Activities of the national meeting (mediation and reconciliation.. Experiences and Testimonies) started

The Syrian Private University of Antioch and the Forum for Development, Culture and Dialogue held the National Meeting “Mediation and Reconciliation: Experiences and Testimonies” at the Sheraton Hotel in Damascus.

The three-day meeting will discuss experiences and testimonies in reconciliation, mediation, active citizenship, the role of youth in rebuilding the nation and women’s rights and the activation of their role. The meeting will conclude its work at the University of Antioch in Maaret Sednaya.

Minister of Awqaf Dr. Mohammed Abdul Sattar al-Sayyed said in a speech that Syria is the cradle of civilizations, where Muslims and Christians live as partners for they are essential pillars, noting that the extremism that has spread in our country was made in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey.

The Minister said that the meeting aims to reinforce the great efforts made by Christian clerics and Islamic scholars in the field of reconciliation in many places of the country, stressing that “reconciliation is exclusive to those who have been misled and not with those who betrayed the homeland.”

He pointed out that the scholars supported their army, homeland and leadership and that dozens of them were martyred during the terrorist war on Syria.

In turn, Saint Ignatius Ephrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and the Whole East and the Supreme Head of the Syriac Orthodox Church in the world considered that the title of the meeting is a “permanent need”, due to the fact that nowadays we are in dire need to promote reconciliation among people of the country on the basis of real tolerance.  

For his part, the President of the Forum of Development, Culture and Dialogue Riyad Jarjour pointed out that the meeting aims to cooperate in promoting reconciliation in order to face repercussions of the crisis and challenges and foreign conspiracies on Syria. The meeting also aims to harvest good will in order to enhance the concept of citizenship and the participation of society in building the future and foiling plans which target undermining Syria and its unity. .

Rector of the Private University of Antioch, Dr. Rakan Razzouk, highlighted the importance of the meeting in exchanging views and presenting experiences of reconciliation, underlining the need for exerting efforts to disseminate the culture of brotherhood and reconciliation.

Inas Abdulkareem