Interview with Taha Naji in Tripoli Hi Taha, nice to hear from you. I am excited to be here in Lebanon and witness this historic moment. How do you feel about the protests? I feel the people were under pressure for a long time and now there is no way other than exploding in front […]
Thousands of people are taking to the streets in Lebanon. They want change. Fed up with the corruption and inequality, people are responding to recently announced reforms and taxes. The final straw was what has been dubbed the Whatsapp-tax, a $0.20 tax on phone calls using online applications such as Whatsapp and Facebook messenger. People […]
In the wake of the first anniversary of the Basra protests in the Summer of 2018, Iraqis throughout the Southern parts of federal Iraq took to the streets, demanding equal job opportunities, better public services, and an end to corruption. Over one year ago, a massive number of protesters in Basra, led by civil society […]
Friday 11 October 2019 The Turkish offensive in Northeast Syria is in full swing. Our partners and friends do everything in their power to help the refugees from the war. But in Idlib, too, people suffer from the violence and fear what is coming. I am curious what Ahmed can say. “Hi Ahmed, how are […]
‘You´ll lose your credibility if you don’t do this’ a man in the audience states. He has been quiet all night, letting other people answer when the audience is asked questions. But when asked if there are any Syrian attendees present who are willing to share their opinion, his hand shoots up. He is not […]
Last week, after a long absence, a soccer league started up again in Saraqeb. The league is dedicated to Mohammed Jdeiry, who was killed six months ago in an attack on Saraqeb. Mohammed was very active in various organizations in Saraqeb, especially in sports. Hence this soccer league. Ahmed’s youth club has a soccer team […]
There’s music coming out of Idlib. Rapper Amir from Ma’aret al Nu’man has just released his latest video: عكل الجبهات – “On All Fronts”. Ahmed saw it, and I am curious what he thinks about the video. “Hi Ahmed, have you seen the clip?” “Yes, I saw it yesterday. It’s beautiful. But I don’t think […]
Working as an intern in the Middle East team of PAX has opened my eyes to many of the different strategies, programs and methods PAX staff use with their partners across the globe. Many of my colleagues have shown me how valuable and effective culture and the arts can be for peacebuilding and social change. […]
Slowly but surely, village after village in Idlib is falling into the hands of the Syrian army. It usually goes like this: after weeks of continuous bombing and shelling, the moment arrives. Images of the victors appear on social media: photos and videos of triumphant soldiers and fighters. They parade through the streets amongt the […]
Friday 23 August 2019 The Syrian army is poised to take control of the town of Khan Shaykhun, if it hasn’t already. The army is advancing from the south to north in its campaign to take control of the province of Idlib. The question is, how far will they advance? In Saraqeb, 50 km north […]