Appeal on the World Day of Peace

On this World Day of Peace, the Syria Democratic Institute and the office of human rights and legal affairs of the Syrian Democratic Forum appeal to the Syrian authorities and all armed factions fighting in Syria to immediately stop all kinds of hostilities. This cease-fire should be accompanied by gestures of goodwill, including the release of prisoners and hostages. In addition, we call upon all government and opposition political forces to lay out a roadmap for peace in Syria. 

We request the United Nations and all the world powers to contribute to creating an atmosphere conductive to the achievement of peace in Syria, instead of fueling the conflict due to their conflicting political interests.

Finally, we appeal to the civil-society organizations and forces in Syria and in the world to assume their responsibilities and propose initiatives that contribute to the realization of peace in Syria, even if this peace is gradual.

Mercy for the Martyrs, speed recovery for the wounded, freedom for the prisoners and peace for our beloved Syria.

Damascus, 21 September 2013

Syrian Democratic Institute
Human rights and legal office of the Syrian Democratic Forum

Pressure also to immediately stop the massacre!

A statement by the Syrian Democratic Forum

September 18, 2013

The tyrannical regime has pushed the Syrian people’s problem into the fray of the regional and international conflicts, in order to avoid meeting the people’s demands for freedom, dignity and social justice. After its inability to win over our people, the regime has implicated its own paramilitary militias and the Syrian army, which has used all kinds of heavy weaponry in this conflict. Finally, the regime has committed massacres using chemical weapons, provoking the international community and putting the country at risk of devastating foreign military strike. However, it has unwillingly accepted to surrender its chemical weapons, after United States and Russia have reached an agreement on this matter. Indeed, this acceptance represents the first real concession from the regime since the Syrian revolution has started.

The Syrian Democratic Forum takes into account the American-Russian agreement signed in Geneva on September 14, which has spared Syria a war; no one knows how this war would have ended or how many casualties it would have resulted in. However, the Forum calls for continued pressure on the Syrian authority to ceasefire immediately and put an end to the massacres that it has been committing every day.

Indeed, it makes little sense to stop the regime from using the chemical weapons while remaining silent on its continued killings using various other types of weapons. It makes no sense to send the international teams for the purpose of chemical weapons disarmament while the domestic war, lawlessness and provocations, are being carried out by the militias from both sides, the regime and the extremist groups.

It is imperative to reach a cease-fire and to engage immediately in negotiations based on the international agreements laid out in the Geneva-1 communiqué and founded on the Syrian national consensus outlined in the National Covenant and Transitional Phase documents, generally known as the Cairo documents.

The tyrannical authority shall not win in its battle against the Syrian people, neither militarily nor in negotiation.

Long live the revolution of freedom and dignity.

The Syrian Democratic Forum

It is time to get rid of repression

A statement by the Syrian Democratic Forum

September 4, 2013

The despotic regime of Bashar al-Assad has launched for more than 29 months a bloody repression against the Syrian’s people revolution.  Furthermore, the regime has used all forms of violence with no impunity, continuously surpassing in its brutality unprecedented levels. In addition, this violence has been exerted, not only against the militants, but randomly against unarmed civilians, no matter whether they are women, men, and children, young or old. Indeed, the regime has committed against our people numerous war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Furthermore, The Syrian authority has taken the country into ruin and chaos. It has pushed the various constituents of the Syrian people into a devastating civil conflict. It released a lot of gangs that are terrorizing and extorting citizens in many areas of the country. Plus, in its mad fight to keep power, it has destroyed the pillars of the state and its institutions.

Its criminality and defiance have reached the point of using chemical weapons against its own people, thus violating all international conventions and putting the country at the brink of a looming and potentially devastating foreign military intervention.

We, in the Syrian Democratic Forum, have always rejected foreign interference, by any party, in the Syrian affairs. Further, we have been always keen to find a political solution to the conflict, in order to preserve the state institutions and to ward off the Syrian people and the Syrian blood. We, in these difficult moments that the tyrannical authority has brought about, call upon the following:

• The soldiers and officers of the regular armed forces, that the time has come to get rid of the tyrannical authority, which has been bringing the country into this end, to stand with the people and the revolution and to converge with the soldiers and officers of the Syrian Free Army who, have already Aligned to the side of their own people; indeed, the country needs you all.

