On March 21st of each year, the world celebrates World Poetry Day, established by UNESCO in 1999, in recognition of poetry’s unique role in fostering intercultural dialogue, preserving linguistic diversity, and reviving humanity’s shared heritage.
The Syrian Future Movement sees this day as a tribute to the transformative power of words, which express the dreams and identities of nations and illuminate the paths of resistance against tyranny and oblivion.
The Syrian Future Movement believes that in Syria, the cradle of civilizations and a sanctuary for prophets and philosophers, poetry holds an existential place in our national fabric.
From Nizar Qabbani to Anas Al-Daghim, poets have been voices of freedom and beauty, heralds of intellectual revolutions that challenged constraints and raised the banners of dignity.
The Syrian Future Movement, amid efforts to erase Syrian identity and distort its history, sees poetry as a weapon of cultural resistance, a bridge that spans the devastation of war, narrating stories of pain and hope, and reconnecting Syrians with their deep roots that have shaped a human legacy for thousands of years.
The Syrian Future Movement believes that rebuilding Syria is not just about reviving its stones but reviving the cultural spirit of a people whom history has known as poets and artists.
Poetry, as a living memory and collective consciousness, has the power to fortify national identity against fragmentation and rebuild trust among the components of society, especially after war has severed human connections.
The Syrian Future Movement calls for the protection of Syrian poets and artists, many of whom have been forced into exile or silence under repression and harsh living conditions.
We urge the establishment of safe platforms for expression and the support of independent publishing projects.
The Syrian Future Movement calls for incorporating poetry into educational curricula, as a window for new generations to discover their literary heritage and nurture their critical and creative sensibilities.
The Syrian Future Movement calls for the documentation of Syrian folk and narrative poetry across all regions, as a national project that preserves linguistic diversity and local storytelling traditions, before they are lost to globalization or conflict.
The Syrian Future Movement recommends learning from international experiences, such as the Medellín International Poetry Festival in Colombia, which transformed poetry into a tool for social reconciliation after decades of civil war.
The Syrian Future Movement considers that Syrian poetry, with its Arabic, Kurdish, Syriac, and Circassian diversity, is not merely a heritage, but a vision for the future, redefining Syrian identity beyond extremism and division. Therefore, we urge the government and cultural institutions to adopt a national strategy to support the poetic movement, establish a fund for young talents, and launch awards that honor creative works upholding the values of justice and freedom.
On this day, we salute every poem written in blood on prison walls and every poet who carried their pen as a weapon against darkness. Let us be faithful to the words of those who came before us, and work together to make poetry the voice of a new Syria, where free words rise above all ruins.
For poets are the guardians of memory, and Syria is a homeland written in the rhymes of life.
