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Since more than one year a group of representatives of civil society from different continents and countries around the world engaged since many years in the process of democratisation and social justice in the Middle East, came to the conclusion that the conflict in Syria cannot be solved by military means. In the meantime this position not only gained support among peace activists, numerous outstanding intellectuals and political experts within the civil society, but also within a large spectrum of governments who support the peace building efforts of the United Nations.
Now, on the eve of a much publicised international conference to be held in Geneva in the near future this International Initiative for Peace in Syria (www.peaceinsyria.org) has constituted a delegation of renowned personalities from different parts of the globe which is headed for Damascus from June 2nd to 8th, 2013. Their objectives are based on a Mission Statement published in September, 2012 which calls against foreign military intervention and for the initiation of a process of democratisation on the grounds of the right for self-determination of the people of Syria: http://www.peaceinsyria.org/mission.html
In Damascus they are going to hold meetings with the Syrian government on the level of ministers, vice-prime ministers and the presidency and with representatives of the Syrian opposition inside the country; but there will be also encounters with representatives of different sectors of the Syrian civil society like the universities, religious leaders and internal refugees. In the period before the initiative has met with all sectors of the opposition movement.
During their stay in Damascus the delegation which consists among others of Bishop Raul Vera from Mexico, the Coordinator of the Gaza Fleet from Greece Evangelos Pissias, representatives of parliamentary fractions from Germany and Greece and renown social scientists like Francois Houtart from Belgium and Leo Gabriel from Austria, will present to the government and opposition the following concrete proposals:
A) Create the conditions for a negotiation process through the establishment of LOCAL CEASE FIRES
B) Immediate RELEASE of women and old-aged prisoners on both sides
C) FREE ACCESS of national and international humanitarian organizations to all cities of the country
D) Participation in an international peace conference organized by civil society organizations in Vienna, Austria (probably in September 2013).
Vienna, May 29th, 2013
Any request for further information please direct to:
Dr. Leo Gabriel -Institute for intercultural research and Cooperation
Laudongasse 40 1080 Vienna, Austria – tel.: +4369912622275 e-mail: lgabriel@gmx.net