Meeting of (Mediation and Reconciliation .. Experiences and Testimonies) highlights the advancement of society and promotion of reconciliation

The participants in the National Meeting of (Mediation and Reconciliation  … Experiences and Testimonies) recommended on Wednesday working on laying down solid scientific foundations for the advancement of the Syrian society along with efforts to rebuild industry and economy.

The participants called for organizing an active civil society to participate in issues of interest to the society, most important of which was to promote reconciliation and tolerance and to agree on following up the most important ideas and practical recommendations that serve interests of  the country and the citizen and play pivotal role in  prosperity, development  and growth .

The participants also called for continuing work in the field of mediation and reconciliation and activating the role of women and youth in community work.

The establishment of training courses for youth groups and civil society supervisors on the mechanisms and methods of implementing reconciliation in addition to the access to the experiences of other countries in reconciliation and the development and expansion of dialogue sessions to include the largest number of provinces were also recommended by the participants.

Patriarch Mar Ignatius Ephrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and all the East, the Supreme Head of the Syriac Orthodox Church in the World, underlined the importance of holding this “pioneer” meeting at the country’s level in servicing interests of reconciliation for the benefit of society and man.

In turn, the Rector of the Syrian Private University of Antioch, Dr. Rakan Razouk, stressed that the university is ready to receive all ideas that benefit and contribute to the development of its work and to mobilize efforts to develop the awareness of national youth and link them with society.

In her lecture at the concluding session of the meeting, Member of the Executive Office of the National Union of Syrian Students Darin Suleiman highlighted the need to activate the role of women and youth in achieving and promoting reconciliation and the enactment of laws and regulations that protect this empowerment and participation in political and community work in addition to the establishment of political and economic symposiums for young people. She stressed the need for the government’s active role in fostering relations among the parties and ministries concerned to translate these mechanisms into decisions and laws that activate the role of youth and women.

In turn, Member of the People’s Assembly, Dr. Nora Arsenian, spoke of  the role of the Syrian women  parliamentarians, her presence in the parliament and her participatory role in the community, service, political and relief work.

The 2-day meeting was held on Tuesday by the Syrian Private University of Antioch and the Forum of Development, Culture and Dialogue at the University’s headquarters in Ma’aret Sednaya in Damascus countryside.

Inas Abdulkareem