• The soldiers and officers of the Syrian Free Army free and popular resistance, that the revolution is not murder, torture or revenge, but the revolution is first and foremost a political victory for the sake of freedom to all Syrian citizens, preservation of the country, protection of the various contingents of the people and submission of the most notorious criminals to the courts of law, whatever pains and viciousness of repression that they have inflicted.

• All political forces in Syria, to unite in this difficult time and to be open on other political factions of all spectra that believe in the unity of the nation and equal citizenship for all Syrians; to distance themselves from using foreign intervention for their own personal interest; to work fast and hard to win the people working in the state institutions on the side of the revolution; and to engage in dialogue with those who are still fearful of the change, explaining to them that what will be built will be for all Syrians.

• All Syrian citizens, that these the moments will determine whether we deserve to be one people in one country that knows how to resist injustice, reject extremism and forgive and reach out to each other .

Whatever happens in the coming days, we, in the Syrian Democratic Forum; will be on the side of our people, all Syrian citizens from all spectra and tendencies; will not be a tool in the hands of any foreign power; will always stand for winning the objectives of the Syrian revolution, defending the independence and sovereignty and our people’s freedom and dignity.

Long live the revolution of freedom and dignity; long Syria free and sovereign.

The Syrian Democratic Forum

The Assad regime continues its cruelty

News release

 August 21, 2013

The Syrian regime forces have bombarded this morning the Eastern and Western Ghouta, in the suburbs of Damascus, with surface-to-surface missiles carrying chemical weapons. As a result, thousands of people have become sick and hundreds, most of them are children, have passed away.

Indeed, the Syrian regime continues its cruelty and its use of all the internationally-banned mass-destruction weapons that it possesses against innocent civilians, thus ignoring all the humanitarian warnings issued by the United Nations and regional and international countries.

The Syrian Democratic Forum appeals on the UN chemical-weapons investigative team, present currently in Syria, to head to the target sites in Eastern Ghouta, expeditiously, to investigate these serious violations. Furthermore, we demand the opening of humanitarian corridors that ensure the arrival of medical aid, as the shortage of this aid has caused the death of scores of innocent civilians.

Finally, the Forum holds the Syrian regime and its supporters the full responsibility for these heinous unspeakable crimes.

The Syrian Democratic Forum

Extremist organizations are not part of the Syrian Revolution

A statement of the Political Bureau of the Syrian Democratic Forum

August 3, 2013

Throughout Modern History, several radical extremist organizations have emerged, taking advantage of the lack of development and the loss of hope for better future in a number of countries. These organizations have been used for a variety of purposes by different countries, including the Syrian authorities. Several countries have played roles in supporting, in secret or in public, these organizations and arming them, in addition to creating other extremist groups with opposing doctrines.

The Syrian regime has mobilized some of these organizations to serve its own interest, sometimes in Lebanon and others in Iraq. Then, it has proceeded to divert the Syrian Revolution toward violence and sectarianism and forced it to beg foreign powers for support, as a reaction to the regime’s brutality and its insistence on its military and intrusive security approach. This resulted in the deviation of the revolution from its original peaceful and civic goals, making the final choice appears to be between maintaining the existing regime and the take over by the extremist organizations.

These organizations have grown in Syria because of the loss of hope in any political solution, as well as a result of the support that they received from certain foreign countries that have intended, specifically, to settle scores with the Syrian authorities. Thus, foreign fighters have come to Syria, and a number of Syrians have joined the ranks of these organizations as a reaction to living in humiliation and indignity. The regime, in its turn, has relied on fighters from other sects. This situation has contributed to dragging the country into civil war, fueled by the presence of Syrian and foreign fighters on both sides.

These extremist organizations have taken control of some of the country's resources and imposed on Syrians certain ways of life that are divergent from their social norms and tolerant Islam.  Furthermore, they turned against the free Syrian army and assassinated some its leaders to maintain their gains. Plus, pushed by foreign countries, they attacked Syrian Kurds causing further fragmentation within the Syrian people ranks.

