DOCSLIB.ORG

In Pursuit of Freedom, Justice, Dignity, and Democracy

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

In pursuit of freedom, justice, dignity, and democracy Rojava’s social contract Institutional development in (post) – conflict societies “In establishing this Charter, we declare a political system and civil administration founded upon a social contract that reconciles the rich mosaic of Syria through a transitional phase from dictatorship, civil war and destruction, to a new democratic society where civil life and social justice are preserved”. Wageningen University Social Sciences Group MSc Thesis Sociology of Development and Change Menno Molenveld (880211578090) Supervisor: Dr. Ir. J.P Jongerden Co – Supervisor: Dr. Lotje de Vries 1 | “In pursuit of freedom, justice, dignity, and democracy” – Rojava’s social contract Abstract: Societies recovering from Civil War often re-experience violent conflict within a decade. (1) This thesis provides a taxonomy of the different theories that make a claim on why this happens. (2) These theories provide policy instruments to reduce the risk of recurrence, and I asses under what circumstances they can best be implemented. (3) I zoom in on one policy instrument by doing a case study on institutional development in the north of Syria, where governance has been set – up using a social contract. After discussing social contract theory, text analysis and in depth interviews are used to understand the dynamics of (post) conflict governance in the northern parts of Syria. I describe the functioning of several institutions that have been set –up using a social contract and relate it to “the policy instruments” that can be used to mitigate the risk of conflict recurrence. I conclude that (A) different levels of analysis are needed to understand the dynamics in (the north) of Syria and (B) that the social contract provides mechanisms to prevent further conflict and (C) that in terms of assistance the “quality of life instrument” is best suitable for Rojava. 2 | “In pursuit of freedom, justice, dignity, and democracy” – Rojava’s social contract Preface The idea of this thesis originates from a flyer that was passed on during one of the courses of the Master International Development Studies curriculum. The flyer depicted the subject of the Social Contract in Relation to Rojava. Although I was not very familiar with the name Rojava, I had read previously read about the concept of the social contract, which immediately drew my attention. Whether the areas in which governance has been set up using the social contract are called Rojava, Syria or anything else depends on who you ask, and whatever they make of it. My motivation for this thesis as such was mostly related to institutional development in relation to conflict recurrence. To quote Waltz (1959) “asking who won a given war, is like asking who won the San Francisco earthquake, in wars there is no victory but only varying degrees of defeat”. Unfortunately because of security reasons I have not been able to do my research within the areas itself, still a war zone, the risks simply couldn’t be justified. Acknowledgements Many people contributed to the end product, and I would like to thank all my interviewees; Sheruan Hassan, Ercan Ayboga, Sinam Mohammed, and Robert Lowe, but also Bonnie Bogaard who helped me with the planning of the first interview. Finally I would like to thank Joost Jongerden for his support and positive suggestions during the past months. 3 | “In pursuit of freedom, justice, dignity, and democracy” – Rojava’s social contract Frequently used Terms Conflict Trap After violent intra state conflict, countries have an increased risk of returning to violence within the first decade or the postconflict phase. Around fifty percent of all civil wars, re –start again, within a decade. Intra – state conflict According to Doyle and Sambanis (2000) intra state conflict is an armed conflict when it suffices all the following conditions: (a) it caused more than one thousand deaths overall and in at least a single year; (b) it has challenged the sovereignty of an internationally recognized state; (c) it occurred within the recognized boundary of that state; (d) it involved the state as a principal combatant; (e) it included rebels with the ability to mount organized armed opposition to the state; and (f) the parties were concerned with the prospect of living together in the same political unit after the end of the war (Doyle and Sambanis, 2000, p.10). Libertarian Municipalism A political ideology described by Murray Bookchin emphasizing, decentralised politics, a “cooperative economy”, gender equality and a social ecology. Rojava In Kurmanji, Rojava translates into: the west. The west in this case refers to “the western parts of Kurdistan”. Rojava consists of three cantons: Cezîre, Kobanê and Afrin also refered to as the autonomous regions. Social contract Theoretical concept with two functions; describes the historical inception of states, or thought experiment for determining principles of justice. 