Overview
On 24 April 2025, Advancing Civil Society - GLOCA held a physical discussion session in Aleppo titled “Envisioning Syrians’ Priorities for the Next Phase.” The session was facilitated by Wasim Alhaj and brought together 25 participants from diverse social and civic backgrounds.

Session Focus
The session opened a participatory space to reflect on the key priorities of Syrians during the transitional phase, with a focus on the social, political, economic, and rights-based dimensions shaping the relationship between communities, institutions, and civil society actors.

Key Discussion Themes

• Social cohesion, trust, social capital, and diversity management.

• Political participation, governance gaps, and the future of public life in Syria.

• Transitional justice, rights, constitutional guarantees, and vulnerable groups.

• Return, reconstruction, economic policy gaps, and local economic participation.

• The inclusion of IDPs, persons with disabilities, women, and children in future planning.

Key Outputs
Participants identified initial priority issues for Syria’s transitional context and developed key discussion tracks that can inform future civic responses and policy-oriented dialogue. The session also emphasized the need to include marginalized groups in planning for return, reintegration, and recovery.

Impact
The session launched a broader intellectual and civic dialogue pathway under the “Engaged Society” track, creating a foundation for future discussions on Syrians’ priorities and the role of civil society in shaping inclusive recovery.

#GLOCA #CivilSociety #SyriaRecovery #SocialCohesion #TransitionalJustice #Aleppo