The Syrian Future Movement observes the international community’s commemoration of Nelson Mandela International Day as a global occasion to renew commitment to the values of freedom, justice, equality, and reconciliation, and to reaffirm that building stable states begins with respect for human dignity and the rule of law.
The Syrian Future Movement believes this occasion holds particular significance for Syria, which has emerged from decades of tyranny and human rights abuses and now faces the challenge of transitioning from conflict to state-building and institution-building based on justice, citizenship, and the rule of law.
The Syrian Future Movement emphasizes that true national reconciliation is not achieved through forgetting or revenge, but rather through establishing a comprehensive system of transitional justice that uncovers the truth, provides redress for victims, holds perpetrators accountable under the law, and preserves human dignity, thereby preventing the recurrence of violations and establishing a sustainable social peace.
The Syrian Future Movement stresses that building a new Syria requires entrenching a culture of tolerance, rejecting hatred and exclusionary rhetoric, and respecting religious, ethnic, and cultural diversity as a source of national strength, not a cause for division or conflict.
Based on this, the Syrian Future Movement calls for:
- Accelerating the completion of the transitional justice system to achieve fairness, accountability, and national reconciliation.
- Revealing the fate of all those missing and forcibly disappeared, and enabling their families to learn the truth.
- Protecting public rights and freedoms, and guaranteeing the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law.
- Promoting a culture of equal citizenship and enshrining the values of dialogue and tolerance in educational curricula, media, and public discourse.
- Expanding the participation of youth and women in the state-building process and decision-making, as they are essential partners in Syria’s future.
- Supporting national initiatives aimed at rebuilding trust among the components of Syrian society, thereby strengthening the country’s unity and stability.
The Syrian Future Movement affirms that the best way to honor the values embodied by Nelson Mandela is to translate them into policies, institutions, and practical practices that contribute to building a free, secure, and just Syria, where all citizens are equal in rights and duties, and which is a state for all its people.