We, in the Syrian Democratic Forum, facing this situation that threatens the future of Syria, call on all political and military forces of the opposition to take a clear position toward these extremist groups, whatever the price; otherwise, the revolution, even the country, will go into utter destructiveness. We, also, call for an immediate cease-fire by all parties to save the country and its unity.  Plus, we call upon all the foreign forces that have come to fight in Syria to withdraw from the country immediately.

The Syrian Revolution has started to bring about freedom, equality and democracy, not to impose any specific-group views by the force of arms.

Long live the revolution of freedom and dignity; long live Syria as a country of equality for all its citizens.

The Political Bureau of the Syrian Democratic Forum

For a national consensus to achieve freedom and dignity for the Syrian people

A statement of the Syrian Democratic Forum, the Syrian National Bloc and the Kurdish National Council of Syria

June 12, 2012

Facing the close-mindedness of the Syrian power system, its repressive logic and its threats to the proper being and existence of the country; facing the explosion of sectarian violence with the accompanying massacres and crimes, and the fragmentation and division that the Syrian opposition is experiencing; facing the drift of some of the opposition factions towards the trap of violence that has been put by the Syrian power system, and the confiscation of the Syrian decision by foreign powers;

The undersigned parties have gathered and agreed on the followings:

• The Syrian Revolution is a project for freedom, dignity and social justice, which aims to establish a state of complete equality in citizenship and freedoms for all Syrians, respecting their particularities, and protecting their rights.

• There is no solution for the Syrian crisis but through the departure of Bashar al-Assad and the symbols of his power system, based on despotism, and which has persistently arrested, tortured and killed the Syrian people. The solution is the establishment of a new Syrian republic based on rule of law and well-functioning institutions. This should only come through a transition phase in which an interim regime, agreed upon by all political forces, shall strive for setting up elections of a constituent assembly, that will draft a new constitution for the country. Also, this interim regime shall implement programs for national reconciliation and compensation for the families of martyrs and victims, shall hold the perpetrators of crimes accountable, and shall rebuild the country through the legal mechanisms, away from political money. 

• The signatories consider that the existing regime is responsible for implicating the armed forces in a battle against its own people. They urge the Syrian army to stop immediately obeying to the regime’s orders, and to converge with the Free Syrian Army and the revolutionary people to preserve the blood of the Syrians. Furthermore, they consider that the restructuring of the armed forces, placing security services under their leadership and the merging of the Free Syrian Army, constitute major priorities for the transition period.

• The signatories do not accuse any spectrum or sect of the Syrian society of collaborating with this regime, and consider that the regime is the one that pushes for the sectarian and civil strife in order to disperse apart the Syrians, and thus to delay its departure. Therefore, they call upon all Syrians to reject any behavior that prejudice the unity of the Syrian people.

• The signatories stress that Syria is a sovereign and independent country; and thus it should not be the ground on which, or through its people, countries and forces settle their disputes.  Also, they call upon all foreign powers to agree on a solution that ensures the departure of the present power system, and guarantees the sovereignty and independence of Syria, as well as working to help the Syrians in their plight, providing aid to them through accredited international organizations, in coordination with the of the United Nations missions.

• The signatories consider, as they strongly belief in democracy and pluralism, that no one is the trustee on the Syrian people, and that all popular mobilization and political forces are invited to agree upon the bases of a national covenant that unites all Syrians and details the transition phase towards democracy.  

• The undersigning groups shall create a joint standing committee in order to coordinate their positions and to join their efforts to unite the opposition, to connect with the regional and international forces that support the Syrian people, and to back the mission of the United Nations and Arab League to stop the violence and to transfer power, on the basis that the Syrians should have sovereignty over the destiny.

The Syrian Democratic Forum

The Syrian National Bloc          

The Kurdish National Council

The Declaration of the Proceedings of the General Assembly of the Syrian Democratic Forum

April 17, 2012

In response to the call of freedom, for which our Syrian people pay the highest price; due to the sensitivity of the historical moment and the magnitude of the risks posed by the insistence of the regime on murdering, torturing and ignoring the people's right to gain their freedom and self-determination; because of the serious prospects opened up by the uncontrolled use of arms and the seriousness of the civil and sectarian polarization; and considering the complexities of the situation at internal and international levels; the General Assembly of the Syrian Democratic Forum (SDF) was held in Cairo from the 13th to the 16th of April, 2012; the conferees have discussed the mechanisms for supporting the revolution to topple the regime and establish a democratic civil state; a state that is based on equal citizenship and freedoms.

