»Syrien – Der Tag danach«

The Day After. Supporting a Democratic Transition in Syria. Vision, Principles, Objectives, Challenges, and Recommendations

Among the challenges confronted by the Syrian opposition since the start of the Syrian revolution in March 2011 has been the lack of a unified vision for Syria’s future and of concrete and detailed planning to respond to the significant challenges that will accompany a post-Assad transition. The absence of a clear vision and detailed plans has reinforced fears among some segments of Syrian society about what the future might hold should the Assad regime collapse. It has also constrained efforts by the inter-national community to support the opposition in its efforts to overthrow the Assad regime. To address this gap, The Day After project provided a framework within which some 45 prominent opposition representatives of varied backgrounds participated in a facilitated process of transition planning. The project has now published a document that provides a comprehensive vision for a post-Assad order, agrees on principles and goals, identifies challenges and risks, and puts forward concrete recommendations in six policy fields crucial for a successful transition. The document also offers recommen-dations for measures to be taken immediately to put in place the foundations for a successful transition.

Today, Syrians are struggling to overthrow an authoritarian regime and secure the opportunity to live in a stable, peaceful democracy. Transitions to democracy are always difficult. Those that occur in the wake of armed conflict face the most daunting of challenges. They must contend not only with the legacies of dictatorship, but with the immediate consequences of violence – human, social, institutional, and economic – which vastly complicate, and often overwhelm, efforts to build and con-solidate democratic institutions and norms in a traumatized, post-conflict society.

Even under the most difficult circumstances, however, prospects for a successful transition improve when it is anchored in shared principles and a shared commitment to clearly defined goals. Transitions that are guided by an understanding of the pathway to be followed, agreed principles, and the destination that citizens are work-ing to reach are much better equipped to meet and overcome the challenges they inevitably encounter. In addition, transi-tions are more likely to succeed when they take into account the specific historical experiences of a country, its social struc-ture, cultures, and traditions. The odds of success increase further when risks and challenges that may disrupt a transition are identified, strategies for mitigating them developed, and when sufficient flexibility is built into a transition plan to ensure that it remains relevant even under volatile and unpredictable conditions.

Against this backdrop and with the objective of making a substantial contribu-tion to transition planning for Syria, The Day After project was conceived. Acting under the auspices of a Syrian Executive Committee, the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) in partnership with the Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP) facilitated its deliberations.

Das vollständige Positionspapier finden Sie hier.