16 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JANUARY 23-29, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com Lead from Within A call to protect a feminist enclave in Syria needs your voice to defend democracy. By Ava Homa FORUM One overlooked narrative, even as American women have lost bodily autonomy in some states, is that Kurdish women in North and East Syria, also known as Rojava, became equal partners in shaping every aspect of life, political, economic and social. This unique model of gender equality, which also emphasizes ecological sustainability and grassroots democracy, is decades ahead of the region. Remarkably, it flourished even amid the devastation of Syria’s civil war. International media lauded the all-female militia, the YPJ (Women’s Protection Unit), for their victories over ISIS extremists. The violent militants, who did not fear death or suicide, were reportedly terrified of being killed by a woman, a fate they believed would deny them access to the afterlife’s promised rewards. Kurdish women didn’t only resist one of the darkest forces of our time; they also transformed their own patriarchal culture. They have been living their slogan “Jin, Jyan, Azadi” (Woman, Life, Freedom), a call for justice for both people and the planet. “In Rojava, the full exercise of women’s rights is not just an aspiration; it is a reality,” says author and journalist Debbie Bookchin, who has visited the area. “It means that the entire culture is transformed: the way people think about every aspect of life—from education to marriage, from medical care to child care—is informed by the unique perspective of women. Most importantly, it ensures that women alone make decisions about their bodies, health and futures.” Bookchin’s father, political philosopher Murray Bookchin, inspired this revolutionary model. This progressive enclave is now under grave threat. Rojava’s model has drawn the ire of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Islamist-rooted party. Erdogan’s government has launched devastating attacks on Kurdish villages. Over the past few weeks, more than 100,000 people have fled areas seized by Turkish-backed forces. These regions had previously thrived under a Kurdish-led process of multi-ethnic, non-sectarian democratic confederalism. What has prevented a full-scale Turkish invasion thus far is the presence of U.S. forces alongside the Kurds. However, as the American administration shifts, Erdogan is emboldened. This is a David-and-Goliath struggle, a stateless people defending their hard-won freedoms against a NATO member. The threats against them are appallingly underreported in the U.S. media. Rojava’s survival is far beyond a geopolitical issue; it’s a moral imperative. We must demand that our leaders condemn Turkey’s aggression and pledge long-term support for Kurdish women. The Emergency Committee for Rojava website (defendrojava.org) offers a script for calling your representative and senator. Together, we can support a group that proves women’s contributions are essential to a free and peaceful Syria. Let’s not let this feminist enclave become another Afghanistan or Iran. Ava Homa is the author of Daughters of Smoke and Fire and a faculty member at CSUMB. OPINION “It’s not just an aspiration; it is a reality.” Jacob is one of the most recent members of the Information Technology (IT) Team. He was hired as an IT Specialist in August of 2023. Jacob came to MST as a Veteran, who previously worked as an IT Specialist with the Army. As such he brought with him a wealth of skills and experience in IT infrastructure. Jacob has proven to be a tremendous asset in the daily support of MST staff, improving the reliability of our systems, streamlining several internal processes, and being readily available to help with IT issues. Most notably, he has been working with the IT team to strengthen the district’s cybersecurity systems. Jacob has been key in the efforts to deploy a systemwide multi-factor authentication system. Multifactor Authentication, or more often called MFA, is a system which requires at least 2 levels of verification when a staff member has been given access to MST protected systems. He was able to research and implement an immediate update that allowed MST to completely deploy MFA in our critical access areas, dramatically increasing levels of cyber defense. We are pleased to recognize Jacob as the Employee of the Year for 2024. Jacob’s efforts keep MST’s technology systems operating every day so that MST can maintain our mission. Congratulations, Jacob! Connecting communities. Creating opportunity. Being kind to our planet. CONGRATULATIONS 2024 Employee of the Year EMPLOYEES OF THE MONTH 2024 JANUARY Frederick Campa FEBRUARY Humberto Hernandez MARCH Steven Bruno APRIL Noe Figueroa MAY Janet Madler JUNE Matthias Castor JULY Barry Lee AUGUST Dalia Lopez SEPTEMBER Jacob Huggins OCTOBER Ramon Cardona NOVEMBER Natalie Flores DECEMBER Esteban Garcia Jacob Huggins
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