General Assembly in Brussels
In the end of October 2012, we met for the first time in Brussels for building our new NGO in response to the Syrian crisis. On 2 January 2013, we met the Belgian notary for the official foundation. One year later, the first Peace Centre is up and running. More than 300 refugee children are receiving regular education through our staff. Time to meet again!
R&R Syria has by now more than 120 members in 16 national chapters. Delegates came from across Europe and the Middle East on their own costs to meet in Brussels during the weekend of 7/8 December 2013 for an Extraordinary General Assembly. The first year of exercise has not been concluded yet, but we needed to discuss our future development. We are planning to open a second Peace Centre in Lebanon and perhaps a third in Turkey in 2014. Also, we were looking for ways to channel more aid inside Syria where it is very much needed.
Please find below the text of the resolution the General Assembly adopted as an urgent call for solidarity with the Syrian people:
Resolution of the
Extraordinary General Assembly
Brussels, 8 December 2013
Marking the 1000 days since the Syrian Revolution started,
Noting with concern the lack of solidarity with the Syrian people who are suffering in the conflict under increasing instability, violence and torture,
Coming from 16 different nations, united in solidarity with the Syrian people,
Striving, as an organisation combining peacebuilding with humanitarian aid, for a strong inclusive peace, based on democracy, justice and human rights,
Recognising the large gaps in humanitarian aid on the ground and that some humanitarian aid is not properly delivered to those in need,
Alarmed by the fact that humanitarian principles are treated with contempt by some actors in the Syrian conflict and by the massive violations of humanitarian law,
We call upon the international community to put the Syrian people first, recognising the far reaching consequences of depriving an entire population of basic human rights for what has been 1000 days into the conflict already, and raise in an overwhelming show of support and solidarity;
We encourage the international community to honour its responsibility to protect Syrian civilians in accordance to the UN Resolution A/RES/60/1, whereas the international community is responsible to translate this principle into action in order to protect populations from genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity by collectively using appropriate and effective means; We therefore urge the International community to put the concerns of the Syrian people at the centre of the Geneva II conference, rather than geopolitical interests, and to reach at least a humanitarian truce, allowing for humanitarian aid and putting an end to the bombing of civilian infrastructure; We call upon all actors involved in the Syrian crisis to foster reconciliation and interreligious dialogue for preserving the religious and ethnic diversity of Syria and its neighbouring countries, based on undeniable human rights; We urge in particular international media and all other actors related to the Syrian crisis to make special efforts in avoiding antagonistic and anti-Islamic stereotypes, like the derogatory use of terms like “jihadist”, and in promoting the understanding of the Other; We call upon the international community to respond to the increasing humanitarian crisis in Syria and its neighbouring countries in an inclusive and dignified way ensuring an effective and respectful interaction in the field; In particular, we urge international donors to allocate more financial resources in response to the Syrian refugee crisis and to reconsider the recent cuts in delivery of humanitarian aid to those in urgent need.