Make Rojava Green Again - Chapter Four - Ecological Challenges

The illustrated book can be read at https://makerojavagreenagain.org/book/

What is it about the social structures of Rojava that so inspires the fierce loyalty of its defenders and its people? This book answers that question. In language that bridges the Utopian and the concrete, the poetic and the everyday, the Internationalist Commune of Rojava has produced both a vision and a manual for what a free, ecological society can look like. In these pages you will find a philosophical introduction to the idea of social ecology, a theory that argues that only when we end the hierarchical relations between human beings (men over women, young over old, one ethnicity or religion over another) will we be able to heal our relationship with the natural world. Debbie Bookchin Make Rojava Green Again is an excellent book. Written comprehensively, it effectively outlines the fundamental causes of the climate crisis we currently face across the world. In simple terms, it sets out the fundamentals of the theory of ‘Social Ecology;’ that domination of human over human, and capitalist modernity in its infinite drive for growth are responsible for ecological breakdown. Most importantly, this book serves as a profound manifesto of hope for those of us who are fearful for the future of this world. Surrounded by enemies on all borders, and torn by war, the international commune in Rojava still labors to restore the integrity of its ecology and natural environment; this surely is a source of inspiration and it shows that everywhere, in liberated societies, we may hope to preserve the natural fabric of our world. Tim Lewes Nevertheless, Make Rojava Green Again offers a positive vision of the ongoing social revolution taking place in the area. At a moment when the launch of Extinction Rebellion suggests that a resurgent ecology movement is appearing at home, these under-reported initiatives are a great inspiration. Given the immense scale of the ecological challenges facing us, it is often difficult to know where to concentrate efforts. So here are two suggestions. First, your own community, and second, global solidarity initiatives such as this one! This book will help to raise the profile of some hopeful green shoots of change. To give the final word to the Internationalist Commune for Rojava: ‘Rojava needs us, but even more we need Rojava’. Steve Hunt v