Since 2012, there has been a democratic self-government in northeastern Syria organized according to the principles of democratic confederalism. The social system of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES) constitutes a real alternative to the capitalist system, especially for people and movements fighting for a more just world. The economy is vital in this context. What kind of economic order is there in Rojava/North and EastSyria? What economic spheres exist, and who controls them? How are the market, production, and consumption organized? How is the issue of property dealt with? What are the class relations in Rojava, and what role does the class struggle play in the revolution?
The Academy of Democratic Modernity (ADM) has posed these and other questions to Dr. Azize Aslan, an expert on the region and its economic aspects. Her published book “Anticapitalist Economy in Rojava” elaborates on these questions and is published in English and Spanish. The German version will be published in 2025.
Azize Aslan is from Kurdistan and lives in Mexico. She studied economics and did her master’s degree in development economics in Istanbul, where she supported the organisation of women’s cooperatives. Since then she has been working on issues related to women’s economy and co-operatives in Kurdistan. She holds a PhD in Sociology from the Institute of Social Sciences and Humanities of the Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Mexico. She received the Jorge Alonso Chair Award for her work in 2021. This interview with ADM was conducted in November 2024.
