Syria - International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN)

Case Study: Recruitment of Girls into Militant Groups

Posted on May 7, 2015 by Lauren Mellows

Respect the Dignity and Autonomy of Girls: Stop Recruitment of Girls into Militant Groups 16 year-old YPJ fighter Barkhodan Kochar from Darbasi, Syria.“The war influenced me a lot. Before joining YPJ, whenever I asked my family about politics, they’d say ‘that’s not your business, you’re just a girl’. But when I saw how the women […]

Recommendations for Action from Syrian Civil Society

Posted on July 15, 2014 by Lauren Mellows

As the international community and the United Nations contemplate the latest developments in Syria, and in the aftermath of the Geneva 2 negotiations efforts and Lakhdar Brahimi’s resignation, ICAN and a delegation of Syrian women peace and human rights activists– living inside and outside the country and representing a range of Syrian networks and organizations, […]

Negotiating a Better Peace: Women & Civil Society at the Table

Posted on June 30, 2014 by Lauren Mellows

“Looking around the room @ #betterpeace – like being in presence of many #mandelas – sadly not known by world” @sanambna On June 22-25, 2014, the International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN), UN Women (UNW), US Institute of Peace (USIP), Crisis Management Initiative (CMI), the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders (GNWP), and Cordaid, with assistance from the Institute for […]

Syria: Call for immediate release of human rights lawyer Khalil Ma’touq

Posted on May 6, 2014 by Lauren Mellows

Over one and a half years after the disappearance of renowned Syrian human rights lawyer Khalil Ma’touq, the undersigned organizations are reiterating their call on the Syrian authorities to release him immediately and unconditionally. Khalil Ma’touq, the director of the Syrian Centre for Legal Studies and Research, disappeared on 2 October 2012, along with his colleague Mohammed […]

Syrian Civil Society Expresses Concerns Regarding Homs Evacuation

Posted on February 10, 2014 by Lauren Mellows

Dear Friends, As you may know, the United Nations recently brokered a deal to allow the evacuation of women and children from Homs, Syria. We all hope this is good news and the beginning of a sustainable process towards peace. Please find below the link to a statement which includes 3 specific demands issued by Syrian […]

Ensuring the Effective Participation & Rights of Women in the Syrian Peace & Mediation Process

Posted on January 15, 2014 by Lauren Mellows

Based on consultations with Syrian civil society partners, a group of international NGOs recently published a five-step approach to ensuring the effective participation and rights of women in the Syrian peace and mediation process. This is a critical element in achieving a just and sustainable peace in Syria. The paper offers five steps to ensuring […]

Building A More Inclusive Political Transition in Syria

Posted on September 10, 2013 by Lauren Mellows

On 18-19 July 2013, a group of practitioners, scholars, and policy makers with global experience representing a variety of institutions gathered in Washington, DC to explore how the principles and practicalities of including non-violent, non-state actors in mediation, transition, and peace-making processes can be applied to Syria. The meeting’s key objective was to develop viable […]

Options for Action in Syria: A Nonpartisan Statement of Concern by Conflict Resolution Professionals

Posted on September 10, 2013 by Lauren Mellows

President Obama’s proposed course of limited military airstrikes is intended to “punish” Syrian President Assad for allegedly using chemical weapons. (The UN inspectors’ report verifying whether chemical weapons were used is not yet out.) This is to send a signal that the United States will not tolerate a flagrant disregard of the ban on chemical […]

Building More Inclusive Political Transitions: A Review of the Syrian Case (Summer 2013)

Posted on July 8, 2013 by Lauren Mellows

Highlights from ICAN & IREX’s Event: More Than Victims: Women’s Roles in the Syrian Conflict

Posted on June 21, 2013 by Lauren Mellows

On Tuesday, June 11, 2013 ICAN and IREX co-sponsored a panel and discussion on the role of women in Syria. This panel and discussion was meant to highlight the various roles that women on the ground in Syria play and what the international community can do to help them. Check out the minutes and a […]

Anderlini Discusses Including Nonviolent Civil Society Actors in Peace Talks on Syria

Posted on June 11, 2013 by Lauren Mellows

On June 5, 2013 ICAN co-founder Sanam Anderlini and two Syrian civil society activists discussed with Marie O’Reilly, Associate Editor for the International Peace Institute, whether or not nonviolent civil society actors in Syria should be included in the upcoming Geneva peace talks. The discussion emphasized that having a seat at the peace talks is […]