The Role of Objective Conditions in Revolution
There is no doubt that revolutions are made by societies. Human consciousness and willpower drive social mobility and open the door to changes within communities. However, there are deep reasons that shape people's consciousness, will, and motivation to act, and the factors that "compel" revolution lie in the emergence of these objective conditions. As the saying goes, "Don’t look at the speaker, look at what compels them to speak," we might similarly say: don’t focus too much on who makes the revolution, but rather on what drives it. Revolutionaries are social movements, class struggles; they are born from historical, political, social, and economic crises. Revolutions are never random or accidental. They emerge from objective, matured social processes and historical ruptures. Unless matured social conditions and the transformative spirit of the time shake the community, the desire for revolution—whether yours, mine, a party’s, or even a class’s—is insufficient to bring it about. Especially when revolutions are approached solely through economic lenses, their likelihood becomes even more limited. If the contradictions and conflicts between opposing poles—i.e., objective conditions—are not conducive to revolution, even the mobilization of all humanity for social change will not suffice. Ancient history is filled with civilizations that collapsed because they failed to achieve social revolution. Thus, subjective revolutionary conditions alone are inadequate; objective conditions must also mature. For a revolution to take root in people's minds as thought and action, objective revolutionary conditions must rise to consciousness. The will, capability, and resolute stance required to build the groundwork for revolutionary movements mature the subjective conditions. The historical role and mission of revolutionary subjects come into play precisely here.
Three Key Elements of Revolution
Three main elements are crucial here:
The Revolutionary Vanguard: Political party organizations.
Leadership: The organized power of the people, i.e., the fundamental mechanism of revolution driven by historical forces.
Reserve Forces: Classes, groups, and strata that see their liberation and interests aligned with the revolution.
The optimal form and pace of a revolutionary movement cannot be predetermined or prescribed. By analyzing mass initiatives and lived experiences across all spheres, revolutionary situational analyses gain consistency and objectivity. The maturity of objective conditions and the centrality of popular movements hold unparalleled significance, particularly in socialist revolutions.
The Rojava Revolution and Its Historical Context
Examining the Rojava Revolution through this lens reveals significant truths. The Rojava Revolution has profoundly influenced the role of social forces, the form of revolution, and the global order. It embodies a structural transformation potential and highlights fracture points between successive systems. This revolutionary formation in Rojava has created a rupture in the strategic consciousness and ideological structures tied to the historical cycle of global hegemony. Analyses must avoid state-centric, realist, or neorealist frameworks. Instead, structural power balances emerge from aligning dominant ideas, institutions, and material capabilities—a natural outcome of stable structurality. The practical implementation of revolution follows.
Many still fail to grasp the historical significance of the Rojava Revolution. Its place must be assessed fairly and scientifically. The core question is whether it is a transient, accidental event or a lasting phenomenon set to generalize across the Middle East. While today’s chaotic global and regional landscape complicates answers, historical abstraction offers clarity. The Rojava Revolution signals the closing of an era and the dawn of a new one. Its full meaning will emerge through a historical lens.
Mechanics of Revolution
Analyzing the causes behind revolutionary will and the emergence of institutions, norms, and practices is vital. However, revolutionary mechanics in theory often manifest as a combination of coercion and consent. Reducing revolution to the imposition of a new worldview is insufficient. Revolution is more—it requires a sensible approach encompassing both dominant and subordinate social forces. The Rojava Revolution, rooted in the theory of democratic modernity, promises a social science revolution against millennia-old ideological and political hegemonies. Unlike bourgeois revolutions, democratic people’s revolutions are distinct yet historically connected. The Rojava Revolution, with its historical backdrop, did not replace the Syrian regime directly but arose from popular uprising and self-organization.
Nature of the Rojava Revolution
The Rojava Revolution’s character lies in realizing democratic unity among peoples. Spontaneous democratic structures do not emerge naturally; they require preparation and education. Revolutionary vanguards succeed by committing to realistic tasks without divorcing from democracy. Implementing democratic communalism hinges on theoretical and practical work. The minimal program—the Democratic Nation Project—must be realized. Revolutionary governance must develop grassroots, people-centered organs. A Constituent Assembly encompassing all peoples is essential, as is organizing and channeling popular energy into the revolution.
Despite unfinished tasks, the Rojava Revolution has revitalized communities pushed to extinction by nation-states. Cultural values have been reclaimed. Kurds, Arabs, Syriacs, Turkmen, Armenians, and others now freely express their languages, songs, and traditions. Formerly antagonized peoples have taken steps toward a democratic nation culture. As Abdullah Öcalan states: “For me, the revolution’s meaning is the reclamation—and enhancement—of the moral, political, and democratic qualities of society, which the civilization system has continually eroded.” The Rojava Revolution updates the Neolithic village revolution for the 21st century, reconnecting societies with their origins. It is a return to essence—freedom and liberation from capitalist modernity.
A Revolutionary Intervention
The Rojava Revolution is a liberatory intervention against the colonial character of state-centric civilization. Just as the Neolithic Revolution was a cultural revolution led by women, the Rojava Revolution centers women’s culture in social, political, and communal structures. This praxis transcends locality, resonating globally as a beacon of hope for democracy and freedom.
A Regional and Universal Revolution
The Rojava Revolution, achieved through immense sacrifice, attracts international solidarity due to its universal qualities. It has sparked debates among anti-system forces and reshaped socialist movements worldwide. Classical revolutionary theories are being reevaluated. The revolution’s political model—democratic confederalism—is holistic, offering an alternative to the nation-state. It is a Democratic People’s Revolution linking social and political institutions beyond nation-states.
Democratic Confederalism
Democratic confederalism in Rojava is not a transition to a classless society but aims for a world citizenship free of exploitation. While different classes (excluding fascist, racist, or sexist elements) coexist, the goal is to achieve socialism through ethical-political societal debates. The revolution lays the groundwork for this via communes, councils, and grassroots democracy.
The Role of Academies
The Rojava Revolution emphasizes that lasting change requires ideological transformation. Democratic society academies cultivate freedom consciousness, balancing individual liberty with communal responsibility. Autonomous self-governance—decentralized and anti-bureaucratic—ensures local decision-making, coordinated confederally for economic, cultural, and defense matters.
The Rojava Revolution is not merely material but spiritual, forming a historical bloc of intellectual, ethical, and philosophical renewal. Its dynamism reshapes power relations and fosters new political networks. As a "third way," it rejects imperialist hegemony and regional reactionism, advocating radical democracy and self-determination. In a world of imperialist wars and collapsing nation-states, Rojava’s democratic confederalism offers hope. Its survival is intertwined with the fate of Middle Eastern peoples, challenging authoritarianism and embodying the potential for a new revolutionary epoch.
[1] Abdullah Öcalan; Democratic Civilization Manifesto, Volume IV.
