When looking at history for examples of the establishment of anarchist societies we often think of the Spanish anarchists in Catalonia or the efforts of the Zapatista army in Mexico. These are both examples of groups using tactics of revolutionary armed conflict against the state and capitalism in an attempt to establish an autonomous stateless society in the here and now. And while anarchist Catalonia was eventually quashed by outside forces, the Zapatistas are still fighting on, albeit using different methods than before.
And then there’s the Partiya Karkerên Kurdistanê (the Kurdistan Workers’ Party or PKK). Formally a Marxist-Leninist political party which fought to establish an independent Kurdish state called Kurdistan. However, under the guidance of their leader Abdullah Öcalan, the party changed its platform and strategy. After Öcalan‘s imprisonment during which he corresponded with American anarchist Murray Bookchin and was deeply influenced by his philosophy of libertarian communalism, he called for the PKK to adopt a platform of democratic confederalism and dropped its demand for the establishment of a Kurdish state, instead advocating complete statelessness.
Democratic confederalism is a political structure consisting of many independent and autonomous communities working together as a confederacy based on the ideas of participatory direct democracy at the local level, social ecology, and anarcha-feminism. According to Öcalan himself, democratic confederalism, “is open towards other political groups and factions. It is flexible, multi-cultural, anti-monopolistic, and consensus-oriented.” These autonomous communities are built upon communalist values and resources are shared amongst all thus making taxation and forced redistribution of resources and wealth unnecessary and irrelevant.
They focus on building their own systems, ignoring the state altogether in their decision making processes. They do not see the revolutionary necessity or sustainability in an armed overthrow of the state but instead advocate a peaceful evacuation from and gradual dissolution of the state as local communities build their own political systems to replace it. However, they do recognize that the state and other groups will retaliate with violence and that self-defense is much needed. That is why communities maintain a series of decentralized armed militias such as Yekîneyên Parastina Gel (People’s Protection Units or YPG) and Yekîneyên Parastina Jin (Women’s Protection Units or YPJ). Their efforts are funded directly by the community through fundraisers, concerts, parties, and independent businesses, making it a true example of community agorism at work.
The YPJ/G model has proven successful thus far, breaking ISIS lines to rescue thousands of Yazidis — a people often hated and condemned as “devil worshippers” by much of the local Islamic community — when they were surrounded on Mount Sinjar in northern Iraq. Also, despite suffering heavy losses, they successfully defended Kobani when ISIS launched an all-out assault on the city with tanks, missiles and even drones.
Already this philosophy and the group’s actions have inspired others across the globe to help in the fight with many socialist, communists, communalists, libertarians, and anarchists alike currently immigrating to the area and helping to fight hand-in-hand with the PKK. The YPG and YPJ are currently fighting to secure and maintain a free and autonomous Kurdish democratic confederacy against the Turkish government and ISIS, and hope to spread the philosophy far beyond an independent stateless Kurdistan. The PKK has hopes of democratic confederate workers’ revolutions spreading across the world much in the same fashion as the Marxist-Leninist revolutions did in the past. But this time they hope to achieve it by more libertarian means. This is an anarchist revolution unfolding before our very eyes.