 In the conference sessions, more than 200 activists from different intellectual and political tendencies, social strata, and backgrounds, have discussed their joint and collective national concern that consists of the achievement of the revolution goals, the protection of the civil peace, and the avoidance of the disintegration of the state and society. Besides, out of appreciation for the efforts of the different Syrian opposition forces, the identity of the Forum has been confirmed as an arena for building vision and ideas regarding all issues that concern the revolution and the society, and as a bridge for building consensus among the various opposition forces. Therefore, the SDF has reiterated its willingness to undertake the effort required to coordinate among the different opposition forces’ strategies to overthrow the regime and build the aspired state; a state that is based on equal citizenship, sovereignty of law and freedoms.

Indeed, the SDF perceives that one of its tasks is to launch a plan to unite the Syrian opposition of all spectra, accompanied by mechanisms and timetable for its implementation, through the formation of internal and external committees for cooperation and consultation. These plan and mechanisms are to be put into effect as soon as possible; with the reaffirmation that what is meant by unity of the opposition is to have a common vision, program, and political will; and taking into account that the basis for the indispensable unity of the opposition is the unity of purpose. By this purpose, we mean bringing the regime down; building a democratic civil state based on equal citizenship; clearly specifying the path leading to the future of Syria after the fall of the regime; and providing a clear vision for the new Syria. In this regard, it is the responsibility of the committee elected by the General Assembly to put this into practice.

Also, the participants have diagnosed the situation on the ground and the nature of internal and external factors affecting the mobilization, particularly at the diplomatic and media levels. The conferees have felt the duty to support the revolution; the Syrian people’s right for self-defense; the necessity to guarantee the right for peaceful demonstrations, and protect and encourage them; and the promotion of the means of civil resistance to overthrow the regime. Further the conferees have insisted on the need to control the armament under one political, military and media authority that controls them; determine their appropriate use and assume the responsibility of the consequences of this use; and will be able to withdraw them after the fall of the regime or once their use become dangerous on the Syrian society and state. Since, in reality, there are armed groups that differ from one area of Syria to another in their composition, behavior, practices on the ground, and references; and because not all of them are not under the name of the Free Syrian Army (FSA); it is important to do not attribute all the wrong practices to the officers and soldiers who, by their will to preserve the blood of their people, defected from the units designated by the regime to conduct acts of torture and killing; those soldiers and officers merit all commend and help. Further, it is important to emphasize on the role of those officers and soldiers in the protection of peaceful demonstrations and the defense of innocent civilians, on the basis of the right of self-defense guaranteed in all international laws and conventions.  Hence, the Forum considers the FSA as a matter of fact phenomenon; and its attitude toward it arises from the Forum view of the peacefulness of the revolution as a strategic option. Consequently, the SDF supports the FSA as far as the latter supports the peaceful revolution, falls within its framework and does not contradict it. Nevertheless, the Forum does not consider the regular army personnel who did not get involved in the Syrian bloodshed as the regime’s army, but the Syrian state’s army that has been stolen by the regime; further, it is the revolution task to restore this army as a whole and restore its patriotic role. Thus, the struggle is not between two armies, but between the tyranny and the revolution, which we call on all the Syrian people, civilians and military personnel, to join.

Plus, the conferees have felt the need to strengthen the national cohesion among all components of Syrian society and stressed on the unity of Syrian land and people; further, what ensures this unity is a state of equal citizenship, in which all citizens are equal in all rights and duties regardless of their ethnic or religious backgrounds or any other similar characteristic. This equal citizenship requires the removal of all the consequences of all the racist and discriminatory policies exerted during the past era and the compensation of those affected by them. In this context, the participants have discussed the situation of the Kurdish problem in Syria, and stressed that a democratic and pluralistic national system is the human rights and political guarantee for equality among all citizens. Further, they have emphasized that the constitution of Syria to come should be derived from its pluralistic historical and social reality and based on the fact that Syria is a multinational state, thus recognizing that the full equality of all nations in the rights and duties; hence, the SDF finds that the solution of the national question of the Kurdish people must be in accordance with the international covenants and conventions of human and group rights.

