Madaniya’s vision emerged at a time when the Syrian political process was stalled, and normalisation efforts with the Assad regime gathered pace. The country was fragmented into geopolitical divisions, and de facto authorities were sustained by competing regional and international powers. As meaningful engagement to address the Syrian conflict faded, Syrians found themselves in a prolonged state of uncertainty.
In the midst of this impasse, we held onto a core belief: that Syrian civic actors across the globe, could reclaim political agency and shape the future of their country.
This belief laid the foundation for Madaniya.
Officially launched in 2023, Madaniya was born as a Syrian-led, Syrian-funded initiative, independent of political and foreign influence, aimed at reclaiming the political agency of the Syrian civic space.
Today, with the fall of the Assad regime and the opening of a new chapter for Syria, Madaniya continues to evolve. Our mission is to ensure that Syrian civic actors are not only heard, but lead the way in shaping a just, inclusive, and democratic transition.
“Since the international community does not want to change the equation within the Syrian crisis, we have to think about what exactly WE want, and what WE should do.”
Dr. Bassma Kodmani, Co-founder of Madaniya
Reclaiming the Political Agency of the Syrian Civic Space from Damascus
For nearly fourteen years, Syrian civil society organisations have persevered under exceptional challenges, striving to maintain a civic space where diverse voices and aspirations can converge around our country’s future. Today, as Syria stands at a decisive turning point, our role in reclaiming and strengthening the civic sphere’s political legitimacy has never been more critical.