Fwd: Specific Request for Rojava Solidarity
Ashish Kothari
Friends, pl. see below ... if you are aware of such existing collaborations, or would like to engage in them, do pl. respond as requested.
thanks
ashish
Ashish Kothari Apt 5 Shree Datta Krupa 908 Deccan Gymkhana Pune 411004, India https://ashishkothari.in
-------- Forwarded Message --------
| Subject: | [GTA-Assembly] Specific Request for Rojava Solidarity |
|---|---|
| Date: | Tue, 17 Mar 2026 18:46:57 -0400 |
| From: | Marina Sitrin (via global-tapestry-alternatives-assembly Mailing List) <global-tapestry-al...@lists.riseup.net> |
| Reply-To: | marina...@gmail.com |
| To: | global-tapestry-al...@lists.riseup.net |
On March 13th a group of people connected to over a dozen universities from Mexico, Canada & the US - including the universities in Rojava - met and proposed a few specific things that we can do to support the universities in Rojava in this critical moment.
The urgency of the situation was explained in the meeting and an update from on the ground was made, which I can share. In sum - “Negotiations” are still taking place with the Syrian state and universities in Rojava – with the future of autonomy, women’s participation, jineology, the right to education in indigenous languages all at risk. In this context, expressing solidarity and the intention to continue (or create) relationships with the universities in Rojava - as they are now - is essential and could be very helpful as the "negotiations" continue.
As a new Americas Scholars Network for Rojava we agreed to move ahead with a campaign to collect letters expressing the intention to collaborate with universities in Rojava, or/and outlining past collaborations. The universities in Rojava will write the memo that will go with the letters for their “negotiations”. These letters can come from departments, programs, individuals in universities (ideally all on letterhead) and people and groups that are a part of knowledge production, such as movement education groups, publishers, bookstores etc..
A template for these letters is below. Please send letters to: in...@defendrojava.org, ozlemg...@gmail.com, emr...@gmail.com
We can share the sociology department at Binghamton U.'s letter & another in Spanish if requested.
We are happy to talk about this and review any draft letters as is useful.
Solidarity & Struggle!
Marina & Ozlem (marina...@gmail.com & ozlemg...@gmail.com)
P.S. Please share as widely as
possible - around the globe.
Marina Sitrin
I am happy to help support the process of writing a letter. If you go to the google doc link you will see there are three templates you can use. One is if you have collaborated in some way with Rojava, including having a speaker or going to a workshop. Another is if you intend to - hope to - have some engagement with Rojava. The third is about the impact the Jineology Academy has had, including thinking about women and gender in your work/organizing.
The negotiations taking place are quite serious and could result in women no longer participating in the universities. In Kurdish no longer being used as a language of instruction, and many more devastating things. Showing the importance of the universities - as globally known and respected institutions - can help a lot as they continue to explain the importance of Rojava and the universities in particular. So far, in the past 14 years, hundreds of thousands of people have been educated in these institutions - the. majority of them women.
Please do let me know if you would like support in writing a letter. I am open to helping in whatever way.
In solidarity,