CIVICUS speaks with Laura Al Jundi about Syria’s fragile transition following conflict and dictatorship, the challenges and hopes of activists in exile and how art and culture are becoming vital tools for rebuilding civic life and collective memory. Laura is a Syrian researcher, anthropologist and co-founder of Culture Tank Factory.
Almost a year after the collapse of regime of former president Bashar al-Assad, Syria remains in a fragile and uncertain transition. Human rights violations are still common, as the fall of the regime exposed deep fractures and longstanding divisions within communities. Syrians in exile are following events closely and finding new ways to stay connected, using digital spaces to support people on the ground and demands for justice. Civil society is slowly rebuilding, exploring new forms of cooperation and opening conversations about the inclusive, participatory Syria people hope to build.
