The Syrian Future Movement joins the international community in celebrating World Book and Copyright Day, a day established by UNESCO in 1995 to commemorate the passing of giants of human literature and to reaffirm that the book will remain the strongest bridge for communication between cultures and the ultimate tool for preserving identity and enlightening minds.
The Syrian Future Movement views this day as an annual opportunity to review the state of knowledge.
We in the Syrian Future Movement also believe that the book is the cornerstone of the battle for awareness and the best means to achieve intellectual liberation.
Protecting copyright is a safeguard for human creativity and a guarantee of the continuity of intellectual contributions that fuel the advancement of nations.
The Syrian Future Movement notes that this occasion comes amidst serious challenges facing the region. Recent reports (according to the Arab Reading Index and UNESCO’s 2025 follow-up) indicate:
- The knowledge gap: Despite the relative improvement in digital reading rates, access to printed books in conflict and refugee camps still faces significant economic and logistical obstacles.
- The publishing crisis: The Syrian book industry has witnessed a significant decline as a result of the war, necessitating a comprehensive national strategy to support Syrian publishing houses and protect the rights of Syrian writers both inside the country and in the diaspora.
- The digital transformation: Statistics indicate that more than 60% of the younger generation is turning to digital content, making it imperative to “digitize knowledge” and provide secure platforms that respect intellectual property rights.
We in the Syrian Future Movement, based on our national responsibility towards the future of generations, emphasize the following:
1- Human Development: The “Syria of the future” cannot be built without a generation of readers who possess critical and analytical skills. This begins with restoring the importance of school and university libraries.
2- Supporting Syrian Creators: We urge the relevant institutions to enact modern legislation that protects the intellectual output of Syrians from theft or loss and facilitates access to books for every Syrian home.
3- Knowledge as a Sovereign Right: We consider providing books and facilitating reading to be a human right and an integral part of Syria’s national cultural security.
In conclusion, the Syrian Future Movement extends its greetings to every Syrian writer, author, and publisher who has persevered in the face of ignorance and continued to write the letters of enlightenment despite the darkness of the circumstances.
We also pledge that supporting culture and knowledge will be at the forefront of our national project, so that we may guide Syria toward a future written by its children with the ink of science and freedom.
Long live Syria, a homeland of science and scholars, and a beacon of thought and creativity.
The General Secretariat
