Madaniya’s Monthly Newsletter

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Dear colleagues, representatives of civil society organisations,

We hope this finds you in good health and spirits.

Below is our newsletter for December 2025 and January 2026, where we share with you the latest developments within Madaniya and across the Syrian civic space.

Best wishes,
Madaniya’s Team

Updates on Madaniya’s Work

Conference on the Indicators of the Political Transition Observatory in Syria

Madaniya, in partnership with The Day After, has concluded the first phase of the Political Transition Observatory in Syria project, culminating in the Conference on the Indicators of the Political Transition Observatory. The conference was held on 21 December 2025 and provided a platform to present the preliminary framework of indicators for measuring the transitional phase. This framework draws on the outcomes of more than 71 dialogue sessions and workshops conducted across various regions of Syria, in addition to extensive virtual consultations, with the participation of over 1,500 actors from diverse backgrounds and locations. It was developed through a bottom-up, participatory approach that takes into account the specificities of the Syrian context and the complexities of the transitional period.

The conference discussed six core pillars that served as the foundation for building the indicators: transitional justice; constitutional and judicial reform; elections; economic and social policies; and security sector reform. These themes were explored through specialised discussion sessions bringing together researchers and experts, civil actors, representatives of civil society organisations, and legal, economic, and security professionals. The discussions focused on the critical questions that emerged from local dialogues, as well as the structural and institutional gaps that shape the trajectory of the transition and affect the ability to measure progress.

The conference aimed to open an in-depth discussion on the methodology for developing the indicators, the standards for measuring them, and their limitations and potential as an independent civil tool to monitor the performance of the state and its institutions during the transitional phase. It also sought to help identify priorities for collective action in advancing the political transition in line with a shared set of values. In this context, a preliminary matrix of political transition monitoring indicators was presented, developed through an analysis of sectoral dialogue outcomes and their linkage to cross-cutting dimensions, enabling a comparative and systematic reading of reform trajectories.

With the conclusion of the conference, Madaniya and The Day After are entering a new phase of participatory work. This phase will focus on completing the development of the matrix, regularly updating the indicators, and expanding dialogue with local actors and experts, in preparation for adopting the final formulation of the indicators as part of civil monitoring tools in the period ahead.

To view the matrix in Arabic, follow the available link.

Developing Madaniya’s Strategy for 2026–2028

Madaniya is currently developing its strategy for the 2026–2028 period, within a three-year planning process aimed at strengthening its role as a coalition of Syrian civil society organisations and at defining its strategic priorities at a pivotal moment in the political transition.

This process is grounded in a participatory and incremental methodology, designed to accompany member organisations through successive stages, each building on the outcomes of the previous one, with the aim of ultimately shaping Madaniya’s strategic objectives and overarching approach for the coming phase. In this context, an open-ended survey was developed and shared with member organisations. Its relatively open format was intended to minimise preconceived framing of responses and to allow greater space for critical reflection and in-depth analysis, in line with the complexity of the political and societal context in which Madaniya and Syrian civil society operate.

Alongside the survey, a series of participatory meetings were held with Madaniya’s members, including five focus groups, each lasting approximately two and a half hours. These sessions focused on discussing the strategic direction, Madaniya’s roles, and work priorities for the coming years. They enabled in-depth dialogue on challenges and opportunities, and contributed to testing the strategy’s initial assumptions while grounding them in the practical realities of members’ work across diverse contexts.

This planning process is based on a collective working methodology, aimed at ensuring that the final strategy reflects the perspectives, analyses, and views of Madaniya’s members, its Board of Directors, and its executive team. In recognition of the responsibility borne by civil society towards the public interest and Syria’s future at this historic juncture, Madaniya, as a coalition of more than 250 Syrian civil society organisations, seeks to develop a strategic framework that is as inclusive, realistic, and implementable as possible, and that responds effectively to the requirements of the next phase.

