About the National Democratic Gathering (1)

Introduction:
Despite political, religious, and ideological differences, the Syrian revolution started in 2011 as a rejection of tyranny and injustice! The demands were threefold:
1- Lift the emergency law.
2- Restrain the security forces.
3- Implement political and constitutional reforms.
These demands represent the core of the Syrian movement since its inception. However, due to the regime’s overwhelming details, the peaceful movement shifted to an armed conflict, influenced by the regime’s security grip, defections within its ranks to support the people’s demands, the entry of jihadist groups, and the exploitation of religious sentiments, which were met with excessive violence by the Syrian regime (violence increases religious adrenaline and extremism). With Iran and its militias entering the scene supporting the Syrian regime, it all intensified sectarian religious tensions, gradually silencing moderate voices.

It can be argued that the Syrian movement was initially dominated by moderates and democrats. Still, they failed to organize and define a clear roadmap, becoming consumed by the evolving complexities. The triumph of extremist ideologies that condemned democracy played a significant role in overshadowing moderate voices.

Therefore, at this stage of the Syrian revolution, especially with Sweida city joining the revolution, it became imperative for moderate, liberal, and democratic minds to unite under a single institutional action.

The Path:
The path can be divided into two phases:
First Phase:
The idea of a gathering uniting democratic Syrians dates back to the end of September 2022, with the start of Turkish and Arab normalization with the regime. The pressing question arose: What are we doing?
A campaign named “A single idea that revived a nation” was launched, emphasizing the need to unify democratic Syrians under an organized entity. Consequently, the “Syrian Council for Change” held two virtual dialogues in January and February 2023, attended by approximately 160 democratic Syrian figures both inside and outside Syria.

Second Phase:
After the dialogues, a survey was crafted by the strategic planning team of the “Syrian Council for Change”. The results highlighted the need for a new entity representing all democratic Syrians. The “Syrian Council for Change” and the “Syrian Bloc” appointed six members and worked on creating a list of invitees, excluding military factions, opposition institutions, old Syrian bodies like the Muslim Brotherhood, and individuals with non-democratic, nationalist, or sectarian inclinations. The contacts resulted in significant engagements, establishing foundational principles before the first gathering in Berlin on October 20th and 21st, 2023.

General Overview:
Several observations emerged:
1- The “Democratic Syrian Gathering” doesn’t present itself as a comprehensive national assembly. Instead, it is a nucleus for Syrians who believe in democratic practices.
2- It believes in a coordinated effort both inside and outside Syria.
3- The general body consists of 100 entities and 300 individuals, establishing foundational principles and ensuring the continuity of the path.

Three Distinctive Features:
Past Syrian experiences led to three pivotal conclusions:
First: International or external funding leads to dependencies and aligning with the funders’ political agendas.
Second: Syrian meetings are known for persistent debates, often leading to misunderstandings and disagreements.
Third: Holding Syrian opposition meetings in a country that puts its interests first impacts the Syrian national interest.

Thus, the “Democratic Syrian Gathering” is distinguished by its focus on the real interests of the Syrian people, minimizing dependencies, and emphasizing constructive dialogue and democratic practices.

Here’s the English translation:

1- Self-funding:
The three entities can be considered as the bearers for the initiation of the “Syrian Democratic Meeting”, namely: “The Syrian Council for Change”, “The Syrian Coalition”, and “The Syrian National Democratic Gathering”. Therefore, it was agreed that each entity will pay an amount of 5,000 euros, to be deposited in a bank account in Germany under the name “Syrian Democratic Meeting”. Dr. Khaldoun Al-Aswad donated an amount of 5,000 dollars. Dr. Zaher Baadran, on behalf of the Syrian Future Movement (SFM), donated an amount of (….$).
This amount is purely Syrian, and serves as a starting point for further donations by the participating entities and individuals.

2- The attendees will not discuss principles or debate fundamentals and specifics. Instead, they’ll announce the official inception and elect leadership for this meeting, then appoint a “Follow-up Committee”. Its task is to draft a code of conduct, a national program, and other procedural matters. Discussions have already taken place virtually in a precise and highly competent manner.

3- Berlin, Germany was chosen because of its distance from intervention in Syrian affairs, its lack of interests that precede the interests of the Syrians, and because its constitution prohibits the German state from disrespecting human rights. The German constitution states: “Human dignity is inviolable, and the state authorities must respect it”. Thus, the German constitution allows Syrians the comfort to engage in political activity without pressure or interference from authorities, which is not the case in Turkey and other countries where the Syrian opposition is located.

Clarifications:
First clarification:
To clear things up, it’s crucial to note that there’s support from the Protestant Academy in Germany to assist in preparing for the meeting. This assistance is merely providing logistical support for the conference. Meaning, securing a hall for 350 people and providing them with food and drinks. This academy plays a supportive role for Syrians, pushing towards achieving what Syrians decide through Syrian dialogue. Dr. Marwan Khoury requested both “Muller Veber” and Dr. “Smith”, the director of the Protestant Academy, to provide logistical assistance.

Second clarification:
The final version, agreed upon by voting on 8/10/2023, includes the “Basic Principles Document” and the “Organizational Structure Document”. It’s expected that on the day this article is published, drafts on the electoral system, internal system, and political code of conduct will be presented for voting.

Conclusion:
It can be said that this step is essential to break the Syrian stalemate, and to establish a recognized entity carried by democratic entities and figures both inside Syria and in refugee countries. Therefore, we in the Syrian Future Movement (SFM) see the necessity to provide all the necessary support for this meeting, and we will use all our resources to supply it with what it needs. The Syrian Future Movement (SFM) invites all Syrians, in their currents, entities, and as individuals, to join this meeting and work towards its success, aiming for real and effective impact on the Syrian scene, rejecting all forms of tyranny, and succeeding in making Syria a free, honorable, democratic, and pluralistic country for all Syrians.

The Political Office of the Syrian Future Movement (SFM).