The Civil Society Organizations’ Platform (ULFED) launched the Civil Society Salon program on 29/12/2023, in Istanbul, Türkiye. This Salon has been considered a renewable platform for dialogue and constructive cooperation between the leaders and influencers of Civil Society, both in Türkiye and Syria. Furthermore, it is also considered an opportunity to build a bridge of communication and coordination between the Syrian and Turkish arenas, in a common endeavor to solve pressing problems.
During its first meeting, the Civil Society Salon has witnessed a distinguished presence of prominent figures from a different spectrum of society. Some of the prominent figures who attended the meeting are Mr. Nazif Yilmaz, Deputy Minister of Education in Türkiye, who is responsible for the education file in northern Syria, Mr. Ghazwan Al-Masry, Advisor of the Minister of Trade in Turkey and Vice President of the International Business Forum IBF, as well as Mr. Azzam Khanji, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Education Without Borders Foundation “MIDAD” and member of the Board of Trustees of the University of Aleppo.
Mr. Ghazwan Al-Masry has also participated with effective contributions and advanced visions in terms of strengthening trade relations between conflict areas and the affected communities, aiming at achieving stability and promoting economic growth. Mr. Al-Masry has sought to enhance trade exchange and joint investments between Türkiye and the conflict-affected areas, which would contribute to strengthening the economy and stimulating growth in those areas.
He has also discussed the economic policies that could support stability and enhance growth opportunities in such complex environments. Mr. Al-Masry has emphasized the importance of building bridges of economic cooperation, that could enhance stability and contribute to the development of the conflict-affected areas, through directing his visions and experiences towards enhancing trade relations, as well as, developing appropriate economic policies.
For his part, Mr. Azam Khanji has presented inspiring insights on the importance of investing in education and training in the conflict-affected areas. He has also highlighted the importance of providing sustainable and quality educational opportunities in those areas, as part of the contribution in empowering young people as well as enhancing their future opportunities. Moreover, Mr. Azam Khanji has pointed out developing specialized educational and training programs that respond to market needs and promote skills development which help in preparing young people to encounter economic and social challenges.
He has also highlighted the importance of the role of education in building communities and supporting the affected youth in conflict-stricken areas, and accordingly, enhancing future opportunities and contributing to developing the skills necessary to build strong and sustainable societies.
With an aim to expand visions of communication, cooperation and exchange of ideas, the Salon, in its monthly meetings, brings together the leaders and activists in the fields of civil society between Syria and Türkiye. Moreover, in order to serve civil society and contribute in its development, the Salon has continuous pursuit to discuss urgent issues and problems and to put forward practical solutions and constructive proposals to address them.
The Salon’s agenda will be updated monthly to enable the interested experts and officials to participate and provide support and guidance on topics of vital importance. Also, there will be special invitations to specialists in each presented topic.
It is an impressive start for joint future efforts, making new steps towards a better future for communities in the region.