On November 19, 2017, the Musharaka Forum honored the Aman Network in the city of Gaziantep, Turkey, through its Success Story Program which highlights the success stories of the Syrians and encourages civil action.
Founded in 2013, the Aman Network is an independent, non-profit network that operates in different communities inside Syria and in some of the neighboring countries. It is composed of Syrian civilian community leaders who work to build a safe, just and peaceful society by using dialogue techniques to involve communities in decision-making processes. In addition, the network is governed by a set of values and principles including inclusive participation as well as engaging various community groups in addressing critical issues. The Aman Network relies on the principle of citizenship as a constitutional and legal reference, and seeks to achieve freedom, justice and coexistence in local communities.
The Aman Network was honored in the presence of 25 people from various local civil society organizations. The attendees talked about the Aman Network National Forums, which aim to create a space for dialogue with both decision makers and community-based actors. They also discussed the Aman Network’s theory of peacebuilding and achieving change.
Furthermore, the attendees discussed the concept of national dialogue, as well as whether Syrian society is capable of entering into a national dialogue and several questions were raised as to whether dialogue between two regions/areas could be considered a national dialogue. The attendees also discussed the absence of women’s role in the Aman Network and the importance of their role in peacebuilding.
Zakaria al-Anni, a member of the Aman Network said that “the Forum had had a positive impact on the attendees, as more of them asked for ways to communicate with Aman Network members in order to learn more about its work.”
At the end of the seminar, the Aman Network members received a tribute/honor shield and thanked the audience, stressing the Syrian people’s aspiration for peace, equality and change.