Since the fall of Assad's regime, civil society advocates, especially in Damascus, are raising their voices about what sort of country they hope Syria will become.
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00:00Samer Dahi, Research Director at the National Building Movement, has spent years advocating
00:05for stronger civil society in Syria, even with little hope of progress under the old
00:10regime.
00:11Amid today's historic opportunity for change, we met Dahi in Damascus to find out what he
00:16hopes to achieve.
00:19Our goal is that Syrians or civil society be an integral part of the political process.
00:25The National Building Movement, established in 2016, has been organizing events to help
00:30Syrians better understand the concept of citizenship.
00:34Now Dahi is collaborating with groups and activists both inside and outside Syria, focusing
00:40on what he views as the nation's priorities.
00:45We need to prioritize establishing a governing body, any transitional body.
00:50It must include independent figures known for their dedication to working for Syria.
00:55They are known for their neutrality during this conflict, and must clearly declare that
01:00they will not be part of any future authority.
01:08Rather than waiting to see what Syria's new leaders will do, some civil society advocates
01:14have decided to take a proactive step taking their demands to the streets.
01:20We want to tell other Syrians that there is another voice on the Syrian streets, one that
01:25demands a state for all and a state of law.
01:30Today we want to raise our voices to say that we are one nation.
01:34We do not agree with some of the violations taking place in certain areas.
01:38This was not familiar to many Syrians.
01:45This was not familiar to many Syrians.
01:49I am here to listen to those on the streets.
01:52Perhaps I will hear an idea that I like and agree with.
01:56Meanwhile, voices from the other side are calling for patience.
02:00For years, the regime was responsible for corruption, theft, murder and secret prisons.
02:07If you want us to establish a state in just 20 days, be patient.
02:13With all my respect for the demands that call for giving the government time, these gatherings
02:17are not meant to harm the government as much as they are meant to draw its attention to
02:21other points that need to be addressed.
02:25Whether their demands are urgent or details to be worked out over time is one of the new
02:29Syria's emerging fault lines.
02:32But for each day, their concerns about civil society are dismissed.
02:37The more these advocates have to worry that the country might be heading toward a different
02:41form of tyranny.