Communique of the “Inside Syria Forum” Calls for Activating the Civil Movement

The communique of the second “Inside Syria Forum” entitled “Roots” stresses that this “coordination meeting between the Syrian activists and the Syrian Coalition is a step in the right direction and a recognition of the need to activate the civil movement and support inclusive participation in the political decision-making.” The communique also stressed the need to engage the grassroots and the leadership of the civil movements in the decision-making process as a prerequisite for building a state of law,” pointing to the delay in discussing these sensitive issues, but noted that “better late than never.” “The Syrian Coalition is part of the civil political movement, so it shares the responsibility with other components of the revolution.” The workshops addressed three general topics: the international anti-ISIS coalition, and the governing relationship between the Syrian Coalition and other institutions, and how to activate the civil movement inside Syria.” Moreover, the communique calls for the international anti-terrorism alliance not to limit the airstrikes to ISIS positions and expand the aerial campaign to include targeting regime positions as the Assad regime is the root cause of terrorism. It also calls on the international community to support the Free Army in its battle against foreign terrorist militias that are fighting alongside the Assad regime. Participants also called for drafting regulations and laws that govern the performance of the Syrian Coalition and its institutions, as well as for developing mechanisms that regulate the appointment of new members of the Syrian Coalition and expand it by 33% to give room for activists and women. Furthermore, participants stressed the importance of promoting the concept of civil society and its neutrality, calling for the institutions of the revolution to launch a program that allows for civil society organizations to monitor those institutions. Hadi al-Bahra, president of the Syrian Coalition, stressed earlier that “defeating the Assad regime and achieving the goals of our revolutionary project, aimed at building a modern state, requires preserving the unity of the Syrian people,” during the opening of the second  “Inside Syria Forum.” “Syria is and always will be for all Syrians, regardless of their sect, ethnicity or religion. As a result of Assad’s barbarity, our homeland has become a battlefield where outsiders are fighting to settle scores and to serve the interests of their own countries. We have become strangers whose fate is in the hands of far-fetched sectarian militias who are wreaking havoc and destruction in our homeland. We cannot but thank the government of Turkey and its people for opening its doors for the Syrian people and embracing them with utmost generosity and hospitality. To achieve victory we need to put aside our personal, partisan and ideological affiliations, and also must not content ourselves with criticizing the mistakes, but we have to work together to correct them. The Syrian Coalition will always remain open to everyone wishing to share us the responsibility and work hard to serve the homeland and the revolution. We are diligently working to develop the performance of the Syrian Coalition and reform its organizational structure and also to move to Syria to be with our people in their suffering and offer them whatever we can.” Furthermore, Bahra called on the conferees to “put forward initiatives and suggestions, as you are the flame this revolution and the makers of the future of this country.” (Source: Syrian Coalition)