Based on the understanding that the freedom and independence of Syria is achieved through the freedom and well-being of its citizens, the participants have confirmed that the liberation of the occupied Syrian territory is a national duty; no one, under any circumstances, is entitled to trade or waive it.
With regard to the reality of the mobilization on the ground, the conferees have discussed the mechanisms to support and enhance its steadfastness, taking into consideration the factors that hamper and impede it. Thus, it has been emphasized to reject the sectarian practices that are being carried out in some Syrian areas; of which the regime have been working actively to expand the framework since the beginning of the revolution, in order to discredit it and abort its popular support, consequently threatening the fate of the revolution, the society and the country. The participants have felt that the variations in the foundations of the revolutionary mobilization do not negate the existence of a national condition encompassing all Syrians; conversely, this regional specificity is providing support to the revolution. In this context, the conferees see the need to strengthen the means of civil resistance, and to propagate and not to limit them to the case of demonstrations. This requires the diffusion of the civil resistance concepts and means, and the provision of its tools, to re-establish trust in it as a guaranteed option to the victory of the revolution and the achievement of its objective after the fall of the regime.

Emphasizing that the revolution objectives are not systematically achieved with the fall of the regime; and building a new system requires a politically, socially, economically, culturally and developmentally inclusive actions; the participants have confirmed the importance of developing a program for the transition that takes into account the impairments caused by the long-lasting authoritarian regime and the new ones generated in the course of the revolution. In addition, the conferees believe that the exit from the security situation, which is paralyzing the country, and the withdrawal of the armed manifestations are the first step to restore normal life. Furthermore, there are other steps and measures that should be undertaken in this context as a ground for national reconciliation, of which the most important are compensating the victims; guaranteeing the necessary conditions for the return of refugees and displaced persons to normal living conditions; and conducting fair trials. Besides, that should be accompanied by political measures that require the formation of a transitional government and the development of a constitutional list that determines the powers and tasks set for the transitional phase, and other issues agreed upon by the political forces.

In order to make the transition initiation possible, it has been stressed on the importance of activating all available means for expanding the demonstrations and increasing the demonstrators’ number, thus enabling them to exercise more pressure on the regime. This pressure should be applied in harmony with diplomatic and political manoeuvres that benefit, as much as possible, from the conflicting international interests and attitudes vis-à-vis the Syrian revolution; in addition, this should be done in cooperation with NGOs and international civil society forces, on the basis of putting the external relationships in the benefits of the internal interest, not vice versa, in order to tighten the noose on the regime and force its main figures to step down. In this context, it is important for the Syrian opposition to interact positively with the Arab League and the Kofi Annan initiatives; and to manage the external relationships with putting in mind the Syrian people’s interests and their aspirations for freedom, decent living and sovereignty over their territory. In the event that the regime closes the openings in front of the Syrian revolution, pushing the country to the brink of civil war; the opposition and revolution forces should do everything they can to prevent this impasse; and manage the relationship with the outside world with the intention to maintain civil peace and reduce losses that may result from the foreign intervention; toward which, the policies of the regime are pushing.

Also, the participants have underlined the importance of media and cultural activities interacting with revolutionary mobilization on the ground; moreover, they emphasized the importance of the restoration of the civilized and human image of Syrians, distorted intentionally or unintentionally by some media outlets by forging in the public awareness a certain impression about the revolution and the Syrians. Furthermore, it is imperative to do not overlook the primary role of the regime in this regard, which has had a negative impact on the position of an important portion of Syrians as regard to the revolution.

The SDF, also, has stressed on contribution of youth and women to civil revolutionary mobilization and their leading role in all fields of the Syrian Revolution, including political, cultural and media. Moreover, the Forum sees Syria to come as a nation characterized by equal partnership between men and women in rights and duties, and a non-discriminatory place, which is based upon the convention of human rights.
As a result of the fruitful interaction within the framework of the proceedings of the SDF General Assembly and the following works, the Forum aspires to develop an action plan, based on a set of papers, documents, projects and programs, concerning the most important political and media issues, and also regarding the status of the revolutionary mobilization and the means to support it. Plus, this plan would include proposals for its application on the ground, to help achieve the Syrian people’s goals of freedom and democracy, and to support the building of the aspired Syrian state, which would be dominated by the values of freedom, justice, equality and respect for human rights.

