Five million people amidst a war zone are creating a new society based on principles that are dear to the hearts of many radicals in Australia. Welcome to Posts from AANES: the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES). Over the next ten weeks we have a series of interviews with members of a Civil Diplomacy Centre based in the city of Qamislo. This is an insight into how they are organising their society, how they are making decisions and how they are defending their country from aggression from some of the most powerful military empires on the planet. We’re confident you’ll find this series exceptionally interesting but, more importantly, it’s the type of news we need today in order to ensure that here in Australia we continue to act up to create that new society based on egalitarian principles.

Episode One: The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), formerly known as Rojava: a decentralised, autonomous society based on intimacy and friendship, home to close to 4 million people, including many who have come for relative safety. From a revolution based on Marxist-Leninist ideology to a movement which can be said to protect an already-existing, Middle Eastern Kurdish way of life. How do the people of AANES live? How are decisions made? How is conflict resolved? What is the role of women in the revolution? In this first conversation of the series we speak with Heval Tekosin and Heval Ferhat from the Civil Diplomacy Centre in Qamislo as they begin to paint a picture of revolutionary life within a warzone. 

Presented by Anarchist World this Week, Radical Australia and Talkback With Attitude host, Joseph Toscano.

Produced by Anarchist World this Week and Radical Australia producer, Kelly Whitworth.

Title tracks Heyran Jaro and Evare by Awaze Ciya