Syrian Future Movement welcomes the “Damascus Gate” project launched by the Ministry of Information as the first city for media, tourism and film production in Syria, and considers it an important symbolic step on the road to reconstruction and cultural employment, provided that the principles of transparency and comprehensive development are adhered to.
- Initial support conditional on good implementation
The movement sees the project as an important initiative to stimulate the economy, provide decent job opportunities and enhance local media competencies, but it emphasizes the need to implement it within clear and transparent criteria and under rational institutional supervision that preserves the national interest.
- Historic Architecture and Artistic Production: Two Levers for an Inclusive Identity
The movement applauds the attempt to repurpose historic Damascus as a creative space, and emphasizes that linking it to artistic production is not only an economic initiative, but also carries a symbolic dimension that contributes to reshaping public consciousness and restoring a unified national identity after years of division and displacement.
- Warning against commercialization of demonstration projects
The movement warns of the danger of turning the “Damascus Gate” project into a superficial propaganda tool aimed solely at polishing the image of the “new Syria” without having a tangible impact on the lives of Syrians, and emphasizes that development should not be showy or centralized, but rather equitable and inclusive.
- Criticizing the unbalanced focus on Damascus
The movement criticizes directing billions of dollars in investments to Damascus alone, while many Syrian governorates suffer from the absence of basic services, calling for a development vision based on geographical and developmental equity.
- The legal environment is a condition for the success of media projects
The movement emphasizes that any real media project depends on the existence of a legal and institutional framework that guarantees freedom of expression and the independence of media work, as creativity does not flourish in a closed environment, but rather in a space characterized by pluralism and openness.
- Demanding transparency and community oversight
The movement calls for the disclosure of the sources of funding for the project, the allocation mechanism and the beneficiaries, and demands the involvement of independent professionals and the local community in oversight mechanisms to avoid corruption and favoritism.
- Reconstruction is not limited to physical construction
The movement warns of the need to expand the concept of reconstruction to include societal recovery, reconciliation, independence of the judiciary, and building strong national institutions, considering that the Damascus Gate project is a practical test of the seriousness of the government’s approach, not just a marketing slogan.
- The future Syria is built with dignity, not cameras
The movement concludes its position by emphasizing that the new Syria is not built with studios only, but with citizen dignity, justice, media independence, and political sincerity, as these are the foundations of a true renaissance.
