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In only a few short years, Tharwa has played a strong role in building and supporting activists in the region. Some of our most noteworthy successes include:
The Tharwa Institute for Democratic Leadership:
The Institute convened two in-person training workshops in Istanbul in April and October of 2007 and implemented a six-month online course addressing the key theories and concepts of authoritarian and democratic political systems, political transitions, nonviolent activism and advocacy. The training program concluded with a seed project competition to fund grass-roots advocacy projects proposed by participants to address issues of social or political change.
Project proposals were submitted to the Institute in November 2007, that tackle diverse issues such as Child Labor in Aleppo, Syria, the degree of political participation of university students in Damascus, and a review of civic activism among Egyptian youth during the period of 2005-07. Completed projects and project reviews were delivered to the Tharwa Foundation’s US team in 2008, some of which have been translated and are available on this site under Tharwa Press.
In its first year, the Institute had a specific focus on emerging activists from Syria, who comprised approximately one half of the participant class. Other participants in the Institute training program came from Lebanon, Iraq, Egypt, Morocco and Yemen and were Arabs, Kurds and Assyrians, Sunnis, Shi’ites and Christians. Participants included students, lawyers, business professionals, journalists, and bloggers. Because of travel restrictions, some participants were not able to attend the workshops. But an impressive total of 32 participants did attend.
Citizen Journalism:
By the end of 2007, our Arabic-language website has over 100 contributing members who provide the only unfettered link to news and information about key events that occur in Syria. These members proved their acuity during the 2007 parliamentary elections and presidential referendum, which took place between April and June of 2007. Tharwa journalists served as ‘virtual’ and on-the-ground monitors, resulting in the establishment of a large monitoring network. This network recorded and exposed to the world the various infractions committed by the Syrian authorities during this period and the popular boycott of both events, despite massive spending by the candidates and the ruling regime. The reports prepared by Tharwa activists on their monitoring activities posed a serious challenge to the official results announced by the Syrian authorities.
Our core network of embedded activists in Syria is made up of 25 members, including 5 team leaders. But our extended network includes more than 250 supporters who can be called upon to help when a project is being implemented. Tharwa’s support network has been around for more than 2 years now, and many of its members have been with Tharwa since the beginning of our activities in Syria back in 2001. Our numbers continue to grow as word of Tharwa spreads and would-be activists seek us out.
Out network covers most of Syria geographically, from Damascus to Aleppo and Hassakeh to Suweida.
First Step:
In spring of 2008, Tharwa produced a 6 episode television series called First Step. Each episode features regional activists and scholars who engage in frank discussion and debate on the problems facing Syrian society, from the economy to ethnic and sectarian divisions. The hour long episodes also include short regional reports filmed by our in-country activists and scripted and produced by our US teams. These discussions, held in Arabic, will serve to promote conversation and dialogue among regional viewers about the serious problems facing Syria and what they can do, as citizens, to act on their own behalf.
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