Last December, TDA supported 12 community initiatives in 6 different geographical areas in northwestern Syria, with the aim of building more cohesive communities that will have the effective capacity to work on transitional justice. The initiatives attempt to build the capacities of community members to be an effective contributor to the democratic transition process.
The initiatives varied in terms of objectives and activities, and were as follows:
1- “Google” student initiative with the Abdul Basit Al-Sarout student team
The initiative aims to help students in universities, by providing an online platform to answer their questions and meet their needs. The number of beneficiaries reached 102.
2- “Memory of Pain” initiative with the Association of Internal Survivors
The initiative included training 8 detention survivors over a period of 3 days, to acquire the necessary skills to document and collate the stories of other women survivors of detention in order to build an oral history for the survivors of detention.
3- Supporting a Peacebuilding Initiative
The initiative aims to hold a series of workshops and training for the development and governance of peace-building operations and social cohesion in the north of Syria, and in the areas of the northern and eastern Aleppo countryside, in cooperation with the Administrative Development Center.
4- “Be a pioneer” with the Ghadak team
The initiative aims to raise awareness of the youth’s culture on the need for community engagement, and work to empower them to implement community initiatives that meet the needs in their areas. It also aims to groom leading, and influential figures, as well as community groups that will be able to achieve the desired change in Syria.
The initiative included workshops that were presented to donors. The workshops were of an innovative and creative nature that aimed to turn negative experiences into positive ones.
5- The Alum initiative with the Women’s Office in northern Aleppo
The campaign aimed to enhance rapprochement between the Kurdish and Arab communities, and to strengthen the relationship between members of local councils and IDP committees, and increase cooperation between the two ethnic groups. Participation in decision-making was also encouraged, and the initiative included building the skills and capabilities of the IDP committees.
Two sessions were carried out with local notables in Afrin (residents and IDPs), and IDP committees from the Daraa Council, Quneitra, Hama and Idlib, targeting 30 men and 7 women.
6- The Lasting Impact Initiative of the Voluntary Community Participation Team
The initiative aimed to raise the level of legal awareness (on the subject of arbitration) among 150 displaced people and residents in the city of Afrin, where 3 training sessions were conducted in the cement factory camp, the offices of Maarata and the Mother Fidan Center in Afrin.
7- Initiative to limit the spread of weapons in Jarablus, east of Aleppo
The initiative aimed to raise awareness of the danger of weapon dissemination among civilians in the city of Jarablus, by contributing to the local council’s decision to prevent the possession of unlicensed weapons to limit their spread among civilians, and to have preventive penalties for firing indiscriminate bullets at weddings and events. The initiative was carried out in cooperation with the Syrian Turkmen Gathering.
8- “For the future of Syria” initiative with Furat team
The initiative worked to encourage dialogue and communication between political actors, CSO activists and youth groups, to shed light on the importance of the future role of youth (women and men) in building a democratic Syria, in the presence of decision-makers and notables in the region. The dialogue encouraged attendees to have an active role in the decision-making processes and building the future Syria, as well as raising women’s awareness on the importance of their role in the decision-making processes — now and in the future. The initiative was carried out with the participation of the Women’s Office, to motivate the organization to carry out its responsibilities as fully as possible.
The Furat Team, the organization responsible for carrying out the initiative, worked on designing and printing 200 posters to introduce residents in the area to the UN Security Council Resolution 2254, and proceeded to distribute the posters in the city. The team additionally held 4 dialogue sessions for 60 young men/women to introduce them to the resolution and its content.
9- An initiative to support the rule of law with the Sada Youth Team
The initiative aimed to hold a series of sessions on citizenship and the rule of law, in which twenty trainees were invited — both residents and IDPs — to attend these sessions.
10- Initiative for Nonviolent Struggle with the Humanitarian Peace Organization
The initiative aimed to train 12 of the training staff so they are able to train other people on nonviolent struggles and conflict and conflict resolution mechanisms.
The Humanitarian Peace Organization team was able to raise cultural awareness mechanisms among 300 uneducated young people, abused wives, and unemployed individuals. Discussing the experiences of people who were subjected to violence contributed to raising awareness on how to avoid and prevent the violence they have been exposed to in the future.
11- The Citizenship Initiative with the Irtaqa Team
The initiative implemented training on the concept of citizenship in the presence of 16 trainees
A trainer, an initiative coordinator, an activities coordinator and several volunteers participated in the initiative. .
