The Center for Civil Society and Democracy (CCSD) announces the launch of Syrian Democracy and Peace Week, a week dedicated to raising awareness about achieving democracy, peace, and justice in Syria.
September 15, the International Day of Democracy, marks the launch of Syrian Democracy and Peace Week. This campaign will run from September 15 through September 21, concluding on International Peace Day. This year’s theme is Working Together to Achieve Peace with Justice and Democracy.
CCSD calls on all Syrian democratic actors and civil society to work together and intensify efforts to build democracy and peace in Syria, and we emphasize the following:
- Championing Syrians’ Aspirations for a Democratic Society: We support the Syrian people’s will to achieve democratic change, implement institutional reform, protect civic space, and uphold the rights and freedoms of all citizens. We are committed to the building of an inclusive, decentralized, pluralistic, democratic system founded on the peaceful transfer of power, the rule of law, the separation and balance of powers, judicial independence, the separation of religion from state, and the fair distribution of resources and wealth— creating a system free from tyranny, terrorism, corruption, and discrimination.
- Ensuring the Safety of all Syrians: We stress the critical need to protect Syrians from bombings, tensions, escalations, violent extremism, demographic change, and all hostile actions. We urge all possible measures to ensure their security and safety and to end violence through a political transition by implementing UN Security Council Resolution 2254. We call for support for the constitutional process to achieve inclusive and sustainable peace and security, transitional justice, and economic development.
- Highlighting the Issue of Political Prisoners: We prioritize the issue of political prisoners, the forcibly disappeared, and the missing, especially those in security branches, and place their plight at the forefront of our attention. They embody the conscience of the Syrian people, their suffering, and that of their families, and we demand our unwavering focus on them. We commend the efforts of both national and international bodies to hold perpetrators accountable within their jurisdictions. We support the work of the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in Syria, and we stress the need for a broader UN role, particularly to address crimes of torture, bombings, sieges, and the use of chemical weapons. We reaffirm the necessity for justice and for holding all those responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Syria accountable through legal and human rights measures.
- Finding Solutions for Syrian Refugees and Internally Displaced Peoples: Achieving democracy and peace in Syria will contribute to finding a solution to the Syrian refugee and internally displaced people (IDPs’) issues, especially in neighboring countries. This includes ensuring the protection of their rights under international law and guaranteeing their voluntary, safe and dignified return. Additionally, it is essential to support refugees’ participation and leadership in identifying, responding to, solving their problems, and overcoming their challenges. It is vital to support local communities in identifying and meeting the basic needs of Syrians, particularly with respect to food security, public services, sustainable development, peacebuilding, and support vulnerable, marginalized groups, including people with disabilities.
- Ensuring Equality for All Citizens: We believe in equality for all — men and women of all ethnicities, sects, and religions — in terms of rights and duties. We advocate for the active participation of Syrian women and youth in decision-making based on UN Security Council Resolutions 1325 and 2250, to ensure diverse perspectives and equitable governance.
We call on International Democracy and Peace Actors to recognize this week, and to support and work with the Syrian democratic actors and civil society to take meaningful steps to realize peace, justice, and democracy in Syria.
Let us work together—youth, women, civil society, democratic forces, and local community leaders—to build democracy and peace in Syria.
Add the hashtag #SyrianDemocracyAndPeaceWeek when announcing and covering any activity you conduct to build Democracy and Peace in Syria.