Katika historia ya ulimwengu, tunaona kwamba jamii za anarchist zilijengwa kwa sababu ya mapambano ya wapiganaji wa Zapatista huko Mexico. Hizi ni mifano ya makundi mawili ya kutumia mbinu za mapigano ya kijeshi ya mapinduzi dhidi ya serikali na ubepari katika jaribio la kuanzisha jamii huru isiyo na serikali hapa na sasa. Hata hivyo, wakati Catalonia ya anarchist ilipopigwa na nguvu za nje, Zapatistas bado wanapigana, ingawa kwa kutumia mbinu tofauti kuliko hapo awali. Na kisha kuna Partiya Karkerên Kurdistanê (Chama cha Wafanyakazi wa Kurdistan au PKK). Huo ulikuwa muungano wa Marxist-Leninist ambao ulijitahidi kuanzisha jimbo la Kurdistan. Hata hivyo, chini ya mwongozo wa kiongozi wao Abdullah Öcalan, chama hicho kilibadilisha jukwaa na mkakati wake. Baada ya kufungwa, Öcalan alishirikiana na Murray Bookchin, mwanaharakati wa siasa za uhuru, na alitoa wito kwa PKK kuchukua jukwaa la demokrasia ya jumuiya na kuacha madai yake ya kuanzisha serikali ya Kikurdi, badala yake akipendekeza kutokuwa na serikali kabisa. "Kondemokrasia ya kidemokrasia ni muundo wa kisiasa unaojumuisha jamii nyingi huru na zenye uhuru zinazofanya kazi pamoja kama ""kondemokrasia ya moja kwa moja ya ushiriki"" kwa kiwango cha ndani, ikolojia ya kijamii, na anarcha-feminism." Kulingana na Öcalan mwenyewe, confederalism ya kidemokrasia, <unk>ni wazi kwa makundi mengine ya kisiasa na makundi. Ni rahisi, multicultural, anti-monopoly, na makubaliano-oriented. <unk> Jamii hizi za kujitegemea ni kujengwa juu ya maadili communalist na rasilimali ni pamoja kati ya wote hivyo kufanya kodi na kulazimishwa usambazaji wa rasilimali na utajiri unnecessary na yasiyo ya muhimu. Wao kuzingatia kujenga mifumo yao wenyewe, kupuuza serikali kabisa katika michakato yao ya kufanya maamuzi. Hawana kuona uhitaji wa mapinduzi au uendelevu katika kupinduliwa kwa silaha kwa serikali, lakini badala yake wanadai uhamisho wa amani na kufutwa kwa hatua kwa hatua kwa serikali wakati jamii za mitaa zinajenga mifumo yao ya kisiasa ili kuibadilisha. Hata hivyo, wanatambua kwamba serikali na vikundi vingine vitachukua kisasi kwa jeuri na kwamba kujilinda ni jambo linalohitajika sana. Kwa hivyo, jamii zinaendelea na safu ya wanamgambo wenye silaha kama vile Yekineh Parastina Gel (Vikosi vya Ulinzi wa Watu) na Yekineh Parastina Jin (Vikosi vya Ulinzi wa Wanawake). Jitihada zao zinafadhiliwa moja kwa moja na jamii kupitia kukusanya fedha, matamasha, vyama, na biashara huru, na kuifanya kuwa mfano halisi wa jamii agorism kazini. "Mfano wa YPG umefanikiwa hadi sasa, kuvunja mipaka ya IS ili kuokoa maelfu ya Yazidi - watu ambao mara nyingi walichukiwa na kuhukumiwa kama ""waabudu shetani"" na sehemu kubwa ya jamii ya Kiislamu ya eneo hilo - wakati walipokuwa wamezungukwa kwenye Mlima Sinjar kaskazini mwa Iraq." "Hata hivyo, licha ya kupoteza watu wengi, walishinda Kobani wakati IS iliposhambulia mji huo kwa kutumia mizinga, makombora na hata ndege zisizo na rubani.""" "Hatua za kundi hilo zimewasaidia watu wengine duniani kote kusaidia katika mapambano na wanasiasa wengi, wakomunisti, wa kijamii, wa uhuru, na wa anarchist kwa wakati mmoja wanaohamia eneo hilo na kusaidia kupigana mkono kwa mkono na PKK. """ YPG na YPJ sasa wanapigana ili kuhakikisha na kudumisha muungano wa kidemokrasia wa Kikurdi huru na wenye uhuru dhidi ya serikali ya Uturuki na ISIS, na wanatarajia kueneza falsafa hiyo mbali zaidi ya Kurdistan huru isiyo na serikali. PKK ina matumaini ya mapinduzi ya wafanyakazi ya kidemokrasia ya kuenea ulimwenguni kote kwa njia ile ile kama mapinduzi ya Marxist-Leninist yalivyofanya zamani. Lakini wakati huu wanatumaini kufanikisha hilo kwa njia za uhuru zaidi. Hii ni mapinduzi ya anarchist yanayojitokeza mbele ya macho yetu.