Reconstructing Syria: The need to break the mould
8 years, 9 months ago

Reconstructing Syria: The need to break the mould

Al Jazeera  

When the time comes, new approaches to economic reconstruction are needed in Syria. In late May the World Bank ran a feature story on “The Importance of Planning Syria’s Eventual Reconstruction”, which proposed innovative use of satellite imagery and social media analytics to assess physical damage and prepare not for “the day after”, but for “the day before”. The complex make-up of Syrian society necessitates building any governance model around the highly localised nature of social dynamics, economic opportunity and access, and institutions that deliver services and governance. But no less important are the intangibles – social, political, and institutional dynamics – that will be generated by, and shape, post-conflict reconstruction in Syria and the associated repatriation of refugees and internally displaced persons. Complex make-up of Syrian society The complex make-up of Syrian society necessitates building any governance model around the highly localised nature of social dynamics, economic opportunity and access, and institutions that deliver services and governance.

Social Syria Reconstruction Need Syrian International Actors Syrian Society National Elites Dynamics Economic  mould  syrian  political  need  international  actors  break  syria  social  world  reconstruction  policy  dynamics  economic  reconstructing

History of this topic

A new Syrian government struggles to reset its corrupt, besieged economy
1 month, 4 weeks ago

A new Syrian government struggles to reset its corrupt, besieged economy

LA Times  

To understand the shakedown empire that was once Syria under former President Bashar Assad, consider the notorious Al-Khatib prison and torture center. But erasing its grim legacy is likely to take much longer, as the country’s new leaders contend with an economy hobbled by nearly 14 years of war, deep-rooted corruption and international sanctions. The Qadam train station n Damascus …

Why Syria is so coveted
2 months ago

Why Syria is so coveted

Al Jazeera  

Syria today is the most dynamic diplomatic venue in the Middle East because it is the most strategically contested one – as it has been for millennia. The people and rulers of the land of Syria have experienced this throughout the last 5,000 years, ever since Damascus and Aleppo emerged as productive, vibrant, and strategic urban centres in the third …

Syria’s economic pains far from over despite Assad’s ouster
2 months ago

Syria’s economic pains far from over despite Assad’s ouster

Associated Press  

DAMASCUS, Syria — Samir al-Baghdad grabbed his pickax and walked up a wobbly set of stairs made of cinderblocks and rubble. “Economic opportunities are basically nonexistent,” al-Baghdadi said, sitting on a pile of rubble and debris where the house’s entrance used to be. “So we’re going to slowly rebuild with our own hands.” Although Syrian President Bashar Assad was toppled …

Rebuilding Syria’s economy: Can stability return after war?
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Rebuilding Syria’s economy: Can stability return after war?

Al Jazeera  

Syria’s new leadership faces an economy devastated by war and sanctions, with inflation and a decimated currency. The challenges Having assumed control of Syria’s caretaker government, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham – itself still sanctioned as a “terrorist organisation” by the United States and others – faces a long list of challenges. “There’s little doubt that sanctions hollowed out state institutions and …

Syria looks to pick up the pieces of its shattered economy
2 months, 4 weeks ago

Syria looks to pick up the pieces of its shattered economy

Live Mint  

DAMASCUS, Syria—More than a decade of civil war left Syria’s economy in shambles. Now, as Syria’s new leaders seek to rebuild, they are confronting a raft of challenges, including convincing Western powers to lift sanctions and regaining control of the country’s oil sector. “If we gain control of the country’s oil fields, we can gain a level of energy independence, …

Rebuilding Syria requires much more than bricks and mortar
3 months ago

Rebuilding Syria requires much more than bricks and mortar

Al Jazeera  

Rebuilding Syria after more than a decade of devastating conflict is no simple task. As the global community keeps a close eye on Syria’s new leadership to ensure a smooth transition, it must also send a clear and forceful message to Israel. The global community may hesitate to fully lift sanctions due to uncertainty about Syria’s new leadership. Syria’s new …

Syria’s new rulers must not repeat the past mistakes of Lebanon and Iraq
3 months, 1 week ago

Syria’s new rulers must not repeat the past mistakes of Lebanon and Iraq

Al Jazeera  

In these first days of what is being hailed as a “new era” in Syria, the authorities now controlling Damascus are sending mixed signals. The path they eventually choose to follow will determine whether the mistakes and miscalculations that devastated not only al-Assad’s Syria but also Iraq and Lebanon will be repeated here in this “new era”. This appointment, made …

It is time for justice and accountability in Syria
3 months, 2 weeks ago

It is time for justice and accountability in Syria

Al Jazeera  

The Syrian regime has collapsed. Inevitably, how the future Syrian political leaders choose to approach these will reflect how the conflict is narrated and whether true reconciliation among Syrians will take place. This bodes well for any domestically driven reconciliation process, as it distinguishes between the regime’s decision-makers and everyday citizens who were a part of the army and bureaucracy. …

Syrians are justifiably rejoicing after decades of repression. Here are the three ways Syria can go
3 months, 2 weeks ago

Syrians are justifiably rejoicing after decades of repression. Here are the three ways Syria can go

