How does a resistant- armed group govern and implement an alternative political programme during war?Governance of Resistance in North and East Syria examines the momentous development of the Kurdish-led autonomous administration since 2012. This book presents new research from the expanding scholarship to interrogate Rojava as a political and social idea and explain the resistance narrative that underpins the ideology and governance structures. The contributions examine key aspects of the condition of the autonomous government, its successes, failures and impact, including the theory and nature of the political structures, their application in Arab areas, identity, education, gender and foreign relations. The findings demonstrate that North and East Syria has been revolutionary, that resistance there is resilient, and that there are constant and dynamic tensions between ideology and pragmatism in the evolution of this remarkable political and social project.

My chapter looks at the spatiopolitical practice of decoration across the region, and how this overlooked and undervalued spatial labour says much about both revolutionary sentiment and gender distribution in the production of space.