The Center for Civil Society and Democracy (CCSD) is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental organization. CCSD has branches which support its work in the US, Turkey, and the Netherlands. CCSD seeks to build a stable and just society where peace and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms prevail.

Since being established in 2011, CCSD has worked to build a stronger, more pluralistic civil society by supporting organizations and individuals.
CCSD does not endorse violence or aggression in any form or as a means of achieving its goals and objectives. We believe that dialogue and respect for diversity is the optimum way to realize the aspirations of those we work for and with. Accordingly, we consider that democracy is the only alternative to violence and is the best option for achieving justice, equality and freedom for all Syrian, no matter their gender or religious and ethnic affiliation.
In order to promote cohesive and tolerant societies where justice and equality prevail, we seek to promote human rights, and to make them the primary and main drivers of the diverse societies which we target through our work.
In our work, we adopt a human rights-based approach to women’s rights and gender equality, as CCSD strongly believes that democracy cannot be achieved without equality and gender justice.

Our core values

  • Rights and Freedoms: All Syrians have the right to attain their political and civil rights. They also have the right to freedom of expression, freedom of movement, and freedom of assembly and association, including the right to form and join organizations and groups of their own choosing, irrespective of their ethnic or religious affiliations, without any discrimination or any other considerations based on gender or age.
  • Justice and Equality: International Human Rights Standards and Principles are the foundation of our work and we encourage everyone to adopt and apply them. We believe that all people are equal before the law in rights and duties. Justice during the transitional process in Syria should include the provision of compensation to those affected and the prosecution of perpetrators of all types of crimes, including war crimes, under the law. Equality of opportunity, respect for the rights and duties of others and social justice for all citizens is a basic necessity.
  • Transparency and Integrity: The main pillars of our work are transparency in planning, decision-making process and associated procedures, in addition to the public accessibility of information, monitoring systems and commitment to honesty and accuracy.
  • Participation and Inclusion: Through our work, we seek to engage and cooperate with all Syrians, and we are committed to dealing with all segments of Syrian society without discrimination. We also aim to engage all of Syria’s diverse communities in decision-making processes, if possible.
  • Coexistence: Syria is a multicultural and multi-ethnic country. To contribute to building a better future, we believe that there must be full respect for the religious and ethnic beliefs and traditions of all Syrian’s diverse communities at the local and national level. The diversity of Syrian society’s beliefs, history and traditions should not be a reason for inciting internal conflicts between these diverse communities, but rather an incentive to find common ground, which we will rely on in order to build an inclusive and pluralistic citizenship that guarantee the social, economic, cultural and national rights of all segments of Syrian society.

Copyright © 2020 CCSD.