What Still Connects Us?

Thema

The Syrian society is obviously in a difficult state. It is deeply fragmented, war-torn, and its members live scattered in separated parts of the country, in neighboring states of the region, or across Europe. Syria’s social fabric has eroded widely due to state oppression and later because of the war. However, many say that there is still the need, the wish, and the chance for social cohesion among Syrians. To prevent further social fragmentation and disintegration it is time to broaden the discussion on a new Syrian citizenship. Citizenship, which was once defined by Syrian scholar Hassan Abbas and his colleagues, as “the right to free participation of equally responsible individuals”, is a concept that has meaningful roots in Syria’s intellectual history and signifies one of the key reference points of the uprising in 2011. While the concept of citizenship builds on the principal ideas of freedom, responsibility, equality, and participation it is never static but an ever-evolving variable that constantly needs redefinition. That holds, in particular, true for the Syrian context, where the relation between individuals the society, the state, and the common space is contested. This meeting takes place in homage to Hassan Abbas, an outstanding intellectual and one of the most crucial mentors for the concept of citizenship, who sadly passed away on March 4, 2020.

We have developed a survey (in Arabic) on the current state of the Syrian society and the future forms of „togetherness“ among Syrians:  „حالة المجتمع السوري وأشكال التعايش المستقبلي“

Please take part and follow this link:  https://www.surveymonkey.de/r/KH9ZSH7

(For English translation of the questionnaire see pdf below in the download)