NURSHAN ABDI

Kobani — The July 19 Revolution built a distinct entity for the young generation who grew up alongside the revolution's launch within society and transformed the personality of every young woman. It also achieved significant developments in terms of awareness and knowledge, thus creating a generation that is intellectually conscious and well-acquainted with its reality, history, culture, identity, and self.

The July 19 Revolution was launched in 2012 from the city of Kobani in Rojava, expelling the former Ba'ath regime from the region and building a new system of self-governance for society. In this way, the July 19 Revolution contributed to radical changes within society across all political, military, social, and diplomatic spheres, and in the lives of women and the young generation.

The central impact of the revolution on youth consciousness lies in the fact that the generation that grew up with its beginnings did not merely follow its events but was an active part of its path. The revolution gave them the opportunity to deepen their understanding of themselves, their society, and their culture, making its impact deeply rooted in their vision and role within the social structure. Through this transformation, young people were able to build a generation more advanced intellectually, connected to its history, culture, and language, and capable of shaping a new presence in the future of their society.

In this context, our agency conducted an interview with a young woman who was among the first participants at the revolution's beginnings and has continued her struggle to this day, offering a living model of the transformation the revolution has created in women's consciousness and their role within society.

"July 19 Introduced Us to Our Identity, Culture, and History"

Avashin Musto, Co-chair of the Youth and Sports Authority in Kobani, said that the July 19 Revolution, launched from Kobani, formed the solid foundation for a long path of struggle, thanks to what the city's residents offered in terms of resistance, toil, and determination.

She pointed out that women's struggle was a central pillar in the revolution's development and the achievement of its gains, to the point that it became known worldwide as the women's revolution. She affirmed that young women and the Women's Protection Units proved that the revolution's success came thanks to women leading the front lines, in line with leader Abdullah Öcalan's vision that the twenty-first century would be the century of women's freedom.

She added that the revolution brought about a profound transformation in youth consciousness, changing their view of society and introducing them to their reality as Kurds, to their identity, culture, and existence, making them more connected to themselves and more capable of understanding their role in building their future.

She explained that the intellectual and mental changes the revolution brought about among the young generation were fundamental and profound, especially for young women who had long suffered from marginalization under the authority and capitalist systems. They were portrayed as incapable of action or influence within society, and young people in general as unable to take advanced steps or contribute to building their society.

She noted that the transition of young people from that phase to the space of the revolution constituted a historical transformation, as they found themselves part of a broad change project, working to take qualitative steps toward progress and success, and achieve accomplishments bearing the name of the young generation. She affirmed that they have indeed proven their ability to start the revolution and create transformation.

She stressed that the revolution is not merely a political event but a comprehensive societal change touching the political, social, and cultural aspects of peoples. The July 19 Revolution changed the course of society in Rojava's regions and deeply impacted people's and young people's lives, reshaping their consciousness, identity, and role in the future.

Avashin Musto added that despite the pain and sorrow young people experienced during the revolution's path, they managed to transform those harsh experiences into driving force toward tangible achievements and victories. She affirmed that they were fortunate to have lived within the revolution itself, participated in its positive steps, and witnessed their people's resistance moment by moment—enabling them to deeply recognize their identity, culture, reality, and existence.

She pointed out that the revolution played a pivotal role in changing young women's mentality and thought, giving them the ability to experience moments of freedom, thanks to the sacrifices of those who participated in its launch and contributed to its success. She noted that the mention of the Rojava Revolution immediately evokes toil, resistance, and the women's revolution, alongside the pioneering role of young women and the Women's Protection Units in building a free, democratic, and conscious society.

"The Gains of Our Revolution Will Be the Foundation for the Success of the Democratic Integration Stage"

Regarding the intellectual and social dimensions of the July 19 Revolution in the latest phase the Kurdish people are going through—the stage of democratic integration and democratic Syria—she says: "Today we are living a new phase of the revolution's life, a phase in which it transitions from one stage to another, carrying with it wide transformations that will leave a deep impact on society as a whole. This phase represents a transition from a system that constrained society, youth, and women, to the beginning of a revolution, struggle, and freedom that opens the field for building a different democratic reality."

She points out that achieving democratic integration and realizing the vision of a democratic Syria requires everyone, especially young people, to make the gains and achievements of the July 19 Revolution a fundamental turning point on which future steps are built. This revolution, with its resistance, sacrifices, and intellectual and cultural change, forms the foundation that can lead society toward genuine democracy.

She explained that the current phase requires the peoples of Rojava, especially young people, to protect the revolution's gains as the fundamental pillar for building a new Syria, far from the previous system, authority, and state. Every revolution, as she says, brings about a change in society's mentality and drives it toward awareness, sound thinking, and democracy. The Rojava Revolution was at its core an intellectual and ideological revolution that played a pioneering role in developing society and reshaping its consciousness.

Avashin Musto stressed that protecting will, gains, identity, and history is the fundamental pillar for preserving the July 19 Revolution—the revolution that established an intellectually and mentally conscious generation capable of bearing the responsibility of the coming phase. She affirmed that this advanced awareness will make the young generation a central part of building a new and democratic Syria—a Syria that accommodates all its components with their identities, cultures, and languages.

She pointed out that Syria today needs radical changes at the legal, rights-based, and constitutional levels, and that joining this new phase requires holding onto the revolution's gains that formed the basis of societal transformation in Rojava. She affirmed that young people will be at the forefront of this democratic path.

The July 19 Revolution did not only change the political course within society but also contributed to building conscious individuals within society who were able to build intellectually aware personalities from the revolution's beginning to this day.