Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Ecological Solidarity and the Kurdish Freedom Movement: Thought, Practice, Challenges, and Opportunities (Environment and Society)

Ecological Solidarity and the Kurdish Freedom Movement : Thought, Practice, Challenges, and Opportunities is a pioneering text that examines the ideas about social ecology and communalism behind the evolving political structures in the Kurdish region. The collection evaluates practical green projects, including the Mesopotamian Ecology Movement, Jinwar women's eco-village, food sovereignty in a solidarity economy, environmental defenders in Iranian Kurdistan, and Make Rojava Green Again. Contributors also critically reflect on such contested themes as Alevi nature beliefs, anti-dam demonstrations, human-rights law and climate change, the Gezi Park protests, and forest fires. Throughout this volume, the contributors consider the formidable challenges to the Kurdish initiatives, such as state repression, damaged infrastructure, and oil dependency. Nevertheless, contributors assert that the West has much to learn from the Kurdish ecological paradigm, which offers insight into social movement debates about development and decolonization. Review Stephen E. Hunt has put together an incredibly rich collection of informative, thought-provoking, and daring contributions in this rare gem. Contributions range from chapters on theoretical aspects of ecology to those on environmental activism and blossoming empirical innovations a la democratic confederalism--from excavations on cultural origins of nature protection to novel perspectives that emanate from contemporary eco-conservationist ideals in Kurdistan. This book offers more than a wide range of analyses on Kurdish politics; it also points towards new political possibilities that have global relevance.--Hanifi Baris, University of Aberdeen About the Author Stephen E. Hunt is academic skills coordinator for the faculty of business and law at the University of the West of England.