Comentator: Gaia Giuliani (CES)

Overview

Democratic Confederalism, as currently practiced in North-Eastern Syria, represents a radical alternative praxis in a dual sense: first, as an autonomous life project opposing the patriarchal/colonial/capitalist order; second, as a revolutionary theory that considers women’s liberation as a first, fundamental step towards socio-ecological transformation (rather than vice-versa). Focusing on the region of Rojava, the article argues that the core feature of Democratic Confederalism as a socio-ecological project is the subversion of patriarchy, based upon a matristic perspective. In this sense, the article dialogues with (eco)feminist scholarship and literatures from both the degrowth movement and from decolonial movements, and particularly with current rethinking of matristic principles as fundaments of autonomous ‘design for transition to the pluriverse’ (Escobar 2018). The article originates from ethnographic research carried out over the last two years with the Kurdish Women Movement, both in Rojava and in the European diaspora, cross-referencing it with an analysis of some key texts of Jineolojî
 

This webinar is part of the Political Ecology Reading Group series 2019-20 of the Ecology and Society Lab (Oficina de Ecologia e Sociedade-CES). If you wish to receive a copy of this paper, please contact ecosoc@ces.uc.pt