My thanks to the organizers, speakers, and audience at Saturday’s conference for an illuminating and inspiring day.

The video of the discussions is being edited and we will post it as soon as it is available.

Thanks also to readers for their patience during limited coverage while I was on the road.

I will be at a conference on Iran on Sunday afternoon in Nottingham, so updates in the Syria, Iraq, and Iran dailies will be slow until this evening.


On Saturday in London, prominent journalists, academics, and activists will be discussing Syria’s crisis, media coverage, and activism in “Conflicting the Narrative, Building Solidarity“.

Topics include “The Character and Changing Dynamics of the Syrian Revolution”, “Combating Media Distortions and Challenging Dominant Narratives”, and “Building Solidarity”. Syrian playwright Mohammad al Attar will send a special video message from Beirut.

The sessions begin at 10 a.m. at the London Middle Eastern Institute, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.

Speakers include:

*Gilbert Achcar of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London
*Robin Yassin-Kassab of Critical Muslim and PULSE Media
*Salma Ismail of the School of Oriental and African Studies
*Bente Scheller of the Heinrich Böll Foundation
*Muhammad Idrees Ahmad of PULSE Media
*Scott Lucas of EA WorldView and University of Birmingham
*Kristyan Benedict of Amnesty International UK
*Reem Al-Assil of the Syrian Non-Violence Movement
*Rima Majed of Oxford Solidarity for Syria

EA WorldView is co-sponsoring the event with Amnesty International UK, PULSE Media, Critical Muslim, and Oxford Solidarity For Syria.