The final strategy is expected to be completed in early March and will be published and made publicly available upon its adoption, serving as a reference document to guide Madaniya’s work in the period ahead.

Madaniya's Engagement with Ongoing Events

Madaniya’s Statement Marking One Year of the Political Transition in Syria

On 8 December 2025, Madaniya issued a position statement on the course of the political transition in Syria, in light of the political developments that followed the fall of the Assad regime on 8 December 2024. The statement is grounded in Madaniya’s vision and founding values, and reflects the responsibility of civil society to accompany this critical phase and to contribute to steering it towards the construction of a state based on equal citizenship, the rule of law, and respect for human rights.

The position statement was informed by an extensive series of dialogue sessions and consultations with Madaniya’s members inside and outside Syria, in addition to a review of previous position papers and interactive discussions with civil and political actors. This process constituted a form of constructive and critical engagement with official narratives related to the transitional phase, particularly those articulated by the transitional authorities on national and international occasions.

The statement sets out Madaniya’s perspective on the political transition, underscoring the need for a clear and well-defined roadmap grounded in the principles of participation, transparency, and accountability, and one that allows the steps of the transition to be subject to public debate, measurement, and monitoring. It also stresses the importance of civil society’s role as a key partner in public policy formulation, performance oversight, and rights advocacy, in ways that strengthen the prospects for democratic transition and prevent the reproduction of exclusionary or authoritarian patterns. The statement further highlights the importance of Syrian–Syrian dialogue as a central tool for rebuilding trust and forging sustainable national understandings. Madaniya argues that such dialogues must be inclusive, open, and multi-layered, and should not be reduced to symbolic initiatives or one-off meetings. Rather, they should evolve into an ongoing process that enables the expression of Syria’s political and social pluralism and leads to actionable understandings that support the transition, safeguard the country’s unity, and lay the foundations for a new social contract based on equal citizenship and respect for diversity.

The statement addresses key areas of reform during the transitional phase, including transitional justice and uncovering the fate of the missing, constitutional and judicial reform, the establishment of a fair and inclusive electoral system, and the restructuring of the security sector. It also highlights the necessary economic and social reforms required to address the impacts of the war and to protect the most vulnerable groups. In addition, the statement affirms the need to build legitimate transitional institutions, ensure genuine separation of powers, and protect public freedoms and civic space.

The statement concludes by emphasising that the success of the political transition remains contingent on a genuine partnership between the transitional authorities and civil society, as well as on supportive international engagement that respects Syrian agency and does not substitute for it. In this context, Madaniya reaffirms its readiness to continue constructive engagement throughout the transitional phase by offering analyses and recommendations, and by contributing to the development of monitoring and accountability tools, in line with the aspirations of Syrians for freedom, dignity, and justice.

To read the full statement, follow the available link.

Updates from member organisations

This section highlights the key achievements and recent developments in the work of Madaniya’s member organisations, along with events held at Madaniya’s headquarters in Damascus.

Joint Statement on the Military Escalation in North-East Syria

A group of Madaniya member organisations issued a joint statement addressing the security and humanitarian developments in north-east Syria, in light of the escalation of military operations and the renewed violence in populated areas, which has been accompanied by widespread fear and displacement among civilians. The statement comes amid growing concern over the fragility of existing understandings, particularly following the agreement reached on the twenty-first of this month between the Syrian transitional government and the Syrian Democratic Forces, which aimed to secure a ceasefire and open a pathway for integration into Syrian state institutions.

The statement notes that the current moment constitutes a real test of the possibility of moving away from a logic of armed confrontation towards approaches that place the protection of civilians at the forefront. The signatory organisations warn that the continuation of military escalation, especially as the timeframe stipulated in the agreement nears its end, threatens to undermine any prospects for stability and to reproduce cycles of violence and displacement, at a time when there is an urgent need for practical measures that protect lives and uphold human dignity. The statement includes a clear call for an immediate cessation of military operations and stresses the obligation of all parties to respect international humanitarian law, including refraining from targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure. It further emphasises that the protection of the population is not a temporary measure or one contingent on shifting power dynamics, but rather a legal and moral responsibility that must form the foundation of any future security or political arrangements.

