The Spanish edition of Sociology of Freedom, written by jailed Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan, has been launched in Argentina with a series of public events in universities and community venues.
Published by Ciccus and Meyman, the book is the third volume in Öcalan’s Manifesto for a Democratic Civilisation, a politico-philosophical series written from prison. The campaign is supported by institutions including the Latin American School of Political Formation, the trade union CTA Autónoma and the Permanent Assembly for Human Rights.
The launch began at the University of Buenos Aires, drawing large academic and student interest. Speakers included feminist writer Claudia Korol, sociologist Hernán Ouviña and scholars Carla Rodríguez and Jorgelina Matusevicius.
Ouviña said Öcalan’s thinking took freedom as a central point and redefined key concepts: “Today we are on the left in ideology but on the right in epistemology. Öcalan works to resolve this.”
Korol said she had seen the ideas of the book in practice in the autonomous Kurdish region of North and East Syria, also known as Rojava: “The will of the people, women’s leadership and ecological awareness were very apparent.”
Rodríguez called Öcalan’s work “an inspiration” given his prison conditions, while Matusevicius stressed its power in democratising everyday life.
Events will continue in La Plata, Rosario, Córdoba and Villa Giardino through June.