4 | “In pursuit of freedom, justice, dignity, and democracy” – Rojava’s social contract List of political actors in Rojava (Khalaf, 2016). Assad, Bashar President of Syria (disputed) since 2000, and commander of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA). DAA Democratic Autonomous Administration A structure of local governance systems comprised of local councils and assemblies across three cantons the PYD collectively calls Rojava. SDF Syrian Democratic Forces Alliance of Arab and YPG/YPJ armed groups created in 2015 and of whom the majority belongs to the YPG/YPJ. It is supported by the United States fight the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and other jihadist groups. PYD (Partiya Yekîtiya Dîmokratik) - Kurdish Democratic Union Party Founded in 2003, the PYD is the dominant force in Kurdish majority areas in Syria. It established the Rojava governance project, which it administers though its subsidiary organizations. The PYD is often considered the PKK’s militant sister organization in Syria, although it denies this. PKK Kurdistan Workers’ Party (Partiya Karkerên Kurdistanê) A Marxist-Leninist Kurdish militant party founded by Abdullah Öcalan in 1978 seeking Kurdish self-determination in Turkey. Its base is in the Qandil mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan. TEV-DEM Movement for a Democratic Society (Tevgera Dîmokrat) The PYD-dominated coalition leading the Rojava project. YPG People’s Defense Units (Yekîneyên Parastina Gel) The armed service of the PYD, and, by extension, the Rojava project. YPJ Women’s Defense Units (Yekîneyên Parastina Jinê) The woman’s armed service of the PYD, and, by extension, the Rojava project. 5 | “In pursuit of freedom, justice, dignity, and democracy” – Rojava’s social contract List of tables and figures Figure 1: Phases of conflict……………………………………………….………………………. P.13 Figure 2: The conflict trap: Three levels of analysis ……...................... P.15 Figure 3: The conflict trap: Security Firsters……………………………………………..P.18 Figure 4: The conflict trap: Collier…………………………………………………………….. P.19 Figure 5: The conflict trap: Fukuyama…………………………………………………….. P.20 Figure 6: The path – dependency of the post conflict ……………………………. P.22 Figure 7: Turkish, Syrian, and Iraqi Kurds – political movements………… P.44 Figure 8: Global trends in armed conflict………………………………………………….. P.73 Table 1: Postconflict conditions and policy recommendations………………… P.24 Table 2: Social contract theory: Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau……….…….. P.28 Table 3: Research Designs…………………………………………………………………………. P.36 Table 4: Answering the research questions…………………………………..…………. P.41 Table 5: The Trias Politica of Rojava………………………………………………….……… P.54 Table 6: Rights and liberties………………………………………………………………………. P.52 Table 6: The functions of the legislative Assembly………………………..………… P.53 Table 7: Democratic Confederalism…………………………………………….……………. P.53 Table 8: The Legislative Assembly…………………………………………………………….. P.56 Table 9: The Executive Council………………………………………………………………….. P.57 Table 10: The Supreme Constitutional Court………………………………..…………. P.58 Table 11: The Canton Governor………………………………………………………………… P.60 Table 12: The municipal council……………………………………………………………….. P.61 Table 13: Intrastate conflict terminations over time ………………………........ P.73 Table 14: Civil war recurrence: Risk factors…………………………………………….. P.74 Table 15: Overview of Civil wars P.76 Table 16: The higher commission of elections…………………………………………. P.77 Table 17: Procedure for determination of the constitutionality of laws…. P.78 Map 1: The military situation in Syria (01 -05 -2017). P.79 6 | “In pursuit of freedom, justice, dignity, and democracy” – Rojava’s social contract Table of Contents (1) Introduction: violent conflict & development ........................................................ 8 The Syrian conflict and Rojava .............................................................................10 (2)Theoretical chapter – conflict trap theory ............................................................11 (2.1) Conflict trap theory – empirical patterns .......................................................11 (2.1.1) Conflict trap theory - units of analysis and theoretical arguments ..................12 (2.2) Policy instruments & the strategic deficit .......................................................21 (2.3) Summarizing the postconflict literature & the aim of this thesis .....................25 (2) Theoretical chapter - Social contract theory ........................................................26 (2.4) Social contract theory .................................................................................26 (2.4.2) Modern
Recommended publications
  • Iraq: Opposition to the Government in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI)

