solid foundations for building a social and political system represented by democratic self-management, which was able to operate on several levels.  Regional and international, in addition to the democratic currents and other national organizations in Syria in order to strengthen the democratic front and the transition to a decentralized democratic political system.

 Since its establishment, the Democratic Society Movement has been seeking to unify the Kurdish house in Rojava, but all the initiatives launched by the movement have not been successful as a result of the affiliation of some Kurdish parties to Turkey and the Kurdistan Democratic Party.

 stage of community organization

 During the period of the first conference, there was no presidency of the movement, but rather it carried out its work through the executive body, and in the second conference held in the winter of 2015, Asia Abdullah and Aldar Khalil were elected to the joint presidency, and most of the movement’s work focused on organizing communes and councils in all cities and regions of Roj  Ava, and thus formed the real ground for self-administration based on the thought and philosophy of the democratic nation proposed by the leader Abdullah Ocalan, which focuses on the principles and standards of brotherhood of peoples and coexistence under a free democratic system.

 Radical transformation in the structure of the movement

 After the announcement of the Autonomous and Civil Administrations in North and East Syria, and the establishment of the Syrian Democratic Council, a radical and major transformation occurred in the structure of the Democratic Society Movement, which is the owner of the Autonomous Administration project, and during the third conference held, in August 2018, the movement confirmed that organizational and political imperatives call for a transformation in the structure of the society  democracy to a framework and umbrella for civil society institutions.

 According to the transformation that took place, the movement focused on establishing federations, unions, and chambers with the aim of strengthening the possibility of organizing civil society, in addition to the existing organizations and institutions, which are considered the third field in the democratic community structure, through which society can organize its ranks not only at the professional level, but even defend  His political issues such as fighting the male mentality by developing the struggle for women's freedom, defending the national issues of the peoples, and working to include all components in their ranks.

 The movement restructured its offices and committees, and opened several departments, such as organizational offices, in all cities and regions of north and east Syria. One of its priorities was to support and support unions to activate their role, as the movement plays a role in coordinating between unions and self-management institutions.  And offices for women, since women are the vanguard and pioneers in consolidating their own organization and building a democratic society.  Youth offices, given that the youth is the hope of the people, and legal offices to listen to citizens’ complaints and defend their rights.  and training offices with the aim of raising awareness and building intellectual and organizational capabilities and skills.  And relations offices in order to communicate with all organizations and movements in north and east Syria and regional countries.

 There are now 27 federations, organizations, institutions and associations under the roof of the Democratic Society Movement at the level of north and east Syria.

 Expand its work and activities in Syria in general

 In the fourth conference of the Democratic Society Movement, which started on February 5, 2022, in the town of Rmelan of Qamishlo canton, in the presence of 400 members, representatives of all political, social, cultural and trade union organizations, and notables of the Kurdish, Arab and Syriac clans, the movement stressed to move the line  The third is through translating and establishing a decentralized, democratic Syrian project that meets the aspirations of all components of Syria, as in its optimal state of the democratic self-management model.

 The movement stressed the necessity that the existing situation calls for a transformation in its structure as it is a framework and an umbrella for civil society institutions, organizations and unions in Rojava, north and east Syria, and that it will work in order to serve as an umbrella framework for all Syrian civil institutions, and the need to work to protect values, social ideas and voluntary and charitable practices.  Protecting the rights of social groups heading towards building solid foundations for the democratic system, reconciling private and public interests, guarantor control of rights, acceptance of difference and societal diversity, and improving the social system towards restructuring the social environment in favor of pluralism and peaceful coexistence.

 During the fourth conference, the movement increased the number of members from 64 to 80 members, as part of expanding its work and activities in Syria in general, with the aim of achieving social democracy in it.

 Here, it must be pointed out that the Democratic Society Movement can play a major role in creating a societal balance between administration and society, by democratizing institutions, unions and community unions, and this was confirmed by the movement during the fourth conference organized under the slogan (Democratic culture develops through democratic institutions).

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 ANHA