The organisations also affirm the importance of preserving the political track opened by the recent agreement and developing it towards a broader dialogue based on political solutions and Syrian–Syrian understandings, as the only viable path to addressing the root causes of the conflict, strengthening social peace, and preventing a renewed slide into violence.

The statement was signed by Syrian civil and human rights organisations that are members of Madaniya, including: the Syrian Program for Legal Development, Alternative Pathways, Justice for Life, PIL – Civil Waves, the Syrian Center for Justice and Accountability, the Campaign for Syria, Nihna Qaddha, the Access Center for Human Rights, Dawlaty, Ta’azur (Synergy), Lilun, The Day After, the Local Development and Small Projects Support Office, For Feminism, and Women Now for Development.

The statement concludes by underscoring that consolidating the ceasefire, strengthening dialogue, and protecting civilians constitute essential entry points for any sustainable stability, and that disregarding these elements will only deepen societal divisions and prolong human suffering.

To read the full statement, follow the available link.

Needs Assessments – Stabilisation Support Unit

As part of its ongoing efforts to support early recovery and strengthen evidence-based responses, the Stabilisation Support Unit (SSU) carried out a series of field-based needs assessments across a number of Syrian cities and areas during 2025 and 2026. These assessments were based on field surveys and direct community consultations, conducted with the participation of local actors and affected residents. They aimed to provide a grounded analysis of existing gaps in infrastructure, basic services, and livelihoods, in order to inform the design of interventions that are better tailored to local contexts.

In the city of Homs, the assessment focused on the cumulative impact of years of destruction and economic decline. It highlighted widespread deterioration in water, electricity, and sanitation networks, growing pressure on health and education services, and high unemployment rates alongside declining access to stable income opportunities. The findings underscored the fragility of the recovery process and the need for integrated approaches that combine infrastructure rehabilitation, livelihoods support, and strengthened local governance capacities, in order to reduce the vulnerability of the most affected groups and help restore a minimum level of social and economic stability.

In Muadamiyat al-Sham, in the Rural Damascus area, the assessment drew attention to challenges associated with the return of large numbers of residents and displaced people amid severe degradation of infrastructure and basic services. It identified significant gaps in water supply, sanitation, and waste management, alongside high unemployment levels and the absence of stable income sources for a large proportion of households, with women and youth particularly affected. In response, the Stabilisation Support Unit proposed recovery approaches that generate immediate employment opportunities, including labour-intensive programmes, support for small businesses, and vocational training, alongside service improvement and strengthened community participation.

In the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighbourhoods of Aleppo, the Stabilisation Support Unit conducted a needs assessment following security developments that affected displacement and return dynamics and the continuity of services. The assessment found that electricity represented the most critical gap across sectors, with direct repercussions for water, health, education, and livelihoods, in addition to fuel shortages and the deterioration of certain public services. It also pointed to widespread damage to livelihoods, alongside strong community readiness to engage in recovery activities linked to neighbourhood and service rehabilitation, with the potential to enhance employment and income opportunities.

To access these assessments and other studies produced by the Stabilisation Support Unit, follow the available link.

Initiatives for Film Screenings and Artistic Collaborations – Ettijahat - Independent Culture

Ettijahat – Independent Culture continues to implement its initiatives in support of cultural and artistic practice in Syria. It is currently receiving applications for the second cycles of the Narratives of Today and Naseej initiatives for 2026, building on the programmes launched in 2025.

