Summary

In this workshop, I discussed the process and characteristics of organizations formed by Syrians (refugees) that have newly emerged during the Syrian civil war, and reported on how these organizations are developing support for their fellow citizens through building connectivity by coordinating and collaborating with multiple sectors, based on a survey conducted in the summer of 2018. It presents these organizations as Syrian Diaspora Organizations (Syrian DOs) and focuses on their activities that originate in Turkey and cross the border into Syria. Most of the Syrian DOs are citizens who have no previous experience in NGO activities, although their backgrounds vary, they form DOs under the strong national solidarity among their compatriots. In addition, they have been working more closely with the UN and international NGOs, which require adherence to humanitarian principles and neutrality, and tend to contain their political orientation. In aiding, trust was built with local representatives and elders in northern Syria. Their activities are not only food and supplies provision, but also establishment of sewage systems, housing, education system and so on. These activities remind us of the strong will of the Syrian DOs to play a role in rebuilding their homeland. The commentator pointed that it showed a new aspect to the issues of the A03 and B03 research agenda and then asked how far the solidarity of Syrian compatriots is effective, the history of the Syrian DOs’ leaders, and the structure of the humanitarian assistance framework in northern Syria. From the floor, there was a discussion on the politicization of Syrian DOs, depending on the type of donor. In addition, a question was raised about the appropriateness of using the term “DOs” to refer to Syrian refugees, as they are still young and their identities have not yet been shaken.
(Marie Sato, uploaded on Dec. 10, 2021)