In these circumstances, which the country is enduring, the SDF supports every initiative that calls and works for the return of exiled Syrians and refugees to participate in the revolution of their people inside the country. Furthermore, the Forum delegates its elected committee to contribute to the development of a mechanism to achieve this objective, with the guarantees from Arab and international communities, and to seek to hold the next conference of the Forum in Damascus.

Long live Syria, a homeland for all Syrians
Victory to the revolution of freedom and dignity
Glory and eternity to the martyrs of freedom

The Syrian Democratic Forum-Press Release

February 18, 2012

A number of Syrian intellectual and political personalities and some young people from the revolutionary and civil movements held a meeting in Cairo on February 16-18, 2012. The participants discussed the developments of the Syrian Revolution and the ways to promote the mobilization inside Syria to get the Revolution to achieve its goals of freedom and dignity. They have established a forum called "The Syrian Democratic Forum". In the Forum’s Identity Statement, they have defined the Forum as “a political, civil and democratic forum. It is a platform for critical appraisal, knowledge exchange and field activities. The forum is open to all individuals, groups and forces, involved in the Syrian Revolution and to those expected to make up their minds as regard the pursuit of radical change in Syria in order to build a civil and democratic state based on citizenship and freedom”. Furthermore, the Forum’s goal is “to enable the Syrian people to overthrow the current regime with all its symbols by all means of civil resistance”.

The meeting ended by the election of a liaison committee, whose goal is to organize a general assembly within a month. Moreover, this committee has the task to invite intellectuals, politicians and people from various aspects and components of the Syrian society to attend this meeting. Of note, during this general assembly, the Forum will adopt its political statement.

The committee is formed of 13 persons: 7 of them from senior opposition figures and 6 from the youth of the Revolution. Their names are as follows:
Michel Kilo

Aref Dalila

Fayez Sara

Hazem Nahar

Nasser Alghazali

Khalaf Ali Khalaf

Samir Aita

Ahmad Almahameed

Ahmad Almasri

Rasha Qass Yousef

Maisa Saleh

Motasem Alsioufi

Mahmoud Alkin

The Syrian Democratic Forum-Identity Statement

February 18, 2012

The Syrian Democratic Forum is a political, civil and democratic forum. It is a platform for critical appraisal, knowledge exchange and field activities. The forum is open to all individuals, groups and forces, involved in the Syrian Revolution and to those expected to make up their minds as regard the pursuit of radical change in Syria in order to build a civil and democratic state based on citizenship and freedom.

The Forum is part of the Syrian Revolution committed to the principles and values of freedom, dignity and social justice, ​​set by the Syrian people as objectives for its revolution. Furthermore, it is a bridge for interaction and communication between the different forces involved in the revolution to mobilize and unite their efforts; further, to provide field and political insights and suggestions to promote the revolution and accomplish its objectives; also, to participate in drawing a picture of the transition period and the future of Syria.

The Forum seeks, first, to enable our people to overthrow the current regime with all its symbols by all means of civil resistance; second, to dismantle its established structure in a way that averts the reproduction of tyranny in another form; third, to reinforce the values, principles and practices of democracy to preserve the freedom of the nation and the citizens; fourth, to disseminate the principles of citizenship and  the commitment to the International Bill of Human Rights and the international charters relating thereto; fifth, to advance and activate civil society organizations, and stimulate community-based initiatives to ensure the participation of citizens in public affairs with respect for diversity and differences.

The Forum seeks to keep pace with the revolution and the political developments surrounding it, through direct field participation and the proposal of clear initiatives and political positions that it considers to suit the changing situations, in order to meet the aspirations of the revolting Syrian people.

The Forum is open to all Syrians and those considered as having similar status who share with it its principles and objectives. Further, the forum does not see itself as an extension to the existing gatherings, bodies and forces, rather as an original contributory to the revolution.

The Syrian Democratic Forum-Statement of Principles

February 18, 2012

The revolution of freedom and dignity that our people raged against the despotic regime enters its 12^th months. It is not weakened by the regime’s systematic brutal repression and relentless efforts to deviate it from its peaceful and nationally-inclusive values by inciting sectarian sentiments.