Under the Narratives of Today initiative, Ettijahat has opened the call for applications to support touring film screenings, following the conclusion of the first cycle, in which the selection committee supported four cinema screening tours that travelled across several Syrian cities and rural areas. These tours offered a diverse programme of Syrian films produced over the past decade, alongside earlier works that had not previously been accessible to audiences inside Syria. They contributed to the creation of collective viewing spaces and public discussions around contemporary artistic, political, and social issues. The initiative aims to strengthen the right of Syrian audiences to access Syrian cinema, while enabling filmmakers to present their work to diverse audiences in varied local contexts.

In parallel, Ettijahat continues to receive applications for the second cycle of the Naseej initiative, which in its first round focused on supporting artistic collaborations between different cultural entities, or between institutions and individuals. In 2025, six artistic collaborations were supported across six Syrian cities, spanning a range of fields including music, theatre, visual arts, and multidisciplinary artistic practices. The initiative seeks to empower cultural and artistic practitioners to develop collaborative spaces and to reach diverse audiences through touring performances and joint artistic encounters.

For more information on both initiatives, including eligibility criteria and application procedures, visit the following link.

Events at Madaniya Headquarters – Damascus

Throughout December 2025 and January 2026, Madaniya hosted a series of cultural, legal, and policy-focused events at its headquarters in Damascus, bringing together local organisations, international partners, and a wide range of civil society actors.

Syrian Cinema Council Discussion Session – Stories Film

On 3 December 2025, Madaniya hosted a discussion session at its premises that brought together a group of filmmakers and cinema professionals with a representative of the Syrian Cinema Council, to explore avenues for cooperation and possible forms of support to advance the cinematic and cultural landscape in Syria. The session discussed proposals currently being developed by the Syrian Cinema Council in its capacity as a service-oriented structure supporting professionals in the sector, with the aim of fostering a more sustainable and dynamic cinematic environment and opening new horizons for production, collaboration, and networking among actors in the field.

Workshop on Production Mechanisms, Markets, and Presenting Documentary Films on Different Platforms – Stories Film

On 5 and 6 December 2025, Madaniya hosted an intensive workshop organised by Stories Film, featuring film producer Guevara Nimer. The workshop focused on documentary film production mechanisms, understanding market dynamics, and how to present documentary projects to different platforms. It brought together a number of directors and producers working in the film sector and offered an in-depth examination of the producer’s role in developing documentary projects and building professional pitching dossiers tailored to international markets and platforms. The workshop contributed to strengthening opportunities for Syrian films to reach wider exhibition spaces and represented a further step towards bridging the gap between ideas and funding, and between creative ambition and the practical realities of documentary filmmaking.

Fields of Solidarity Event

On 19 December 2025, Madaniya hosted the Fields of Solidarity event at its premises. The initiative brings together sustainable agriculture, art, and music, and aims to document experiences of agricultural and community-based work, while highlighting agriculture as a space for solidarity, resilience, and livelihood-building. The event featured an exhibition of natural agricultural products produced by farmers working according to organic practices free from chemical fertilisers and pesticides, alongside displays of handicrafts, artistic works, and local products. It also included a photo exhibition documenting the activities of the Fields of Solidarity team in several Syrian areas, including Mishtaya al-Hilu, Tartous, Idlib, and Eastern Ghouta. The event was complemented by the screening of a short documentary tracing the initiative’s journey from Greece to Syria, and concluded with a modest musical evening held as part of the programme.

Dialogue Session: “How Can We Establish a Fair and Inclusive Legal System in Syria?” – Democratic Change Center

On 11 January 2025, Madaniya hosted a dialogue session at its premises titled “How Can We Establish a Fair and Inclusive Legal System in Syria?”, organised by the Democratic Change Center in cooperation with Zayla and the European Centre for Kurdish Studies. The session brought together a number of researchers and experts in the fields of transitional justice, law, and constitutional affairs. Discussions focused on the fundamental relationship between transitional justice and the establishment of a fair and inclusive legal system, and on its role in rebuilding trust within Syrian society after years of violations, as a key entry point for laying the foundations of Syria’s future constitution on principles of justice, accountability, and equal citizenship.

