Civil society seeks role in shaping post-Assad Syria

DW (English)

Since the fall of Bashar Assad's regime, civil society advocates, especially in the capital Damascus, are raising their voices about what sort of country they hope Syria will become after decades of oppression.

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00:00Samer Dahi, Research Director at the National Building Movement, has spent years advocating

00:05for stronger civil society in Syria, even with little hope of progress under the old

00:10regime.

00:11Amid today's historic opportunity for change, we met Dahi in Damascus to find out what he

00:16hopes to achieve.

00:19Our goal is that Syrians or civil society be an integral part of the political process.

00:25The National Building Movement, established in 2016, has been organizing events to help

00:30Syrians better understand the concept of citizenship.

00:34Now Dahi is collaborating with groups and activists both inside and outside Syria, focusing

00:40on what he views as the nation's priorities.

00:45We need to prioritize establishing a governing body, any transitional body.

00:50It must include independent figures known for their dedication to working for Syria.

00:55They are known for their neutrality during this conflict, and must clearly declare that

01:00they will not be part of any future authority.

01:08Rather than waiting to see what Syria's new leaders will do, some civil society advocates

01:14have decided to take a proactive step taking their demands to the streets.

01:20We want to tell other Syrians that there is another voice on the Syrian streets, one that

01:25demands a state for all and a state of law.

01:30Today we want to raise our voices to say that we are one nation.

01:34We do not agree with some of the violations taking place in certain areas.

01:38This was not familiar to many Syrians.

01:45This was not familiar to many Syrians.

01:49I am here to listen to those on the streets.

01:52Perhaps I will hear an idea that I like and agree with.

01:56Meanwhile, voices from the other side are calling for patience.

02:00For years, the regime was responsible for corruption, theft, murder and secret prisons.

02:07If you want us to establish a state in just 20 days, be patient.

02:13With all my respect for the demands that call for giving the government time, these gatherings

02:17are not meant to harm the government as much as they are meant to draw its attention to

02:21other points that need to be addressed.

02:25Whether their demands are urgent or details to be worked out over time is one of the new

02:29Syria's emerging fault lines.

02:32But for each day, their concerns about civil society are dismissed.

02:37The more these advocates have to worry that the country might be heading toward a different

02:41form of tyranny.

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