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LUGARIT @lugarit.com · 28/01/2025

LUGARIT is on Threads Follow us to stay updated with our latest insights, in-depth analysis, and discussions on the pressing issues impacting the Middle East and Africa www.threads.net/@lugarit_imp... #LUGARIT #ThinkTank #InternationalDevelopment #PeaceBuilding #LocalGovernance

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LUGARIT @lugarit.com · 28/01/2025

How can #Syria overcome fragmented #governance & rebuild equitable service delivery systems after years of #conflict? #LUGARIT & Omran analyze service disparities across Syria's 7 governance models before Assad's fall, offering insights into challenges & pathways for recovery. tinyurl.com/56ktsr84

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LUGARIT @lugarit.com · 24/01/2025

A new guidebook on social capital, by Niuversity & Afkar Plus based on content from LUGARIT. Published under a Creative Commons license, it provides accessible knowledge to empower communities and support inclusive, trust-driven approaches to social and economic progress tinyurl.com/y4dh47p5

Photo: Snapshot from a workshop. Photo © GaudiLab - via ShutterStock.

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LUGARIT @lugarit.com · 24/01/2025

Analysing Sinjar's conflicts; i.e. insecurity from armed groups, impunity for genocide perpetrators, land disputes, & challenges of women & children. With ineffective resolution mechanisms, political solutions, justice reforms, & inclusive recovery are needed to rebuild trust tinyurl.com/3s9bwcer

Photo: A female Yezidi YBŞ Fighter. Sinjar, Iraq. 2 December 2017. Photo © Kurdishstruggle - via Flickr. Photo editing by LUGARIT.

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LUGARIT @lugarit.com · 24/01/2025

We examine the fragmented governance models across Syria in the days leading up to Assad's fall on 8 December 2024. We shed light on local disparities, societal dynamics, and governance challenges that emerged as the regime's grip weakened. tinyurl.com/bdcjezrm

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LUGARIT @lugarit.com · 24/01/2025

Read/listen as we look at governance challenges in post-Assad Syria; i.e. structural reforms, economic recovery, social reconciliation, achieving legitimacy, fostering inclusivity, balancing stability with economic growth, & adapting lessons drawn from Idlib to diverse contexts tinyurl.com/4t9czt2z

Photo: The Presidential Palace overlooking the capitol after the fall of the Assad regime. Damascus, Syria. 9 December 2024. Photo © Mohammad Bash - via ShutterStock.

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LUGARIT @lugarit.com · 24/01/2025

We examine Syria’s volatile landscape following Assad's fall, highlighting fragmented governance, economic collapse, & persistent security challenges. We discuss transition frameworks, refugee reintegration, constitutional dialogue, international consensus, & inclusive governance tinyurl.com/ud55pt

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LUGARIT @lugarit.com · 24/01/2025

We facilitate a PeaceGame play session at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, part of the Executive Program on Conflict & Fragility Management. The session centered on the Syrian civil war & provided a realistic approach to peacebuilding, conflict resolution, negotiations, & strategy tinyurl.com/mr3uw7wf

Photo: Snapshot from the PeaceGame play session titled "Tradition at a Crossroads: Post-war development of villages in the suburbs of Damascus". 12 September 2024. Photo © LUGARIT.

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LUGARIT @lugarit.com · 24/01/2025

What intercultural challenges local NGOs face with international partners? We highlight issues (power imbalances, communication differences, misaligned goals) & offer solutions (capacity building, transparent governance, cultural sensitivity) to foster community development tinyurl.com/25337s68

Photo © UNICEF/Syria/2020/Delil Souleiman.

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LUGARIT @lugarit.com · 24/01/2025

We analyze Tunisia’s decentralization efforts post-2011, revealing how political conflicts obstructed governance reforms, how the focus on normative legal frameworks missed deeper issues, ultimately leading to recentralization under the guise of maintaining national unity tinyurl.com/4xet7ee5

Photo: The Tunisian Parliament is housed in a former palace of Tunisia's last monarchs, a largely forgotten era. Tunis, Tunisia. 18 JULY, 2017. Photo © Sebastian Castelier - via ShutterStock.

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LUGARIT @lugarit.com · 24/01/2025

A conversation on how intangible cultural heritage can foster peace in conflict settings. We highlight the role of heritage in rebuilding social cohesion & economic resilience, & we urge action on heritage-based peacebuilding, even amid ongoing conflict, to preserve identity tinyurl.com/y5yt7vhp

Photo: Street vendor in Bab Al Faraj, Aleppo, Syria, 2009. Photo © Paolo Arsie Pelanda - Via ShutterStock.

