The City of Love is the local nickname for Qamishlo city in North East Syria. It is situated within the Cezira canton of AANES, The Autonomous Administration of North & East Syria. We went there to learn the local languages, understand and report on the emotional, cultural and organisational aspects of working life there.
The City of Love exists in a particular historical context. It is a village like society in a region of rural farming communities. The City itself is a network of village like neighborhoods with constant, dynamic civic activity. The scale is always smaller as the region is split in to cantons like Switzerland. Municipalities are the highest form of elected governance as there is no Nation State.
“Because of the smaller scale, everybody knows everyone and decisions flow from the connected consciousness of the people rather than the isolated policy ideas of elected delegates.”
Mamoste Silan, Coordinator at the International visitors centre
All the front doors open. The street is busy. Outside every house are table and chairs with tea and smiles. As people pass, they talk. Riad, our neighbor, explains that:
“The community knows the city delegates personally, all the police personally, all the Responsibles for the organisations personally, mostly through family to family ties”.
Riad, a neighbor in the Asuriya community of Qamislo
Every night we ate and slept in someone else house along with many neighbors.
“We are one big family in this community” our host always told us. “No one, even if they become negative toward the community because of their own difficulties, is left behind by our community”.
Herald, Responsible for AcornAssociated
People sit outside their houses smiling. Riad tells us that:
“In 2000 my son became ill with a rare form of Epilepsy. We are far to poor to pay for the specialist operation, so the community paid and he was sent down to a private hospital in Damascus. He is fine now”.
Riad, a neighbor in the Asuriya community of Qamislo
Every conversation that happens, forms, guides and develops the shared consciousness of the community, gently encouraging it forward as one. Silan sums this effect up:
“As a people we move up and down together”.
Mamoste Silan, Coordinator at the International visitors centre
Every-time we are sitting with others sharing food and thoughts, they are very curious toward each other. Because of the smaller scale Elected Delegates are often around in the community, present in the everyday sharing of thoughts. During the 9th bi-annual political conference where delegates leave and come, the delegates were focused on explaining that they were community members who were in touch with the ebb and flow of community consciousness.
Multiple identities, religions and groups exist, inter-mixed in communities, side-by-side. Governance, education, healthcare and economy are open to all with very little bureaucracy, regulations or monopoly to stand in the way. Rich and poor inter-mix together in the neighborhoods and in constant flow and activity together. Expensive BMWs line-up next to ancient trucks as everyone crowds in to their neighbors houses.
So, let us begin, to try and understand how this affects working culture, relationships, management, direction and happiness in the working environment…
The Teal Diary 