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Syrian civil society pushes for role at Geneva II

Any peace process on Syria should not remain the exclusive domain of armed belligerents responsible for destroying the country, argue Syrian civil society activists.
A boy gestures at the camera with blood on his fingers after what activists said was shelling by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in the al-Myassar neighbourhood of Aleppo September 19, 2013. REUTERS/Hamid Khatib (SYRIA - Tags: CONFLICT CIVIL UNREST TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTX13R1I

BEIRUT — As preparations for Geneva II again falter, with one Western diplomat telling Al-Monitor that it will likely be delayed until “at least January,” a debate has emerged over the role Syrian civil society can play in any peace process.

Beneath the raging violence in Syria is an emerging civil society working and preparing to heal the wounds of the war once the guns fall silent. They have taken a step out of the political rhetoric and are working in a plethora of fields to ensure there are adequate post-war mechanisms in place to guide the country through reconstruction.

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