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LUGARIT @lugarit.com · 24/01/2025

Arab democracy crisis is traced to unresolved identity issues from post-colonial state formation. Contrasting with Europe's democratic evolution, we highlight how Arab efforts remain incomplete, as Arabs struggle with equal citizenship and disentangling civic from military rule tinyurl.com/2s4jzfkm

Photo: Ouided Bouchamaoui (right), co-winner of the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize as a member of the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet, greets Raimonda Murmokaite, Permanent Representative of Lithuania to the UN, at the Security Council meeting on security, development and the root causes of conflict. 17 November 2015. Photo © UN Photo/Cia Pak. Photo editing by LUGARIT.

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LUGARIT @lugarit.com · 24/01/2025

Our consultant presents research on preserving moated homesteads in North Europe at RGS-IBG Annual Conference 2024. The work combines digital mapping & community engagement to protect these cultural landscapes, addressing impact of urban sprawl on historical sites in Flanders tinyurl.com/3e7k5s7b

Photo: Historical image of an unidentified island of moated homesteads within the Flemish countryside of Northern Europe. Photo Courtesy of Bernard Pauwels.

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LUGARIT @lugarit.com · 24/01/2025

We speak at an event by EuroMed Feminist Initiative & Duderi NGO. We discuss the role of civil society organizations in Syria's education sector, and the need to leverage their role to support formal institutions to ensure scalability and harmonization of educational outputs tinyurl.com/mr396fe9

Photo: Syrian children attend a class at a makeshift school. 2015. Photo © Muhammed Muheisen - via Freedom House on Flickr.

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LUGARIT @lugarit.com · 24/01/2025

LUGARIT is on X (Twitter) Follow us @LUGARIT_Impact to stay updated with our latest insights, in-depth analysis, and discussions on the pressing issues impacting the Middle East and Africa x.com/LUGARIT_Impact #LUGARIT #ThinkTank #InternationalDevelopment #PeaceBuilding #Recovery #LocalGovernance

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LUGARIT @lugarit.com · 24/01/2025

We participate in a panel at the University of Fribourg, to discuss the complexities of power-sharing agreements in Lebanon, Syria, & Iraq. The event, part of the Institute of Federalism’s Summer University, explored how to adopt & sustain these agreements for long-term peace tinyurl.com/2rfk35pm

Photo: The Peshmerga, a standing military of Kurdistan Region, an autonomous political entity within Iraq. Photo © Farzin hassan - Via Pixabay.

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LUGARIT @lugarit.com · 24/01/2025

We explore the evolving rapprochement between Damascus and Ankara, highlighting its potential impact on Syria's future and regional stability. We look at shared security, economic cooperation, refugee returns, fate of armed factions, & implications for Syrian opposition & unity tinyurl.com/2nu27xnu

Photo: A 764km long 3m high concrete wall topped with 1m razor wire runs along most of the Syria-Türkiye border. It is the third longest wall in the world after the Great Wall of China and the American-Mexico border wall. Photo © Laith Doghem / TNH - via The New Humanitarian. Photo editing by LUGARIT.

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LUGARIT @lugarit.com · 24/01/2025

LUGARIT is on SoundCloud 🎧 We are producing audio versions of our commentary & publications. Now, you can listen to our content on both our website and SoundCloud. Whether you prefer reading or listening, we’ve got you covered. Follow us on SoundCloud soundcloud.com/lugarit

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LUGARIT @lugarit.com · 24/01/2025

Historic marketplaces in MENA once thrived as economic & social hubs. Revitalizing them raises ethical & economic questions, with success depending on strategic public investments & stakeholder engagement to ensure these markets contribute meaningfully to modern urban life tinyurl.com/yrxcvjas

Photo: The street markets of Cairo, Egypt. 10 June 2022. Photo © Ivan Moreno sl - via ShutterStock.

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LUGARIT @lugarit.com · 24/01/2025

We discuss decentralization in Syria's early recovery, in Al Madina FM radio interview. We highlight how local governance, linked to economic decentralization, can empower communities, drive recovery, and create conditions for the return of refugees and displaced persons tinyurl.com/ms3pnkyt

Photo: Locals and workers remove debris and clean up streets. Homs, Syria. 11 January 2017. Photo © UNDP Syria - via Flickr. Photo editing by LUGARIT.

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LUGARIT @lugarit.com · 24/01/2025

Is there a middle ground that integrates individual and group rights? Yes! In Syria's democratic transition, group rights can be institutionalized (in a balanced framework) to protect minorities, avoid infringement on individual rights, & avoid sectarianism & majority dominance tinyurl.com/y46uyj56

Photo: Syrian Refugee Children. Sanliurfa, Turkey. 2016. Photo © Alfa Net - via ShutterStock. Photo editing by LUGARIT.

