Kurdish unity: Gateway to creation of a democratic society; new Syria - Hassan Ramo

On April 26, the political scene in Kurdistan witnessed a turning point in its history as the conference "Unity of Kurdish Position and Line in Rojava Kurdistan" was held. The conference was a pragmatic step after a long-awaited appeal by the Kurdish people and all the friends of freedom and democracy in Syria. It was a testament to the aspiration of a people bent on healing divisions and gazing into the future with a common will and an integrated national vision.

On February 27, Leader Abdullah Ocalan issued an important call from Imrali Prison entitled "The Call for Peace and a Democratic Society." He called for the abandonment of war, the creation of peaceful coexistence, and the reconstruction of political and social relations on the basis of democratic partnership. In his call, Leader Abdullah Ocalan emphasized that the actual solution for the problems of the region is not to remake old centralized patterns of power or to struggle by bloodshed, but to build a free and democratic society that knows pluralism and embraces its diversity as an asset, rather than a threat.

This call is not schematic or directed only at the Kurds. Rather, it is a vision of strategy for the peoples of the region, specifically Syria, which has been bled dry by war for 14 years. The conference "Unity of Kurdish Position and Line in Rojava Kurdistan" on April 26 brought this vision into practice. Leaders of Kurdish parties and movements gathered, and in a gesture of commitment to peace and democracy, they envisioned national unity as the very premise on which they could advance to a common destiny.

Kurdish unity: transcending a national desire

Syrian Kurdish unity is no longer an existential need, a political option, or even a nationalist imperative; it is now an imposed existential necessity for increasing challenges. The Syrian crisis remains sharp, and foreign interferences are planning to shatter into pieces what is left of social solidarity. In the meanwhile, the Syrians, all of their constituencies, are stuck between the anvil of despotism and the hammer of poverty.

In this context, the Kurds, being part of the Syrian fabric, have a twofold historical responsibility: one, towards their national cause, and two, towards the democratic project of transformation in Syria. Therefore, the Kurds' success in coordinating their vision and positions is a success for all Syrians who dream of a free, pluralistic, and democratic homeland.

In response to Leader Abdullah Ocalan's appeal. and expanding the bases of democracy

By linking the conference to Leader Abdullah Ocalan's call, it is clear that the Kurdish movement is not rooted in isolationism but in a deep faith that change can be achieved only by founding a democratic society. This notion, as proposed by the leader, involves liberating societies from the monopoly of the totalitarian nation-state, building a culture of popular participation, and advancing the role of women and the young as key makers of the future.

The internal Kurdish debates fostered by the conference are the pillars of this idealized society and an inexorable lead-in to a larger discourse that will include all citizens of Syria: Kurds, Arabs, Syriacs, Assyrians, Circassians, Turkmen, and all minorities and sects that must position themselves as being included within the new social compact.

The importance of the conference at the Syrian level

The Kurds' success in coming together in a common position not only strengthens their own cause, but also acts as a model to all Syrians of how national consensus can be built beyond foreign diktat or the threat of armed struggle. Kurdish unity would necessarily involve an embracing of the free popular will doctrine, the basis of all successful democratic endeavors.

This Kurdish unification also sends a powerful message to the powers in the region and beyond that the Kurds are not a card that an individual plays, but a genuine national force, a partner in peacebuilding, and not a participant in the proxy wars that have devastated Syria.

Challenges of the next phase

Although the conference is important, the path ahead for the Kurdish unification project in the future is not strewn with roses. There are hurdles internally of having to navigate over partisan sensitivities and particularistic interests, as well as internal hurdles in the shape of regional pressures attempting to sabotage any genuine democratic initiative for Syria.

However, after the confrontation of Leader Abdullah Ocalan's call, continuing internal discussion, and engaging all the forces, civil society, women, and youth could convert these confrontations into real chances to build a new reality.

In short, the Kurdish Unity Conference is the beginning of a long journey toward the establishment of a free, democratic society, not only for Kurds, but for all Syrians. Kurdish unity, initiated by the appeal for peace and a democratic society, is the basis for building a new Syria, based on justice, equality, and pluralism.

This is a correct moment of testing and a historic moment that must not be let go. The more successful a Kurdish unity is, the nearer Syria as a whole will be to a new day that will dawn again and bring back the dignity of the Syrian people and the unity of the Syrian homeland.

T/S

ANHA