“Maybe We Can Reach a Solution”: Syrian Perspectives on the Conflict and Local Initiatives for Peace, Justice, and Reconciliation

By Craig Charney | Press Clip | February 1, 2015 | 10 pages

“One of the most unusual surveys of a war zone that I’ve ever encountered.” – Roy Gutman, Middle East Correspondent, McClatchy Newspapers

Is there still a route to peace in Syria?  How has Syrian public opinion changed about the conflict, negotiations, and the country’s leaders over the past year?

This unique report offers policymakers, analysts, and the concerned public a glimpse of what ordinary Syrians think amid their country’s whirlpool of violence and displacement.  It is based on in-depth interviews around the country, among all the country’s major political, religious, and ethnic groups, including those in neighboring countries and in areas controlled by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). 

You will learn how divisions have grown between pro- and anti-government Syrians in the past year, weakening support for a national-level negotiated peace.  However, you will also discover a strong rejection of extremists and a desire to restore normality to daily life, yielding support for local ceasefires and local initiatives to rebuild communities after the war.   There is some hope after all.

To download a summary of the report, click here.