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LUGARIT @lugarit.com · 24/01/2025

LUGARIT is on Instagram! Follow @LUGARIT_Impact and join us in our mission to create "real" development on the ground. www.instagram.com/lugarit_impa...

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LUGARIT @lugarit.com · 24/01/2025

Read/listen to a critique of traditional top-down heritage conservation approaches and an argument for inclusive, community-focused strategies that integrate socio-economic development, promote social cohesion, respect diverse local traditions and histories for peace & recovery tinyurl.com/547pjb3m

Photo: Market street at the Old City of Damascus, Syria. April 2009. Photo © amnat30 - via ShutterStock. Photo editing by LUGARIT.

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LUGARIT @lugarit.com · 24/01/2025

The Syrian refugee crisis is entangled in political, economic, and social challenges. With no solution in sight, stakeholders lack the will or capability to address it. Political agreements + localized solutions are crucial to improving conditions & facilitating refugee return tinyurl.com/2a28ud5t

Photo: Syrian refugees walking towards Turkey's Pazarkule border crossing with Greece's Kastanies, in Edirne, Turkey. 1 March 2020. Photo © Lumiereist - via ShutterStock.

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LUGARIT @lugarit.com · 24/01/2025

Read/listen to our take on the Syrian Constitutional debate, highlighting the tension between identity and citizenship, religious and linguistic diversity, and illustrating how respecting identity and guaranteeing equal rights can coexist within a constitutional framework. tinyurl.com/yc7eu46j

Photo: St George's Cathedral next to Altawheed Mosque, Aleppo, Syria. 6 Nov 2020. Photo © Mohamad Hilal - via Wikimedia Commons.

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LUGARIT @lugarit.com · 24/01/2025

We present a framework to analyze transition drivers from highly centralized to decentralized governance, focusing on power balances, legitimacy, economic challenges, peripheral uprisings, and external factors, illustrating the complexity and dependencies of decentralization tinyurl.com/duttd5h8

Photo: François Mitterrand casts his ballot in Chateau Chinon, 4 April 1981, for the first round of the French presidential election. Photo © Jean-Claude Delmas, AFP - via France 24.

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LUGARIT @lugarit.com · 24/01/2025

We discuss challenges of "reconciliation" in Syria, and we advocate for an inclusive Syrian-led dialogue addressing justice & integration, essential for preventing further fragmentation and fostering national unity under the complexities of current political & social divisions tinyurl.com/mrf4ckkr

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LUGARIT @lugarit.com · 24/01/2025

We write a book chapter about realistic economic strategies that balance heritage preservation with economic viability to rehabilitate the historic core of Aleppo. We propose demand-side investments to empower residents and offset the externalities of supply-side investments tinyurl.com/4748h926

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LUGARIT @lugarit.com · 24/01/2025

The Brussels conference marks a shift towards early recovery in Syria, focusing on empowering communities and revitalizing the economy. This hinges on leveraging resources, changing donor mindsets, fostering new local leadership, balancing humanitarian aid, & political reforms tinyurl.com/32h96n62

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LUGARIT @lugarit.com · 24/01/2025

We are for reconciliation, within states & with external neighbors, to end prolonged conflicts fueled by political naivety, external influences, & lack of mature dialogue. We are for embracing community recovery, rule of law, & democratization - rather than victory in conflict tinyurl.com/2ereaupw

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LUGARIT @lugarit.com · 24/01/2025

We speak at the "Economic Empowerment and Sustainability Conference" in Istanbul, emphasizing the importance of microfinance in fostering economic resilience in Syria, highlighting its role in early recovery and in creating employment and leveraging local resources tinyurl.com/4k23yr9r

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LUGARIT @lugarit.com · 24/01/2025

How can we enhance M&E processes during the early recovery of war-torn countries? We emphasize the need for transparency and inclusivity, and advocate for TPME to evolve from evaluators to partners in development, ensuring aid effectiveness and meaningful community engagement tinyurl.com/3wwsh7s6

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LUGARIT @lugarit.com · 24/01/2025

Singing in Syrian: Rediscovering National Identity Through Language An op-ed discusses the underrepresentation of Syrian identity in music and language, calling for recognition and celebration of Syria's unique cultural heritage to strengthen and affirm its national identity. tinyurl.com/58ptsrdf

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LUGARIT @lugarit.com · 24/01/2025

LUGARIT's Insights on Prospects for Recovery in the Arab Region We speak at a closed UNDP regional consultation, focusing on the role of post-conflict recovery in development & stability in the region, in preparation for the upcoming Arab Human Development Report 2025 tinyurl.com/yc3hz4d9