    Iraq: Opposition to the Government in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI)

    Country Policy and Information Note Iraq: Opposition to the government in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) Version 2.0 June 2021 Preface Purpose This note provides country of origin information (COI) and analysis of COI for use by Home Office decision makers handling particular types of protection and human rights claims (as set out in the Introduction section). It is not intended to be an exhaustive survey of a particular subject or theme. It is split into two main sections: (1) analysis and assessment of COI and other evidence; and (2) COI. These are explained in more detail below. Assessment This section analyses the evidence relevant to this note – i.e. the COI section; refugee/human rights laws and policies; and applicable caselaw – by describing this and its inter-relationships, and provides an assessment of, in general, whether one or more of the following applies: • A person is reasonably likely to face a real risk of persecution or serious harm • The general humanitarian situation is so severe as to breach Article 15(b) of European Council Directive 2004/83/EC (the Qualification Directive) / Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights as transposed in paragraph 339C and 339CA(iii) of the Immigration Rules • The security situation presents a real risk to a civilian’s life or person such that it would breach Article 15(c) of the Qualification Directive as transposed in paragraph 339C and 339CA(iv) of the Immigration Rules • A person is able to obtain protection from the state (or quasi state bodies) • A person is reasonably able to relocate within a country or territory • A claim is likely to justify granting asylum, humanitarian protection or other form of leave, and • If a claim is refused, it is likely or unlikely to be certifiable as ‘clearly unfounded’ under section 94 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002.
  • Murray Bookchin´S Libertarian Municipalism

    Murray Bookchin´S Libertarian Municipalism

    CONCEPTOS Y FENÓMENOS FUNDAMENTALES DE NUESTRO TIEMPO UNAM UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL AUTÓNOMA DE MÉXICO INSTITUTO DE INVESTIGACIONES SOCIALES MURRAY BOOKCHIN´S LIBERTARIAN MUNICIPALISM JANET BIEHL AGOSTO 2019 1 MURRAY BOOKCHIN’S LIBERTARIAN MUNICIPALISM By Janet Biehl The lifelong project of the American social theorist Murray Bookchin (1921–2006) was to try to perpetuate the centuries-old revolutionary socialist tradition. Born to socialist revolutionary parents in the Bronx, New York, he joined the international Communist movement as a Young Pioneer in 1930, then was inducted into the Young Communist League in 1934, where he trained to become a young commissar for the coming proletarian revolution. Impatient with traditional secondary education, he received a thoroughgoing education in Marxism-Leninism at the Workers School in lower Manhattan, where he immersed himself in dialectical materialism and the labor theory of value. But in the summer of 1939, when Stalin’s Soviet Union formed a pact with Nazi Germany, he cut his ties with the party to join the Trotskyists, who expected World War II to end in international proletarian revolution. When the war ended with no such revolution, many radical socialists of his generation abandoned the Left altogether.1 But Bookchin refused to give up on the socialist revolutionary project, or abandon the goal of replacing barbarism with socialism. Instead, in the 1950s, he set out to renovate leftist thought for the current era. He concluded that the new revolutionary arena would be not the factory but the city; that the new revolutionary agent would be not the industrial worker but the citizen; that the basic institution of the new society must be, not the dictatorship of the proletariat, but the citizens’ assembly in a face-to-face democracy; and that the limits of capitalism must be ecological.
  • Iraq 2019 Human Rights Report

    Iraq 2019 Human Rights Report

    IRAQ 2019 HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Iraq is a constitutional parliamentary republic. The 2018 parliamentary elections, while imperfect, generally met international standards of free and fair elections and led to the peaceful transition of power from Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to Adil Abd al-Mahdi. On December 1, in response to protesters’ demands for significant changes to the political system, Abd al-Mahdi submitted his resignation, which the Iraqi Council of Representatives (COR) accepted. As of December 17, Abd al-Mahdi continued to serve in a caretaker capacity while the COR worked to identify a replacement in accordance with the Iraqi constitution. Numerous domestic security forces operated throughout the country. The regular armed forces and domestic law enforcement bodies generally maintained order within the country, although some armed groups operated outside of government control. Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) consist of administratively organized forces within the Ministries of Interior and Defense, and the Counterterrorism Service. The Ministry of Interior is responsible for domestic law enforcement and maintenance of order; it oversees the Federal Police, Provincial Police, Facilities Protection Service, Civil Defense, and Department of Border Enforcement. Energy police, under the Ministry of Oil, are responsible for providing infrastructure protection. Conventional military forces under the Ministry of Defense are responsible for the defense of the country but also carry out counterterrorism and internal security operations in conjunction with the Ministry of Interior. The Counterterrorism Service reports directly to the prime minister and oversees the Counterterrorism Command, an organization that includes three brigades of special operations forces. The National Security Service (NSS) intelligence agency reports directly to the prime minister.
  • The Politics of Security in Ninewa: Preventing an ISIS Resurgence in Northern Iraq

