Sharq.Org initiated a collective of Syrian women activists in 2021 to help enhance the collaborative participation of Syrian women in peace building and politics.
The war in Syria, much like the Lebanese civil war that preceded it by some decades, left deep divisions between communities of different faiths, ethnicities, allegiances and geographies. Sustainable peace demands (as affirmed in the WPS agenda) the active engagement of women, and inclusive collaboration across physical, ideological, religious and political divides.
Syria may be considered by some to be no longer at war but its millions of displaced and disconnected Syrians are certainly not living in peace. Stability in the country, perhaps even in the region, demands that communities live together in peace. This is challenging when the rhetoric of division and destruction continues to be pushed by warmongers and those in power. The importance of pluralism in promoting peace and stability and the value of women in pursuing this agenda are well documented, and were the focus and intended outcome of the initiative entitled ‘Collectiva Souriyat’.
Sharq.Org initiated and nurtured a small network of Syrian women during the initiative’s inception phase in 2021. An open call resulted in the receipt and review of applications by 177 Syrian women, of whom 12 initiated the Collectiva. A second call for participants in 2022 resulted in the addition of a further 14 women. Members were present both within Syria and the diaspora and collaborated in knowledge exchanges through capacity buildings workshops and on the development and implementation of peace building initiatives, including the creation of a community garden in Damascus and the production of a film about women and war.
READ MORE >>> Sharq.Org director Reem Maghribi outlines the broad ambitions of the organisation and the Collectiva in this 2021 blog post
