Youth

The Future of Syria – Group Discussions in Mafraq, Amman and Za'atari, 24th to 28th of February 2019

How do you feel regarding/ how do you see the current situation of Syria?

Youths in Mafraq and Amman:

-  Fear of military conscription (first preoccupation)

-Economic concerns regarding the costs of living that are very high, in comparison to very low incomes, with difficulties to have gas/electricity.

-  “Foreign occupation”: some zones in Damascus are completely full of foreigners (Russian, Iranian, etc) and nobody speaks Arabic there. After 5pm there is nobody of the streets because it is not safe enough, feeling of being observed all the time and no freedom of speech.

-  Stabilisation of the situation : also opinion that things are now as it used to be, that the situation is improving, at least in Damascus, in comparison to some areas that are still impacted by fights and struggles. The social media videos showing current Damascus look better

-   Feeling that the future is gone

-  Clear traumatic memory of the bombings, violence, threats, etc. // horror movies => permanent fears when they play games also

    

1. How do you see the future of Syria?

Youth in Mafraq:

-       Want to have a Syria that looks like before, seen as paradise, with the building and the people as they were, with security and trust among the people. But also fear that nothing will be never the same

-       But need for foreign actors to leave, as well as armed militias (// new government) + Hezbollah has to give back the land they took, such as the Kurds.  

-       Need to change the law and constitution, remove of military service

-       Political power: Sunni should be in power because they are the majority: there is the need of more equality between the sects

-       But also for some that the Alawites go back to their villages and that not all the jobs in government are taken by them.

-       Have to work on religious extremism, which increased after the crisis;

-       + release of prisoners

 

2. How do you see your role / the role of Syrian refugees in the future of Syria?

Do you think you cold use your “experience” of living out of Syria? What would you do if the situation was better and you could return?

Youth: in Mafraq:

-  wish to use the skills they have learned to rebuild Syria: idea that there is no need to employ people because they have learned last years to do manual things by themselves.  

-  Want to study law, medicine, in Jordan or elsewhere in order to return and help their country; work as ambassador, merchant, pharmacist, ingenior, family housewife, teacher, etc.

-  Wish to also bring some cultural and languages considerations and discoveries they had in foreign countries, and bring the ideas to Syria.

-the problem is that they have lacked education and there is the need for youth to start studying engineering,  architecture, etc in order to rebuild the country.

-  but the increase in early marriages are an issue, as the youths leave schools after getting married very young: there is a lack of education but once they will put their  “mind at it”, then they will be able to do it.

 

3. Imagine that the conflict in Syria comes to an end… What does it take for reconciliation to be possible?

How do you feel when thinking about the possibility of being back in your home town/home community?

Youths in Mafraq and Amman

-trust issue with friends, neighbours: change of the social network that won’t be the same =>  fear to not recognise their friends and neighbours. Fear for some that neighbours became enemies, that the social links are destructed, that too much happened and prevents reconciliation to happen. The new generations do not know each others and a lot of people of older generation died

-even within family different ideas and feeling of revenge.

-  Fear that even if Assad leaves there will be a new civil war

-But general feeling that if the situation get stable, there will be forgiveness and the situation could back to what it was before the war.

-  Not the impression to be blamed for leaving as people in general tell them to stay in Jordan and that they would like to leave themselves.

 

4. Do you ever think about / could you imagine yourself returning to Syria before the conflict comes to an end? Why?

Youth in Mafraq:

-  Yes (once they have the age – 18) because:

They have  family is in Syria, and even if there is a risk of military conscription prefer to do it in order to get rid of it. 

+ feeling to not be accepted in Jordan

*Condition for some: need to finish school first

-  No because: military conscription (for them or their husband for young married ladies than do not want to go back alone), fear to have to fight their own people, the situation is too bad and there is no safety, fear of being kidnapped or their family members, fear of prison, no opportunities for education (also because of the military service), house and family business damaged and nothing left => why returning?

 

What if the conflict was finished?

 

// Men and youthif they see the situation is safe enough they would like to return and rebuild, but need for general forgiveness/amnesty for that

 

Youth: hopefully, but “conditions” if the conflict finished to go back :

-  No army conscription

-  Studying possibility

-  Security ensured by military against militias.

 

In case of a negative answerwhat alternatives are you and others considering?

Youth:

-  if after school there is working opportunities in Jordan then some would prefer to stay in Jordan, also because it is closer to Syria in case return will be possible one day (most of them).

They are now used to their lives in Jordan with families and friends there, specially for the one having access to education (// better integration??)

Arabic country: for cultural and social integration reasons.

-  some would like to go to Canada/US, also because they have some family members there + also wish to go abroad to learn other languages, cultures.

Europe: idea of better life conditions such as work, housing, education and more respect for different sects.

 

Message to address to foreign countries?

Youth in Amman:

-  Need help to bring peace and not only in Syria, but everywhere in the world.

Want to be treated with humanity and respect, and like criminals.

CONTEXT(Help)
-
We, the Refugees – The Future of Syria »We, the Refugees – The Future of Syria
Jordan »Jordan
Demographic groups »Demographic groups
Youth
Amman »Amman
Mafraq »Mafraq
Issues »Issues
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