Syria Op-Ed: How to Build Solidarity with the Syrian People

FEATURED PHOTO: Protest in Daraa, March 2011

Last Saturday’s “Confronting the Narrative” conference in London featured NGO staff, activists, academics, and journalists discussing how to get reliable information about Syria’s crisis and how to act upon it.

See Syria Event — “Correcting the Narrative” in London

In his presentation, Amnesty International’s Kristyan Benedict described the many ways that activists can act positively amid the conflict with its human rights abuses and repression.

Benedict previously worked on the MENA campaign to show solidarity with those afflicted by human rights abuses in the Middle East and North Africa. Drawing on that experience, he discussed the necessity of civilian protection and misconceptions among “progressive” activists regarding the Syrian crisis.

Building Solidarity: What Concrete Forms of Action Can We Take to Support the Syrian People?

Within those few words are hugely contested notions –– What do we mean by solidarity? What sorts of action will be effective? Who is “we” and which Syrian people are “we” seeking to support?

I can’t answer for everybody, obviously, but I can run through some of what Amnesty is doing within the human rights framework, promoting a human rights narrative with all those we engage with, whether they are individuals, civil society groups, governments, or opposition groups.

Before I come to that, let me just say that building solidarity is incredibly difficult in a dictatorship like Assad’s. The deep state works to create disunity through fear and mistrust and by actively disrupting emerging networks — arresting, disappearing, torturing and killing those who would dissent or seek to build any credible and unified opposition party, group or movement.

However I don’t want to get into a socio-political analysis of the nature and difficulties of building solidarity in Syria. I am just flagging up a fundamental problem, because of the regime’s brutality, of building solidarity and strong networks –– especially when it comes to the “who” we are seeking to support.

Let me elaborate on this point.

When I was drafting the campaign for our work across the MENA region in late 2010 –– the strapline I went with was, and still is, “In Solidarity –– In Defiance”

In particular, but not exclusively, solidarity with people peacefully demanding human rights –– Defiance against those trying to stop them.

This may seem a narrow approach…but it is also about being clear on our core narrative as a human rights organisation. As events have unfolded in Syria, we are faced with the greatest humanitarian catastrophe in the world and so our ideas of solidarity and who we have solidarity with needs to be reassessed.

I will not apologise for having a narrow definition of who we have our most active solidarity with and who we give our most active support to –– we all know there are many Syrians who say they are against the regime, who say they want a better Syria, but who themselves commit or facilitate or justify or turn a blind eye to human rights abuses.

On what level do we have solidarity with these Syrian people?

It is critical to consider when we talk of “the Syrian people”. I don’t say this to be provocative, I say it to ensure we have some distinction and sophistication in our messaging and narrative.

What I certainly wouldn’t do is be dismissive and see all those who took up arms to defend themselves, defend protestors and defend communities as “terrorist cannibal heart-munchers”, as some self-declared champions of the oppressed so easily do when it comes to Syria. Many of these people are generally very good in their analysis when it comes to Israel/Palestine, but have been shockingly bad on Syria — it’s important they have a clearer view of the realities on the ground in Syria.

In terms of our work and in particular the narrative and guiding principles we promote: it’s both short-term and long-term. It is partly focused on the immediate crisis but also on a more long term approach focused on an effective transition which has human rights protections at the heart of it.

Anything less is a recipe for on-going instability and conflict. And whatever form of action you take or propose, keeping core human rights standards and civilian protection central to them is essential to projecting credibility, building support, and ensuring you have more effective and sustainable actions.

Our work in 2013 and 2014 has been mainly advocacy and advice-based. in 2011 and 2012 it was much more activism-based and I worked with several Syrian-led groups to organise a range of demonstrations. That was important then, now advocacy is more dominant in our work.

So what are the core areas of our work and what can people do to build solidarity around those ideas and those who support those ideas? There are four key areas:

Accountability

We are doing everything we can to research, document ,and increase the visibility of human rights violations and abuses that occur by any party to the conflict. This is a step towards them being held to account, ideally at the International Criminal Court.

It’s essential those who say they want a better Syria also do this. Many people who describe themselves as progressive but do not have a deep analysis of Syria or the time to look into what is happening will notice where opposition activists are turning a blind eye or worse, justifying abuses by armed opposition groups. At that point you have lost them and it is no point complaining you are not getting the sufficient level of solidarity you think your cause deserves. In short, it is a massive own goal to ignore or justify abuses.

A step towards building solidarity must include having a credible position and clear opposition to human rights abuses by all parties, not just the Assad regime or ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and as-Sham). And this isn’t just about calling out opposition fighters, it is also about pushing them to improve their rules of engagement and structures so civilian protection is central to their own activities.

Humanitarian Action

We are doing all we can to increase the visibility of the humanitarian crisis to help those seeking secure and durable cross-border and cross-line aid deliveries.

This issue, along with the counter-terrorism narrative, is a key focus for many governments right now. We need to keep the focus on this and push the point that protecting civilians from deliberate starvation and indiscriminate bombardment is more important than quaint notions of state sovereignty –– especially where that state is committing crimes against humanity, as Assad’s regime is.

Solidarity and Support for Detained Syrian Activists

We take action in solidarity with detained Syrian activists and call for their release — don’t let them be forgotten. Many of these people are critical to a future Syria where human rights for all is a central feature. You can join our urgent action network, take action in support, and share information about Syria’s detained peaceful activists.

Transition

We’re helping to empower, equip, and mobilise Syrian activists to help them develop an independent civil society, take human rights messages out to a wider audience, and be better enabled to use non-violent means to defend their own and others’ rights.

This last point on transition is crucial. Across Syria and outside the country, there are still many thousands of brave people who continue to stand up for their rights to demand an end to poverty, corruption, impunity, and repression. Those were key drivers of the uprisings, and over three years on, the poverty is worse, the corruption is worse, the impunity is worse, and the repression is worse.

The regime arrested or killed a lot of peaceful activists in 2011 but there are still many who remain and many new activists imbued with a revolutionary spirit. Those that call themselves progressive should be supporting these activists.

These activists are calling for a future where human rights are respected and protected. If you truly believe in social justice, you will make an effort to get to know this beautiful reality.

So many self-described progressives have been disgracefully ignorant, maybe on purpose, of this reality — confront them, in a positive way, with the reality of Syria’s many progressive activists campaigning for a better Syria and being repressed by a tyrannical regime. Ask them to make a decision: who is more deserving of support and solidarity?…

I appreciate individual activists can not engage in all these activities but there are still practical actions that can be taken. For instance….

Make sure your MP is getting the full and accurate picture: I would of course say base your narrative on the human rights arguments, even if you are advocating more robust measures. The laws of war are there for a reason, use them.

So write to your MPs, meet them, inform them. Also if you are in a union, an NGO, a school or university, indeed any civil society group, call on them to devote resources to expressing their solidarity and promoting a Syria which has human rights for all.

Help credible Syrian civil society and relief organisations: Whether small or large, many of them are crossing into Syria on a daily basis and not waiting for permission from the regime or the UN Security Council. They are doing vital work under dangerous conditions — they need support.

Speak at events: Comment on and correct false narratives, organise solidarity events, educate — just make sure your message is credible.

And finally, try not to give up: It will take many years to see sustainable stability and protection in Syria and a lot of effort and resources from civil society, states and the UN. They need to be constantly reminded of this because there is always a danger Syria becomes another forgotten conflict. We can make sure it isn’t.