    The Politics of Security in Ninewa: Preventing an ISIS Resurgence in Northern Iraq

    The Politics of Security in Ninewa: Preventing an ISIS Resurgence in Northern Iraq Julie Ahn—Maeve Campbell—Pete Knoetgen Client: Office of Iraq Affairs, U.S. Department of State Harvard Kennedy School Faculty Advisor: Meghan O’Sullivan Policy Analysis Exercise Seminar Leader: Matthew Bunn May 7, 2018 This Policy Analysis Exercise reflects the views of the authors and should not be viewed as representing the views of the US Government, nor those of Harvard University or any of its faculty. Acknowledgements We would like to express our gratitude to the many people who helped us throughout the development, research, and drafting of this report. Our field work in Iraq would not have been possible without the help of Sherzad Khidhir. His willingness to connect us with in-country stakeholders significantly contributed to the breadth of our interviews. Those interviews were made possible by our fantastic translators, Lezan, Ehsan, and Younis, who ensured that we could capture critical information and the nuance of discussions. We also greatly appreciated the willingness of U.S. State Department officials, the soldiers of Operation Inherent Resolve, and our many other interview participants to provide us with their time and insights. Thanks to their assistance, we were able to gain a better grasp of this immensely complex topic. Throughout our research, we benefitted from consultations with numerous Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) faculty, as well as with individuals from the larger Harvard community. We would especially like to thank Harvard Business School Professor Kristin Fabbe and Razzaq al-Saiedi from the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative who both provided critical support to our project.
  • Social Ecology and the Non-Western World

    Social Ecology and the Non-Western World

    Speech delivered at the conference “Challenging Capitalist Modernity II: Dissecting Capitalist Modernity–Building Democratic Confederalism”, 3–5 April 2015, Hamburg. Texts of the conference are published at http://networkaq.net/2015/speeches 2.5 Federico Venturini Social Ecology and the non-Western World Murray Bookchin was the founder of the social ecology, a philosophical perspective whose political project is called libertarian municipalism or Communalism. Recently there has been a revival of interest in this project, due to its influence on the socio-political organization in Rojava, a Kurdish self-managed region in the Syrian state. This should not be a surprise because Bookchin's works influenced Abdul Öcalan for a more than a decade, a key Kurdish leader who developed a political project called Democratic Confederalism. We should all welcome this renewed interest in social ecology and take lessons from the Rojava experience. Bookchin's analyses have always been more focussed on North-American or European experiences and so libertarian municipalism draws from these traditions. Moreover, Bookchin, who was writing in a Cold war scenario, was suspicious of the limits of national movements struggling for independence. The aim of this paper is to develop and enlarge Bookchin's analysis, including experiences and traditions from different cultures and movements, and their interrelations on a global scale. First, it explores social ecology perspective in non- Western contexts. Second, it will introduce new tools to deal with inter-national relations based on world system theory. Third, it will suggests that new experiences coming from non-Western regions can strength social ecology understanding and practices.
  • Bookchin's Libertarian Municipalism

    Bookchin's Libertarian Municipalism

    BOOKCHIN’S LIBERTARIAN MUNICIPALISM Janet BIEHL1 ABSTRACT: The purpose of this article is to present the Libertarian Municipalism Theory developed by Murray Bookchin. The text is divided into two sections. The first section presents the main precepts of Libertarian Municipalism. The second section shows how Bookchin’s ideas reached Rojava in Syria and is influencing the political organization of the region by the Kurds. The article used the descriptive methodology and was based on the works of Murray Bookchin and field research conducted by the author over the years. KEYWORDS: Murray Bookchin. Libertarian Municipalism. Rojava. Introduction The lifelong project of the American social theorist Murray Bookchin (1921-2006) was to try to perpetuate the centuries-old revolutionary socialist tradition. Born to socialist revolutionary parents in the Bronx, New York, he joined the international Communist movement as a Young Pioneer in 1930 and trained to become a young commissar for the coming proletarian revolution. Impatient with traditional secondary education, he received a thoroughgoing education in Marxism-Leninism at the Workers School in lower Manhattan, immersing himself in dialectical materialism and the labor theory of value. But by the time Stalin’s Soviet Union formed a pact with Nazi Germany (in the sum- mer of 1939), he cut his ties with the party to join the Trotskyists, who expected World War II to end in international proletarian revolutions. When the war 1 Janet Biehl is an American political writer who is the author of numerous books and articles associated with social ecology, the body of ideas developed and publicized by Murray Bookchin.
  • Violations of the Turkish Army in Rojava

