The first volume of Manifesto for a Democratic Civilisation, the foundational political work of imprisoned Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan, has been published in Swedish for the first time, marking a major step in the international dissemination of his ideas, Rojavakommittéerna (Rojava Committee) announced on 4 April.
Titled Civilisationens Rötter (The Roots of Civilisation), the Swedish edition was translated by the Rojavakommittéerna and released by Federativs Förlag in collaboration with Heval Förlag and Meyman Yayınevi.
The book, considered central to the Kurdish freedom movement, explores the emergence of patriarchy, the development of state systems, and the alienation of humans from nature. It also provides insight into Öcalan’s early life and evolving political consciousness. His theory of “democratic confederalism” is framed as an alternative to nation-states, offering a vision of decentralised governance rooted in gender equality, ecology and grassroots democracy.
The launch will be marked by public events on 12-14 April in Malmö, Stockholm, and Gothenburg, as well as in parts of Germany. Organisers say the aim is to explore how Öcalan’s philosophy might speak to today’s global crises — including democratic erosion, climate collapse and social fragmentation.
“In collaboration with Federativs Förlag, we can finally present Öcalan’s central work,” Rojavakommittéerna said in a statement. “He challenges our understanding of history, power, and social structures, offering both a critique and an alternative.”
Öcalan, who has been held in near-total isolation in a Turkish prison since 1999, is revered by Kurdish activists. Despite censorship and imprisonment, his writings continue to shape political thought across Kurdish regions and beyond.
