Workshop Proceedings | August 2016
Workshop Convenor and Rapporteur: Robert Lowe
Abstract
In July 2012, Kurds in northern Syria began taking control of territory. This led to the creation of the largely self-governing areas known collectively as Rojava (Western Kurdistan), and a new experiment in local government which has deep significance for Syrian, Kurdish, Middle Eastern and international geopolitics. Four years on from this unprecedented development, the LSE Middle East Centre convened a workshop on 19 July 2016 to examine the progress and nature of the Rojava project.
Nine specialists on Kurdish, Syrian and Turkish politics presented short papers and contributed to rich discussions over the day. Colleagues from the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development also made valuable contributions. The healthy level of debate was testament to the complexity and nuance of the issues and this report seeks to introduce the key themes which emerged and provide new insights into Rojava. This report provides a distillation of the presentations and discussions.
Workshop Participants
Harriet Allsopp, Freelance Researcher
Cengiz Gunes, Associate Lecturer, Open University
Haid Haid, Freelance Syrian Researcher
Zeynep Kaya, Research Fellow, Middle East Centre, LSE
Zelal Kızılkan, Assistant Professor, Mardin Artuklu University and Visiting Fellow, Middle East Centre, LSE
Rana Khalaf, Academy Senior Fellow, Chatham House
Robert Lowe, Deputy Director, Middle East Centre, LSE
Ghadi Sary, Academy Fellow, Chatham House
Wladimir van Wilgenburg, Middle East Analyst, Jamestown Foundation