Rojava and Northern Syria Democratic Federal Constituent Assembly’s Social Contract Preparation Committee has completed the introduction, principles, rights and freedoms, and provisions sections of the Democratic Federal System in the 3 day-long meeting. Sources in the committee stated that the formal discussions on the formation of the Democratic Federation still continue.

Members of the committee, which include Democratic Federal System Co-Chairs Hediye Yusuf and Mansur Sellum, said that they have held extensive talks with several groups and took their views and suggestions in mind, they have gone through every draft and proposal text, and formed a general draft taking into consideration the coexistence needs of every social group in the framework of democratic freedom and equality. The committee members expressed that they expanded and continued their work on the general draft and they have completed the introduction, principles, rights and freedoms and provisions sections of the Democratic Federal System’s social contract in this latest 3-day long meeting.

The Rojava and Northern Syria Democratic Federal Constituent Assembly had been formed with 33 members, 2 of whom are co-chairs, in the congress held in Remelan on March 16-17. The Assembly held its first meeting in the city of Derik on March 23-24 and formed 4 committees of social contract preparation, diplomacy, press and media, and social action.

FEDERAL SYSTEM BASED ON FREEDOM, DEMOCRACY AND FRATERNITY

Giving information on the social contract preparation committee, Lokman Ehmê said that the general draft emerged following extensive discussions and exchange of ideas among a wide social base including all peoples, political parties and CSOs in Rojava and the committee has expanded its work accordingly.

Emphasizing that the draft work was based on the fraternity of the peoples, equality among genders, women’s freedom, and the democratic rights of the peoples, Ehmê said, “The peoples oppressed for hundreds of years are now taking their place in the democratic federal system with their own free will.” Expressing that the social contract was the basis, Ehmê stressed that it was necessary for the continuation of humankind to replace the human-centric system that sacrificed everything else with an approach that protected the balance between human and nature.

PRINCIPLES OF THE SOCIAL CONTRACT

Highlights from the Principles section of the contract that the Social Contract Preparation Committee completed in the 3-day long meeting in Derik are as follows:

- Federalism comprises of the free individual and the organised society. In this framework, it is based on the peoples and local communities.

- The Federal System comprises of areas built on Democratic Autonomy Administration. This administration bases itself on all beliefs and ethnic societies, women, and cultural values.

- The Federal Democratic System’s legitimacy is based on the people and the society, and is ensured with elections.

- The languages of all peoples in the Federal System are equal. All peoples use their language equally in the social, administrative, educational, and cultural spheres. All peoples in the Federal System live and organise in their own language.

- The Federal System aims for the formation of a democratic ecological society and prevents humankind’s depredation of nature.

- The Federation does not aim for a new state. It bases itself on the democratic nation and organised society, and aims to shrink the state.

- The Federation is based on a democratic, free, and just system among all peoples and groups with the spirit of fraternity and the goal of coexistence.

- The Federation ensures the freedom of women and the equality of genders.

- The Federation sees youth as an active force of society and aims to include the youth in all areas of life.

- The Federal Democratic System’s principle is to communize our water, land, and energy.

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