Preparation committee members expressed that there were no nation states in Mesopotamia and the Middle East in the past, that the peoples lived in a system resembling a federal and democratic one in the framework of shared values and asked “Why wouldn’t we build this common life again today around democratic values?” The preparation committee members state that the problems in the region stem from the nation state concept and that the free and common future of the peoples is possible through a democratic federal system and said, “Our 2-year experience of a democratic autonomous administration shows that a common life is possible.”

The members say they have taken important decisions in their meetings and said the common life principle will protect all peoples, no matter how big or small a community, this principle will bring freedom for the intellectual and political realms and that “this way, all peoples accept each other”.

Committee members express that the women and the youth are the fundamental forces of democratic federalism and say, “If the women are not participating in a system with their free will, there can be no talk of democratic criteria there.” Members Lokman Ehmê, Eli Zabet Gevriye, Ahmed El Salman, Esat Beşir El Yasin expressed that the federal system does not aim to establish a state, it bases itself on a democratic nation and organised society and aims to shrink the state. They spoke to the ANF and assessed the social contract efforts.

THE SOCIAL CONTRACT IS BASED ON FREEDOMS

Preparation Committee member Lokman Ehmê said that one of the important articles of the social contract dealt with the protection of nature and ecology and continued,  “We have taken important decisions on the building of an ecological and democratic society and against the destruction of nature.” Ehmê pointed out that the philosophy based on the nation state gives humans a role of domination over nature and said, “According to our ideological view, humans are an important part of nature, but they need to protect the natural balance, as well as ensure the continuation of the species.” Ehmê continued:

“We have attempted to understand what could be part of the social contract by visiting and taking in assessments and proposals from the peoples of Rojava and Northern Syria, the CSOs and political parties. We continue our discussions and efforts over the emerging draft. The draft is based on the fraternity of peoples, gender equality, women’s freedom and protecting the rights of all peoples in the democratic federal system.

Although the state emerged as an organisational method, it has turned into a sovereign power and thus an order of oppression. The sovereign power of the state will be reduced in direct relation with us establishing democratic values starting with society based communes and assemblies. The society is as strong as its organisation, a highly organised society will not allow for any one power’s sovereignity. If everybody organises among themselves in their localities and fulfills their vital needs, social, ecological and self-defense issues will be solved. An equality among genders must be established within this system. And that is not enough in itself, the system needs to ensure women’s freedom. In sovereign regimes there is an understanding of “life can’t exist without the state”. The peoples of Rojava have been running the administration themselves without a state for two years. An understanding of the possibility of life without states is emerging among the population in the democratic self government areas. The federal democratic system is based on the principles of liberty and equality based on the fraternity of the peoples. Society can develop only if everybody is united in the spirit of fraternity in an equal and free way. We must not forget that the nation state has become the main source of the problem because it bases itself on one nation and one society.”

WOMEN ARE CRITERIA FOR FREEDOMS

Assyrian committee member Elizabet Gevriye expressed that they had reached important decisions in building a new society and said they based their efforts around the women’s freedom. Gevriye pointed out that the legitimacy of the social contract they were drafting has a societal side, that “the system consists of the sum of all peoples living in Cizirê” and continued:

“All peoples, cultures and religions take their place in the democratic federal system. The societal sphere and the common life are important issues that we especially focus on. The contract is based on social justice.

The principles section asserts that the women and the youth are the pioneers of this system. We put immense importance on the issue of women’s rights and we put women’s freedom to the center of all our efforts. Because we are building a democratic system, and if women are not participating in a system with their free will, there can be no talk of democratic criteria there. Women’s freedom is the source for all other freedoms. Social issues cannot be solved until the gender issue is solved. We have reached a level of social trust with the struggle of the women and the youth. Women have proven themselves in war, in politics and in the social sphere. This is why women have become the voice of the revolution.

We are building a system based on the democratic nation and a diverse and rich social structure. Thus, we refuse the monist system and its practices. We are working from a humane and moral system. A social justice that encompasses wide sections of society is an important measure. A system that doesn’t include all parts of a society can’t be just.

The peoples of the region, primarily the Kurdish and Assyrian peoples, have faced numerous massacres and atrocities. We as the Assyrian people take our place here because this is a democratic system. Other peoples have representation in the system as well, with their own culture and language. Because the federal democratic system refuses the monist system the sovereign system is based on. Our martyrs, our young daughters and sons paid a heavy price for us to reach freedom and peace, to prevent massacres, to build a new life. We can’t forget that we established this revolution through a struggle of great belief, will and resolve.

AS PEOPLES, OUR AIMS IN THE FUNDAMENTAL ISSUES ARE THE SAME

Arab committee member Ahmed El Salman said the cultures of the Kurdish, Arab, Assyrian and other peoples living in the Cizirê Canton have different languages but their cultures are similar and said their aims in the fundamental issues are the same. Expressing that the committee has reached a resolution in the discussed issues and that they have reached important methods of solution for the freedom of all peoples. Salman said:

“We have based our efforts on the democratic rights of the Kurdish, Arab, Assyrian, Turkmen, Chechen and other peoples in Rojava and Northern Syria, regardless of how big their population is.

The dynamics of the federal system emerge not from a political group or a party, but from society itself. In nation states, a political party builds hegemony over the whole society with the authority they usurp, and disregard the needs of the people, and this is at the root of the problems caused by the nation state. There is great diversity in a society. The aim of the democratic federal system is to create a unity where all the peoples of Syria and political, cultural and faith groups are represented. The base requirement for this system is the will of the people for trust and a common life. The Kurdish, Arab, Assyrian and other peoples will live together freely in a spirit of fraternity and justice. The peoples of these lands lived together in peace based on common values for thousands of years. They conducted trade, they had marriages within this common life they built. For example, personally, I am an uncle to the Kurds.”

THE FRATERNITY OF PEOPLES IS FUNDAMENTAL IN DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY

Turkmen committee member Esat Beşir El Yasin stressed that every people in Mesopotamia built a civilisation and played an important role in the development in history and said: “These peoples can now come together in a free and equal manner to organise a life around common values and build a system.” El Yasin said that the last two years of democratic canton administrations have shown that the peoples of Rojava and Northern Syria can live freely and in peace only in a democratic federal system and continued:

“We are in the process of building the democratic federal system for the peoples of Rojava and Northern Syria. Our discussions on the unique conditions in Syria and the proposed solutions to the issues continue. We aim to answer the demands and rights of all our peoples.

All peoples take their place in our system. We have completed most of the social contract. We have reached important decisions for the freedom of our peoples and our common life. We have answered the allegations of establishing a new state with our principle, ‘The federation does not aim to found a new state. It is based on the democratic nation and organised society and aims to shrink the state.’ The federation is based on the people, not the state. Our efforts are nearing an end. We aim to build a democratic system from the bottom up in the society. We take the cantonal democratic system as our base. Our principle goal is to build a system that is democratic and not centralized and protects the rights of all the peoples.”