Voices of Syria

"Refugee voices and perspectives must be at the core of peace negotiations and post-conflict reconstruction. It is not just a matter of restorative justice: sustainable solutions can only start when listening to those who, although in exile now, have a necessary and substantial role to play in rebuilding their country.

Peace negotiations between adversarial leaders tend to impose a certain framing narrative on those experiencing the conflict, which hardly generates genuine reconciliation. Bottom-up approaches, on the other hand, create conditions for sustainable peace. Moreover, the determination of refugees to be involved in peacebuilding to a great extent depends on how early, and how deeply, their narratives concerning harm, loss and recovery are incorporated into the peace process."

This project was developed in the Beka'a Valley, in Tripoli and in Beirut, Lebanon, in 2019. Luis Peral, a dear colleague and friend, wrote the text above. I share it here in his memory.