The struggle of our people and its national and societal forces has accumulated a lot of progress on the road to change, leading to the context that created by the Arab spring and launched the revolutions that originated from it. Thus, the Syrians were not belated to declare their revolution and to initiate a number of political and field organizations to support the revolution and ensure its continuation. However, many of these organizations did not keep pace with the progress of the public mobilization, through effective political discourse and practices. Thus, the formations representing the revolution floundered; furthermore, the accumulation of negative practices is threatening to deviate the revolution from achieving its true objectives. On the other hand, the Syrian people have shown heroic courage, not deterred by thousands of deaths, besides the scores of detainees, the persons pursued and the refugees.

For all the raisons mentioned above and for other raisons similar in nature, a number of Syrian personalities from different political and intellectual inclinations have convened and launched the initiative to form a national, civil and political forum with the name “The Syrian Democratic Forum”. The idea of this Forum has arisen from the fact that building the future of Syria requires an effective political discourse that leads the accomplishment of the Revolution’s objectives. Therefore, this gathering intend to be an open structure in which different intellectual, political, field-oriented streams, contributing to  the Revolution and its noble values, meet. The Syrian Democratic Forum is founded on the following principles:

• The Syrian Democratic Forum is an integral part of the Syrian people’s revolution, which constitutes the most important event in the contemporary and modern history of Syria. The Forum strives to enable the revolting people to overthrow the regime with all its symbols and to achieve the revolution’s goals of freedom, justice and dignity, in order to build a pluralistic and democratic state; a state that is based on the rule of law, the full and equal citizenship, regardless of gender, race and religion, and the preservation of all public and private freedoms.

• Emphasizing that the goal of the revolution is to build a state founded on a civil constitution that provides for the alternation in power and the separation between the judicial, executive and legislative powers. Further, this constitution will limit the role of the military and security forces to protecting the country and its territorial integrity and unity. Furthermore, it will subject these forces to the people’s authority and scrutiny.

• Emphasizing on the need to unify opposition forces and the creation of political alliances that help carry out major common missions on the road to achieve the desired change.

• Emphasizing that the protection of civilians and peaceful demonstrators and those affected by the disastrous situation is the duty of the state; shall not be exempt from accountability or provided immunity anyone neglect or impede it. Further, they are the duty of all citizens regardless of their opinions, inclinations and fears.

• Demanding the military and security forces to immediately stop the implementation of the orders of the current authority, which have put them in the middle of a conflict with their own people. Further, confirming that their natural place is on the side of the people supporting its revolution, not suppressing it.

• Confirming the risk of resorting to arms outside the framework of self-defense and the protection of peaceful popular demonstrations. Send a tribute to the members of the military and security forces who refused to kill their brothers and, therefore, so often gave their lives as a price for that refusal.

• Facing all sectarian practices and behaviors detrimental to the civil peace and the unity of the society, which, consequently, deviate the revolution from achieving its goals. Further, emphasizing on not to be drawn to what the regime is trying to push for; further, maintain the unity of the fate of all Syrians, in accordance to the slogan of  the revolting people stating "the Syrian people is one”.

• Emphasizing the Syrians’ need for Arab and international support in the face of the killing and brutal repression raged by the regime against them and the destruction of their property and livelihoods in areas that are invaded; as it is granted by the charters of human rights and the resolutions issued by the legitimate international organization regarding the responsibility to protect civilians. That to be done in a way that does not harm the higher interests of the Syrian people, integrity of its territory and its sovereignty on this territory. Further, emphasizing the importance of the Arab League initiative as one of the options to resolve the crisis and get rid of the regime.

• Emphasize that the liberation of the occupied Syrian territory and the stand with the Palestinian people's right to self-determination is not a bargaining chip within the realm of the Syrian Revolution, leaving to the Syrian people and their representatives to determine the appropriate means to do so.

• Seeking to bring about a change in the unjustified attitude of the countries that are still turning a blind eye on options for the security / military policies of the regime. Plus, working to gain more support of the international community, including states, diplomatic bodies, civil society organizations and human rights groups, for struggle of Syrians for freedom, dignity, democracy and a better future for their children and their country.

Victory to our revolution, and glory and eternity to the martyrs of freedom