    Violations of the Turkish Army in Rojava

    Foreign Affairs Commission in Al-Jazeera Canton Rojava –North Syria Violations of the Turkish Army 12, October ,2016 1 Index : Introduction ……………………………… 3 Al-Jazeera Canton - Beating civilian cases 2015 …………… 4 - 6 - Beating civilian cases 2016 …………… 7 - 17 - Shooting Civilian cases ……………….. 18 - 27 - Killing civilian cases …………………... 28 - 36 - Transgressing lands …………………… 37 - 40 Kobani Canton - Killing civilians on the borders ………... 41 - 43 - Injuring civilians ……………………….. 44 - 45 - Transgressing lands …………………….. 46 - 47 Afrin Canton - Beating civilians cases …………………… 48 - 49 - Transgressing lands …………………....... 50 – 52 Contributors …………………………………………… 53 2 Violations of the Turkish Army in Rojava Introduction: According to the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights proclaimed on 10 December 1948 by General Assembly resolution 217(III) A , and what is mentioned in the Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Being Subjected to Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment adopted by the General Assembly resolution 3452 (XXX) on 9 December 1975, and the four Geneva Conventions relative to the protection of civilian persons in time of war in 1949 and the additional protocols of 1979 . Accordingly, it is the right of individuals and groups to sue whoever violates the agreed upon laws and principles and agreements by the international community to protect them and preserve their rights, especially those fleeing from areas of conflict and war whether civilians or soldiers , by legal or illegal ways through ports or international borders. We observed and documented scores of cases of beating and killing of civilians on the Turkish-Syrian border by the Turkish border guards. Therefore, out of moral responsibility and our legal and jurist commitment to the principles and laws of the international and humanitarian community ,we decided to submit this file to the relevant international bodies .
  • Identification of the Non-Professional Territorial Armed Formations on the MENA Region

    Identification of the Non-Professional Territorial Armed Formations on the MENA Region

    Securitologia No 1/2016 Maciej Paszyn National Defence University, Warsaw, Poland Identification of the non-professional territorial armed formations on the MENA Region Abstract Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is characterized by a high incidence of local intrastate or international armed conflicts. In the vast majority of cases, in these operations are involved the non-professional territorial armed forces. These are military organizations composed of volunteers living various local communities. This article shows the role and significance of these formations on the example of the civil war in Syria. Keywords: armed conflict, MENA region, territorial defence, Syrian Civil War, Free Syrian Army, Peoples Protection Units DOI: 10.5604/01.3001.0009.3835 ISSN: 1898-4509 ISSN: 2449-7436 online pdf E-mail contact to the Author: [email protected] 121 Maciej Paszyn Introduction Starting from the beginning of the mass anti-government protests called “The Arab Spring”1, 17 December 2010, in the Middle East and North Africa hereinafter referred to as the MENA, observed a significant number of armed conflicts. General character- istics of the listed conflicts defines them in the vast majority, as Non-international, anti- government military operations characterized in certain cases, as the substrate religious and activities of the international organization of Sunni-called “Islamic state” (IS)2. Described conflicts have been observed in areas such countries as Iraq, Yemen, Leb- anon, Libya and Syria. It should be noted that these are unfinished conflicts with highly dynamic events, which making it difficult to conduct research and will outdated infor- mation in certain cases.
  • Download the Full Report

    Download the Full Report

    HUMAN “Maybe We Live RIGHTS and Maybe We Die” WATCH Recruitment and Use of Children by Armed Groups in Syria “Maybe We Live and Maybe We Die” Recruitment and Use of Children by Armed Groups in Syria Copyright © 2014 Human Rights Watch All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America ISBN: 978-1-62313-1425 Cover design by Rafael Jimenez Human Rights Watch defends the rights of people worldwide. We scrupulously investigate abuses, expose the facts widely, and pressure those with power to respect rights and secure justice. Human Rights Watch is an independent, international organization that works as part of a vibrant movement to uphold human dignity and advance the cause of human rights for all. Human Rights Watch is an international organization with staff in more than 40 countries, and offices in Amsterdam, Beirut, Berlin, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Goma, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Nairobi, New York, Paris, San Francisco, Sydney, Tokyo, Toronto, Tunis, Washington DC, and Zurich. For more information, please visit our website: http://www.hrw.org JUNE 2014 ISBN: 978-1-62313-1425 “Maybe We Live and Maybe We Die” Recruitment and Use of Children by Armed Groups in Syria Summary ......................................................................................................................... 1 Recommendations ........................................................................................................... 5 To All Armed Groups Fighting in Syria .......................................................................................
  • The Rojava Revolution ANARCHISM in the MIDDLE EAST