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LUGARIT @lugarit.com · 24/01/2025

Unlocking Potential: The Civic and Economic Role of the Private Sector in Syria We facilitate an event at the UN House - for UNDP, LSE & partners - on the role of Syria's private sector in economic recovery, civic engagement, & societal development tinyurl.com/3hdshy84

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LUGARIT @lugarit.com · 24/01/2025

UN ESCWA Workshop on Post-Conflict Public Governance We discuss effective local governance frameworks, draw on case studies from conflict situations, and emphasise the critical role of bottom-up reforms and municipal empowerment in service delivery tinyurl.com/2e7f89w9

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LUGARIT @lugarit.com · 24/01/2025

Navigating Early Recovery in Syria: Ethical Guidelines and Strategic Imperatives Let's debunk misconceptions about the novelty & political neutrality of early recovery and look at the need for national unity, economic integration, community-led initiatives, & decentralisation tinyurl.com/mrxh9rmz

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LUGARIT @lugarit.com · 24/01/2025

Economic Fault Lines: Urban-Rural Dynamics and Post-Conflict Recovery What's the role of urban centrality in economic accumulation? Its impact on urban-rural divides? Its contribution to civil unrest? How does it complicate post-conflict recovery? Read/listen to find out. tinyurl.com/bdc5msa4

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LUGARIT @lugarit.com · 24/01/2025

Decentralization After the Arab Spring: Prospects for the MENA Region Decentralization emerges as a pathway for addressing systemic marginalization and uneven development exposed by the Arab Spring. Can it enhance governance, foster stability, and reconcile divided societies? tinyurl.com/bd7s9yuh

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LUGARIT @lugarit.com · 24/01/2025

Beyond Intentions: The Humanitarian Fallout of Sanction Overcompliance We examine the unintended impacts of sanctions and the phenomenon of overcompliance, highlighting the challenges it poses to non-sanctioned entities in conflict zones and how to mitigate these impacts tinyurl.com/pmztdvxm

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LUGARIT @lugarit.com · 24/01/2025

Administrative Divisions and National/Local Identity in Syria We investigate the role of Syria's administrative-territorial divisions in shaping local and national identities, highlighting how government manipulation of divisions fostered divergent local identities & conflict tinyurl.com/rkvtc259

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LUGARIT @lugarit.com · 24/01/2025

Reframing Territories of War Through a Gender Lens How can Women, Peace, and Security WPS Agenda reflect its focus on women to shape a deeper understanding of conflict drivers? We analyze territories from a gender lens and argue for a nuanced approach to peace negotiations tinyurl.com/3wn55ffx

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LUGARIT @lugarit.com · 24/01/2025

Rethinking Aid for Early Recovery in Conflict Zones Learning from the limitations of traditional humanitarian aid, we discuss a shift to integrate humanitarian aid, development, and peacebuilding (the triple nexus approach) to improve early recovery in conflict zones tinyurl.com/26fyat4u

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LUGARIT @lugarit.com · 24/01/2025

Reimagining Heritage Preservation for Modern Urban Sustainability The traditional approach to heritage preservation is often disconnected from modern societal needs. Read our argument for a dynamic model that blends heritage with daily life and the economy to keep it relevant tinyurl.com/mpf4hdzd

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LUGARIT @lugarit.com · 23/01/2025

Will the Arab Region Build Up Sufficient Resilience Before the Next Youth Explosion? We discuss the imminent Arab youth bulge, pointing to past unrest, highlighting the complex interplay of factors (governance, economic crises, demographics), and how to mitigate future crises. tinyurl.com/53m5mvun

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LUGARIT @lugarit.com · 23/01/2025

How Can Citizens’ Perception of Land Tenure Security Contribute to Land Governance Reforms in the Arab Region? Join us in this review of the Prindex survey findings and in an analysis of a region with one of the highest rates of tenure insecurity in the world. tinyurl.com/bdafhpxc

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LUGARIT @lugarit.com · 23/01/2025

Decentralization in the Mashrek Region: Challenges and Opportunities We examine decentralisation's impact on Mashrek's development, democratic change, and social cohesion. We review approaches, analyse the influence of European policies, & offer recommendations for future aid. tinyurl.com/3dep3nbt

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LUGARIT @lugarit.com · 23/01/2025

Roadmap for EU Engagement with Syrian Civil Society Read our strategy for the EU focusing on Syrian CSOs historical evolution, legitimacy, legal challenges, and donor relations. We highlight 4 priority areas: representation, democracy, public wellbeing, & self-constitution. tinyurl.com/4b4bz5sk

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