Tadweer–Tech Event

On 8 January 2025, Madaniya hosted the launch event of the Tadweer–Tech initiative at its premises. Tadweer–Tech is an environmental project that aims to transform waste from an environmental burden into a reusable resource and a source of energy. The initiative promotes a vision centred on waste separation at source, the dissemination of recycling culture, and the building of community partnerships that begin in schools and extend to households, with the longer-term objective of advocating for public policies that support a more sustainable environment in Syria. Tadweer–Tech seeks to raise environmental awareness and to link individuals’ everyday practices to long-term development pathways that contribute to resource protection and improved quality of life.

Under the Spotlight

In this section, we highlight the latest reports and updates released by Syrian institutions or concerning Syria over the past month.

Report on the Right of Families of the Missing Along Migration Routes to Know the Truth

The Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression published a legal paper addressing the right of families of the missing along migration routes to know the truth, drawing attention to one of the most complex and neglected humanitarian issues associated with asylum and migration pathways.

The paper examines the reality of the disappearance of thousands of people during attempts to cross land and sea migration routes, and the resulting long-term suffering of their families, particularly in the absence of information, the fragmentation of responsibilities, and the weakness of cross-border search and documentation mechanisms. It demonstrates that the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the fate of the missing constitutes not only a violation of the victims’ dignity, but also leaves their families in a state of enforced waiting, undermining their ability to mourn, to claim their rights, or to organise their legal and social affairs.

The paper affirms that the right to know the truth is an autonomous legal right, guaranteed under international human rights law and international humanitarian law, and that it entails clear obligations on states. These include the duty to search and investigate, to collect and preserve information, to inform families of any available findings regarding the fate of their loved ones, and to ensure the dignified and transparent management of cases of missing persons and human remains.

The paper also highlights the gaps in existing responses, whether in terms of international cooperation, information-sharing, or the establishment of effective databases. It calls for a more coordinated approach that recognises families of the missing as rights-holders, rather than as marginal actors within migration and asylum policies. The paper concludes with a set of recommendations aimed at strengthening existing international frameworks and developing monitoring and accountability mechanisms to ensure that this issue is not sidelined under security or political considerations. It urges that disappearances along migration routes be addressed as a humanitarian and human rights matter requiring sustainable responses that respect the dignity of the victims and the right of their families to truth and justice.

To access the paper, follow the available link.

Civil Society Operating Environment and the Legislative Framework – Justice for Life

Justice for Life published a policy paper examining the legislative framework governing the work of civil society organisations in Syria, in light of the political and administrative transformations that followed the fall of the regime and the challenges and opportunities they have generated during the transitional phase. The paper seeks to contribute to the public debate on the future of state–civil society relations, drawing on local experiences and the perspectives of civil actors from different regions and contexts.

The paper adopts a participatory methodology, based on focused discussion sessions with activists and representatives of civil society organisations in a number of governorates, including areas under the transitional government and others under autonomous administration. It presents a critical analysis of the current Associations Law, showing how it entrenches a model built on prior control and administrative restriction, and how it limits the independence of civil society and its ability to play a meaningful role in public affairs beyond narrow service delivery and humanitarian functions.

The paper discusses a set of key issues, including procedures for registration and dissolution, restrictions on funding, requirements for prior approval of activities, and the limited space available for civic action and public expression. It also highlights differences between operating environments across regions, and how these affect organisations’ capacity to respond to community needs and to build balanced relationships with local authorities and donors.

The paper concludes by emphasising that the transitional phase represents an opportunity to redefine the legislative framework on new foundations, shifting civil society regulation from a logic of “licensing and control” to one of “notification and accountability,” while guaranteeing freedom of association, financial independence, and the protection of civic space. It calls for the drafting of a new law through participatory processes that recognises civil society as a partner in state-building, rather than as an entity subject to security and administrative oversight.

To access the paper, follow the available link.

Madaniya’s Monthly Newsletter - Dec 2025 & Jan 2026