    The Rojava Revolution ANARCHISM in the MIDDLE EAST

    ANARCHISM IN THE MIDDLE EAST The Rojava Revolution Rojava Solidarity NYC is an anarchist organization that aims to spread info and show solidarity with the revolutionary region of Rojava. [email protected] Cities in Kurdistan. Solidarity With the Rojava Revolution The people of Rojava are engaged in one of the most liberatory social projects of our time. What began as an experiment in the wake of Assad’s state forces has become a stateless aggregation of autonomous councils and collectives. What began as a struggle for national liberation has resulted in strong militias and defense forces, the members of which fully participate in the unique social and political life of their region. What started as a fight for Kurdish people has resulted in a regional home for a Kurds, Arabs, Syrians, Arameans, Turks, Armenians, Yazidis, Chechens and other groups. What began as the hierarchical Marxist- Leninist political party, the PKK, has evolved into what its leader Abdullah Öcalan calls "Democratic Confederalism", a “system of a people without a State”, inspired by the work of Murray Bookchin. What we see in Rojava today is anarchism in practice. Each Canton subscribes to a constitution that affirms a society free from authoritarianism and centralism, while allowing for pragmatic autonomy and pluralism. Councils are formed at the street, city, and regional levels. While each council functions differently in cohesion with local particularities, a few key similarlities can be found throughout. Committees are self-organized, the councils mediate conflict on an individualized level, cooperatives strive for economic independence through local production. The explicit intention of the Cantons is to remain decentralized and stateless, and to extend this practice beyond state borders where nascent councils have already usurped the state in dealing with day-to-day affairs.
  • Women Rights in Rojava- English

    Women Rights in Rojava- English

    Table of Contents Introduction .................................................................................................................................................... 2 1- Women’s Political Role in the Autonomous Administration Project in Rojava ...................................... 3 1.1 Women’s Role in the Autonomous Administration ....................................................................... 3 1.1.1 Committees for Women ......................................................................................................... 4 1.1.2 The Women’s Committee ....................................................................................................... 4 1.1.3 Women’s Associations - The “Kongreya Star” ........................................................................ 5 1.2 Women’s Representation in Political and Administrative Bodies: ................................................. 6 2. Empowering Women in the Military Field ........................................................................................... 11 2.1 The Representation of Women in the Army ................................................................................ 11 2.2 The People’s Protection Units (YPG) and Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) ................................. 12 2.2.1 The Women’s Protection Units- YPJ ..................................................................................... 12 2.2.2 The People’s Protection Units- YPG .....................................................................................
  • Syria: Internally Displaced Persons, Returnees and Internal Mobility — 3

    Syria: Internally Displaced Persons, Returnees and Internal Mobility — 3

    European Asylum Support Office Syria Internally displaced persons, returnees and internal mobility Country of Origin Information Report April 2020 SUPPORT IS OUR MISSION European Asylum Support Office Syria Internally displaced persons, returnees and internal mobility Country of Origin Information Report April 2020 More information on the European Union is available on the Internet (http://europa.eu). ISBN: 978-92-9485-158-1 doi: 10.2847/460038 © European Asylum Support Office (EASO) 2020 Reproduction is authorised, provided the source is acknowledged, unless otherwise stated. For third-party materials reproduced in this publication, reference is made to the copyrights statements of the respective third parties. Cover photo: © DFID - UK Department for International Development, Syrian women and girls in an informal tented settlement in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, 3 February 2017, (CC BY 2.0) https://www.flickr.com/photos/dfid/31874898573 EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN REPORT SYRIA: INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS, RETURNEES AND INTERNAL MOBILITY — 3 Acknowledgements EASO would like to acknowledge Sweden, Swedish Migration Agency, Country of Origin Information, Section for Information Analysis, as the drafter of this report. The following departments and organisations have reviewed the report: Denmark, Danish Immigration Service (DIS) ACCORD, the Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation It must be noted that the review carried out by the mentioned departments, experts or organisations contributes to the overall quality of the report, but does not necessarily imply their formal endorsement of the final report, which is the full responsibility of EASO. 4 — EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN REPORT SYRIA: INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS, RETURNEES AND INTERNAL MOBILITY Contents Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................................