Imagine a town or region that has been wrested from government control and is now in the hands of the rebels. One image that comes to mind is the bleak, sterile, murderous society imposed by ISIS in parts of Syria’s northeast. But across whole regions of the country, ordinary Syrians are struggling to build a culture that is humane and vibrant, democratic, plural and just.
Even now, after four and a half years of war, groups are working day in day out to lay the foundations for a better Syria. Subversive graffiti, radio stations, schools, field hospitals, groups offering psycho-social support to children, centres for the education of women – all these initiatives have emerged from Syria’s new civil society. Remarkably, this has happened despite the barrel bombs that the regime continues to drop on rebel-held areas.
