Synaps

In Lebanon, ​Israel's blanket evacuation orders are increasing the likelihood of large-scale casualties among civilians, not least women and children. In theory, these orders imply that the targeted areas are mostly depopulated, but realities differ. 🧵

One war can hide another. Indeed, Lebanon isn't a sideshow of the ongoing face-off across the Persian Gulf. It is a full-blown battlefield in its own right, where Israel has goals that are distinct and equally ambitious. 🧵

ما السبيل لمساعدة اللاجئين السوريين في العودة إلى ديارهم؟ إن السؤال مُلحّ وبديهي: فكثير من السوريين يرغبون في العودة، والدول المضيفة تطالب بذلك بإلحاح، غير أن هذه الحكومات نفسها كثيرًا ما تضع عراقيل جديدة في طريقهم. synaps.network/ar/post/Syria-…

Globally, migration policies appear increasingly unmoored from any logic beyond that of racist scapegoating. Syrian refugees are in the eye of this storm. Our latest @SynapsNetwork follows as they navigate it, with limited information and even less help synaps.network/en/post/Syria-…

Almost a year into Syria's transition, what has become of the millions who fled their country's war? Since December, we @SynapsNetwork interviewed dozens of actual and prospective returnees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey. A few of our takeaways: 🧵

What would it take to help Syrian refugees go home? The question is urgent and obvious: Many Syrians would like to return, and host states are clamoring for them to do so. Yet the same governments often throw new hurdles in their way. synaps.network/en/post/Syria-…

Syrian refugees in Lebanon currently face a bizarre predicament, which sums up the inadequate—and easily improved—state of UNHCR’s return programming. 🧵

Much of our work at Synaps consists in designing solutions that meet a very specific need for information. Our method, to grasp our end-users, comes from user-centric design, which applies just as well to social services or aid and development programs. synaps.network/en/post/the-po…

Orient XXI interview with @PeterHarling on Beirut. Full of truly interesting insights. Two come to mind: “Beirut is built on the Mediterranean and yet, bizarrely, it is not Mediterranean in character.” How true. And, “[p]lants tell us the story of a city whose more authentic, intimate sides are always the most difficult to reach,” in light of the fact that “[e]ven the beautiful trees that line Beirut’s streets are symptomatic of a globalized urban fabric.” Whole thing here: orientxxi.info/magazine/beiru…

Help us find the best match in Lebanon! We're looking for an experienced administrative consultant to sort out some of our key internal processes.

إن رفع العقوبات ضروري لإحياء اقتصاد سوريا، لكنه ليس كافيا بحد ذاته. في هذا المقال يوضح الباحث في شبكة سينابس أليكس سايمون @AlexGSimon العوائق الداخلية التي يجب على دمشق إزالتها لإطلاق عملية التعافي. #اقتصاد_سوريا #رفع_العقوبات_عن_سوريا synaps.network/ar/post/syria-…

ماذا يمكن لسوريا أن تتوقع من رفع العقوبات الاقتصادية؟ يعتمد ذلك على مدى تعامل دمشق مع القيود الداخلية التي تعيق اقتصادها، لا سيما الفساد، والعوائق البيروقراطية، والتشريعات المتخلفة، والغموض السائد. كما يجب على سوريا أن تعيد إطلاق عملية التعافي من الداخل. synaps.network/ar/post/syria-…

This year, I will shed light on invisible victims in Syria and advocate inclusive justice. I will draw on skills gained from @SynapsNetwork—an organization that shaped who I am. I am eager to learn from the incredible TIMEP team and always grateful to my people: the Syrians.

What can Syria expect from sanctions relief? It depends how much Damascus tackles the internal shackles on its economy: corruption, bureaucratic obstruction, lagging legislation, and general uncertainty. Syria must also jumpstart recovery from within. synaps.network/en/post/syria-…

What's needed to restart Syria's economy? Sanctions relief, to be sure, but also: 1⃣ functioning property markets 2⃣ clear legal frameworks 3⃣ explicit policies on trade, borders, etc 4⃣ hard data, and channels for sharing it More here, @SynapsNetwork synaps.network/en/post/syria-…

Sanctions relief is essential to reviving Syria's economy. But it's not enough. @AlexGSimon lays out the web of internal barriers that Damascus must lift for recovery to take off. synaps.network/en/post/syria-…

Syria now is a whirlwind of daily events: some hopeful, others ominous. Understanding them means slowing down and looking back, not just to 2011 but decades before. @SynapsNetwork mapped deep, structural factors shaping the transition synaps.network/en/post/mappin…

Recent maps of Syria focus on conflict and fragmentation, ignoring what keeps the country together. We've reversed that logic to stress linkages that shape today's transition synaps.network/en/post/mappin…

Syria's transition is shaped by slow-moving trends, decades in the making. We visualized key traits on one map, with analysis of why they matter. We are very proud to share this downloadable version. synaps.network/en/post/mappin…

What to make of Syria's transition, in light of the two recent rounds of vicious sectarian violence? My answers bring in a historical perspective as well as the regional dimension. Thank you @CarnegieMEP and @BeirutCalling! carnegieendowment.org/middle-east/di…