ABC  

The end of Assad rule means many things, but particularly the long-overdue destruction of "the kingdom of silence", the paranoid security state that Hafez al-Assad built and his son Bashar intensified. What Syria's neighbours and major foreign powers do now Syria used to be called "the beating heart of the Arab world", but the weakness and desperation of the Assad …

What the collapse of the Syrian regime says about the Arab region
3 months, 2 weeks ago

What the collapse of the Syrian regime says about the Arab region

Al Jazeera  

The failed governance that plagued Syria is not unique. The uprising against the Syrian government that ended the half-century of al-Assad family rule should be seen as among the most important political turning points in the modern Arab region since the end of World War II and the creation of Israel in 1948. The al-Assad regime was the longest-lasting military-based, …

UN envoy urges donor support for battered Syria facing an economic crisis
1 year, 6 months ago

UN envoy urges donor support for battered Syria facing an economic crisis

Associated Press  

DAMASCUS, Syria — The United Nations special envoy for Syria Sunday urged donors not to reduce their funding as the war-torn country’s economic crisis spirals. For years, the U.N. has been trying to restart stalled talks to reach a political settlement in Syria — including Syrian government representatives rewriting a constitution with a delegation representing opposition groups. Now with the …

Residents in southern Syria raid ruling party offices, block road as protests over economy intensify
1 year, 7 months ago

Residents in southern Syria raid ruling party offices, block road as protests over economy intensify

Associated Press  

BEIRUT — Angry protesters raided the local offices of the ruling Baath party in a southern Syrian province Wednesday, as protests intensified against the country’s government during a severe economic and financial crisis battering the war-torn country. Geir Petersen told the U.N. Security Council that in the last three months “a very bad economic situation has got even worse,” with …

Analysis: Syria rebuilding hopes dim as war enters year 13
2 years ago

Analysis: Syria rebuilding hopes dim as war enters year 13

Associated Press  

BEIRUT — The recent deadly earthquake in Turkey and Syria which caused billions of dollars in damage has boosted the prospects of Syria’s once widely shunned president return to the Arab fold, but appears unlikely to jump-start large-scale reconstruction in the war-ravaged country. As Syria’s conflict enters its 13th year Wednesday, President Bashar Assad’s government still refuses to make concessions …

Explained: What’s driving Syria's economic crisis?
2 years, 2 months ago

Explained: What’s driving Syria's economic crisis?

Firstpost  

Apart from the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s war in Ukraine, the most important factor driving up global fuel prices in Syria is a recent slowdown in oil shipments from Iran, which has been Damascus’ primary source of fuel Beirut: Syria’s economy has hit its lowest point since the start of its civil war nearly 12 years ago, with spiralling inflation, …

EXPLAINER: Why has Syria’s economic crisis hit a new low?
2 years, 2 months ago

EXPLAINER: Why has Syria’s economic crisis hit a new low?

Associated Press  

BEIRUT — Syria’s economy has hit its lowest point since the start of its civil war nearly 12 years ago, with spiraling inflation, a currency plunge and severe fuel shortages in both government-run and rebel-held areas. But the most crucial factor is a recent slowdown in oil shipments from Iran, which has been Damascus’s main source of fuel since the …

EXPLAINER: Why has Syria's economic crisis hit a new low?
2 years, 2 months ago

EXPLAINER: Why has Syria's economic crisis hit a new low?

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Syria’s economy has hit its …

Influential countries are ‘turning their backs’ – economic destitution is driving Syria’s humanitarian crisis
4 years ago

Influential countries are ‘turning their backs’ – economic destitution is driving Syria’s humanitarian crisis

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. And so the NRC expects a …

Syria sanctions inflict suffering as al-Assad regime marches on
4 years, 2 months ago

Syria sanctions inflict suffering as al-Assad regime marches on

Al Jazeera  

Life in government-controlled areas worsens with queues outside bakeries and fuel stations as President al-Assad hangs on to power. Bassam Barabandi, a former Syrian diplomat who currently lives in the US in exile, said the Syrian government had no more money so it instead offered the country’s resources to Russia. “By restricting Syria’s fuel supply through oil trade sanctions and …

Syrians are suffering and need help – here are the three ways politicians can change that
4 years, 8 months ago

Syrians are suffering and need help – here are the three ways politicians can change that

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy This time last year, many …

Arab nations inch toward rehabilitating Syria’s Assad
6 years, 2 months ago

Arab nations inch toward rehabilitating Syria’s Assad

Associated Press  

BEIRUT — He has survived eight years of war and billions of dollars in money and weapons aimed at toppling him. Gulf Arab nations, once the main backers of rebels trying to oust Assad, are lining up to reopen their embassies in Syria, worried about leaving the country at the heart of the Arab world to regional rivals Iran and …

Europe needs to step up its game in Syria
7 years, 10 months ago

Europe needs to step up its game in Syria

Al Jazeera  

I was in Brussels recently with other Syrian civil society representatives to meet with EU and UN officials to reinforce our key demands on protection, accountability, humanitarian access and especially the need for a meaningful inclusion of civil society in the Syrian political process. OPINION:Implications for a Syrian transition under Assad Each day without the prospects of a viable political …

