Ten years into the Syrian conflict, it has been evident that the Syrian regime is not interested in the return of the displaced Syrians. Bashar Assad explicitly spoke of his goal to create the “useful Syria” through creating loyal communities in the areas under its control. In order to achieve its goal, the regime has been using several tools to create demographic change in Syria, and mass displacement was one prominent tool in its systematic policy.

Considering a large gap in the analysis of this crucial issue to the return of displaced Syrians, SACD published one of its most important briefings yet about demographic change in Syria, examining the impact of forced displacement on various Syrian communities and the role and the goals of regime in cementing in their displacement. The briefing aimed to highlight some of the key elements of regime policies of demographic change and illustrate its impact on the affected communities, as well as discuss ways to reverse these changes. Much of the month of December was dedicated to diplomatic activity aimed at raising awareness of the difficult but essential steps that must be taken to reverse the effects of the regime’s strategy.

Early in the month, as international donors gathered for the ‘Second International Conference in Support of Beirut and the Lebanese People’ which aimed to support Lebanon in overcoming the consequences of the recent devastating explosion in Beirut’s port, the Syrian Association for Citizens’ Dignity called on everyone involved to include Syrian refugees’ interests and rights in their plans and ensure that the government of Lebanon remains committed to international law on protection of refugees by conditioning the aid.

The dire situation of the Syrian refugees’ in Lebanon was illustrated when a camp in northern Lebanon was burnt down by some locals leading to the displacement of at least 75 Syrian families. SACD’s trustee Houda Atassi appeared on BBC Arabic to shed light on the deteriorating situation of the Syrians in Lebanon and the hardships they are enduing, amid increasing discriminatory discourse in the country. Atassi called upon the international community, precisely the UNHCR, to uphold its responsibility towards the refugees and provide them with emergency aid, while asking the Lebanese government to protect the refugees on its territory and bring the perpetrators to justice.

A major effort in the month of December was dedicated to the commemoration of the Aleppo displacement. On the 4^th anniversary of the displacement of Aleppo, SACD launched a campaign to remind the world of one of the largest mass forced displacements during the conflict in Syria, and a testament to the scale of the tragedy that the Syrian people are experiencing for more than a decade.

The campaign included many videos and a virtual photo gallery, “Photos from the most dangerous city in the world”, that reflected the story of the city and the displacement and articulated the clear intent of the people of Aleppo to return to their city once the right conditions are in place. Afraa Hashem, SACD trustee and co-star in For Sama Film, wrote a powerful article titled “Why do flowers die so early?” describing her days under the siege and her experience with displacement from her hometown.

SACD also hosted key figures from Aleppo who engaged in a conversation about displacement and its horrors, but also reiterated their determination to return back to their beloved city.

On #HumanRightsDay, Ahed Sleibi, Syrian media activist and member of SACD, spoke with Fadel Abdul Ghany, chairman and founder of the Syrian Network for Human Rights, about the importance of advocacy work in the Syrian people’s struggle for their freedom and dignity.

On #GenocidePreventionDay, Marwan Nazhan, SACD trustee, held a conversation with Ibrahim Olabi, lawyer at International Justice Chambers in London and founder of Syrian Development Program, about  the prospects for justice for horrendous, systematic crimes suffered by Syrians in the past 10 years.

On the 29^th of December the OHCHR published on its website the call of Alena Douhan, a UN human rights expert to lift sanctions on the Syrian regime, alleging the humanitarian cost of these sanctions and their impact on human rights of Syrians, and emphasising on the need to start reconstruction in order to facilitate the return of displaced Syrians.

In response to these dangerous thesis, SACD’s year ended with the intensive effort to  refute the arguments used by the UN expert, clarifying again that the real reason behind the sanctions was the systematic abuse of human rights by the regime,  and stressed the fact that the return of displaced Syrians is not tied to reconstruction or the economic situation, but rather the security conditions and the lack of a safe environment, and that establishing a safe environment for all Syrians should precede any reconstruction process.