PAX has been active in Syria for more than 20 years and in those years we have built a huge network of partners and friendships. It was a week of intense contact with Syrians in Syria and in all the places they have fled to. And then Saturday night the redeeming news: the regime has fallen! Fear and uncertainty among civilians in Damascus gave way to joy: the regime fell without bloodshed. Soldiers, policemen, the secret police: they took off their uniforms and went home. Assad left for Russia, leaving behind his palaces and wealth.
Of course, we also have concerns and mixed feelings. The jihadists of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), are they now the liberators? Can they be trusted? Have they shelved their jihadist ideology for good? What are their plans with the minorities? What will happen to those who were loyal to Asaad?
Ahmed with whom we stood in close contact in recent years, called us from Austria : ‘We will continue to keep an eye on HTS, because we know what they did to their opponents in Idlib. Syria needs critical citizens against any kind of dictatorship.’ But he also said: ‘We don’t want revenge, we have experienced enough violence and we want freedom and peace for all Syrians. The war is over.’
Unfortunately, fighting still continues between Kurdish militant groups and Turkish-backed militias in the north and northeast. And slowly the horrors the regime wanted to keep hidden are also becoming visible. Concentration camps and prisons are opening up. Relatives hope to find their loved ones again, or at least get confirmation of their fate.
That the transition has been relatively peaceful despite 14 years of violence and brutal repression is a minor miracle. It is mostly thanks to all Syrians who continued to believe in change. Even after the whole world had failed Syria.
‘We failed Syria,’ said the UN undersecretary for humanitarian affairs after the fall of Aleppo in 2016. After her, her message has resounded again and again from the international community: we failed Syria. This mustn’t and needn’t happen again. With Assad’s horrific dictatorship gone, there is an opportunity to work with Syrians both in Syria and abroad for peace and justice. The time ahead will reveal what is needed and what is possible. But for now, let us above all rejoice that the Assad family dictatorship has come to an end after more than 50 years.
The challenges facing Syria with the fall of the Assad regime are enormous, but now is the time to celebrate the end of oppression together with Syrians first.
PAX in Syria
We began our work in Syria in 2003. Initially, we supported “under the radar” civil projects, particularly youth initiatives focusing on ethnic and religious diversity, youth activism, and democratization. From 2011 onward, we openly supported Syrian partners in their calls for freedom, justice, and dignity. This led to increased collaboration with partners and activists both within Syria and the diaspora. Below is an overview of our work in Syria:
- Before 2011: We supported small dissident groups operating under the oppressive dictatorship. This included translating literature on nonviolence, advocating for women’s and minority rights, and establishing the first and only independent library in Damascus.
- “Adopt a Revolution” Project: In the Netherlands, we raised funds to support nonviolent civil activists across Syria.
- Facilitating the “Deep Revolution”: We trained local councils and civil society in good governance, human rights, and humanitarian law, and facilitated dialogues on these topics with armed groups.
- Campaigns Against Economic Ties with the Syrian Regime: These campaigns, including one against Shell, successfully led to Shell’s withdrawal from Syria in 2011.
- Siege Monitoring: Through the Siege Watch network of local sources, we monitored sieges and the starvation of towns and neighborhoods under opposition control.
- Supporting Independent Schools: We supported independent and free schools in and around Aleppo.
- Syria Alerts: We developed and disseminated Syria Alerts to policymakers and politicians.
- Monitoring Weapon Use: We tracked the use of weapons in Syria.
- Environmental Impact Monitoring: We assessed environmental damage caused by warfare, linking peacebuilding with climate and environmental concerns.
- “Story of My Flight” Project: A project involving Syrian refugees, developed for Dutch students and teachers, to share personal stories of displacement.
- Building Activist Networks: We connected Syrian activists from diverse backgrounds and trained them in nonviolent resistance strategies and tactics.