Implications for a Syrian transition under Assad
8 years ago

Implications for a Syrian transition under Assad

Al Jazeera  

Though some Syrians will accept his rule, embarking on a reconciliation process would be difficult with Assad in power. Second, while the political process will likely frame Syria as one unitary state with formal institutions, such as a governing council or another transitional body, new parliament, or legal system, informal aspects of the political settlement will constrain state effectiveness. OPINION: …

Syria’s super-rich are waiting for war to end to return and rebuild their homeland
8 years, 9 months ago

Syria’s super-rich are waiting for war to end to return and rebuild their homeland

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Mr Asfari declined requests for an interview, while Mr …

How to salvage Syria’s economy
9 years ago

How to salvage Syria’s economy

Al Jazeera  

Through economic aid, the West has the opportunity to exert pressure for changes in governance. The argument that Assad’s regime is the root cause of the refugee crisis and of the aggravated terrorism threat is widely understood in Western policy circles, but short-term political considerations have pushed policymakers towards the apparently perverse conclusion that dealing with Assad is the best …

The Syrian conflict does not end here
9 years ago

The Syrian conflict does not end here

Al Jazeera  

As we enter the sixth year of the conflict, we are further away from a sustainable solution than at any other point. Unfortunately, current efforts towards resolving the conflict fail miserably in doing so insomuch as they have concentrated singularly on striking a political deal between the main regional players as the pretext for solving the crisis. We should not …

Syria: a country in free fall
9 years, 1 month ago

Syria: a country in free fall

The Hindu  

Rapid advances by the Syrian Arab Army and its allied militias into the northern city of Aleppo and the southern city of Dara’a suggest that a part of the Syrian civil war might be near an end. Massive >Russian air strikes have raised the morale of the Syrian government’s forces, which have cut off rebel supply lines to Turkey and …

Syria crisis: The West wrings its hands in horror but it was our folly that helped create this bloodbath
9 years, 5 months ago

Syria crisis: The West wrings its hands in horror but it was our folly that helped create this bloodbath

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. As long ago as August 2012 …

The Syrian catastrophe
9 years, 6 months ago

The Syrian catastrophe

The Hindu  

The shocking image of the lifeless body of Aylan Kurdi, the three-year-old boy who drowned while fleeing Syria’s Kobani, was a tragic reminder of the humanitarian crisis in the > West Asian country. While such moves should be welcomed on humanitarian grounds, it can’t be forgotten that the policies of the very same European governments towards Syria helped cause the …

Syria’s chaos casts a deep shadow over our future
9 years, 10 months ago

Syria’s chaos casts a deep shadow over our future

Al Jazeera  

Kazakhstan’s foreign minister on the rise of ISIL and the need for better international cooperation to curb the threat. Common ground It is why, at the request of a number of Syrian opposition groups, we hosted talks this week to facilitate finding ways to tackle the country’s humanitarian crisis and create the common ground to end the conflict. This, of …

Syria’s solutions: Between a rock and a hard place
11 years, 6 months ago

Syria’s solutions: Between a rock and a hard place

Al Jazeera  

The current solutions on the table to the Syria crisis will yield terrible results, writes author. More importantly, despite the media frenzy, as massacres continue to be committed in Syria, many of the world’s power players are still protecting the Assad regime, in order to promote their strategic interests. It is also important to recognise the long dark tunnel through …

Conflict presses Syrian economy
12 years, 5 months ago

Conflict presses Syrian economy

China Daily  

Get Flash Player Download This is the VOA Special English Economics Report. “You know we live in a very difficult atmosphere, the atmosphere of crisis.” Afif Dala is with the Syrian Ministry of Economy and Trade. “But the Syrian economy actually depends on itself. This week, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized Syria at a meeting of the Organization …

Syria the pawn in a dirty war as superpowers circle
12 years, 5 months ago

Syria the pawn in a dirty war as superpowers circle

ABC  

Syria's vicious civil war has become a pawn in efforts by major powers to sustain the regional status quo, writes Amin Saikal. The implication of the Russian position is that if the US wants Moscow to be on board in relation to Syria, then it needs to enter a deal whereby the US retrenches its deployment of anti-missile shields from …

Syrian crisis deeply entangled with wider complexities
12 years, 8 months ago

Syrian crisis deeply entangled with wider complexities

ABC  

In Syria, the Assad regime is in deep trouble, but its demise may not come soon enough for a majority of the Syrian people. Not only does the regime still have considerable human and military assets at its disposal, but the Syrian conflict is also deeply entangled with wider regional and international geopolitical complexities. Tehran has invested heavily in its …

Crony Capitalism, Syria Style
12 years, 10 months ago

Crony Capitalism, Syria Style

NPR  

Crony Capitalism, Syria Style toggle caption STR/Associated Press This week in the New York Times Magazine, Adam Davidson writes about the surprising diversity of Syria's economy. His name is Rami Makhlouf, the cousin of Syria's president Bashar al-Assad. If the business didn't pay a cut to corrupt officials, "they could punch you in a hundred different ways," said Landis. Sponsor …

Discover Related