Constitution of Kafranbel + Zabadani's Women

hi all, sorry for the late post!

i'd like to share w/ you all two short films, both around four minutes. they are both from Kayani, with whom I worked over the summer- they produce a lot of short films dealing with women's issues, democracy, LGBT issues, sectarianism, radical/progressive politics, in the context of the Syrian Revolution post-2011. although there are a lot of articles focusing more on raw information about the revolution and the humanitarian crisis, i felt that short films show in action what life is like under conflict and participating in a popular revolution, w/ all sectors of society.

the first short film is on the Constitution of Kafranbel, a rural town in north Syria one hour drive from where I was raised and grew up. Kafranbel was one of many localities to rise up against the fascist Assad dictatorships (Hafez and Bashar Assad) which ruled Syria since 1971, and it became a center of armed revolutionary resistance since 2011. the prevalent discourse on Syria and Arab Spring revolts often does not include the success stories and the victories of local councils and egalitarian democratic systems in order to replace the dictatorships in our region- this is something which is vital to show, and which can be useful in organizing all over the world as well. it isn't just limited to northern Syria.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_UVQHIMx88

the second short film is on the revolutionary women of Zabadani, near the capital Damascus. if you only watch one of the short films, it should be this one. it focuses on their roles in activism, protests, and other ways of keeping the revolution. despite the necessary for violent resistance oftentimes, especially in Syria, a revolution cannot be maintained without its core- civil resistance. the women of Zabadani talk about how they come from a rural town with conservative customs, and how their activism and participation proved to society that they are equal and will be so in the new Syria. it isn't discussed in the film, but Syrian women have been the largest victims of the conflict, including mass campaigns of systematic sexual violence and targeted killings by government forces as well as ISIL.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Otc6J9EQGiw

these two films are important to me not only because i am Syrian, but because they show the power of the civil society as a whole, and especially women- in order to use peaceful protest to resist. in the face of what seems like impossible odds, the women + men of Syria have shown the world how to organize and come together for democratic process, even in the face of starvation, chemical attacks, and daily shelling. it means the world to me because, growing up in Syria, the regime's security apparatus and restrictions on freedom meant that we felt as if we couldn't even breathe. and now, although Syrians face impossible challenges, i am so grateful that in many parts of the country, our families can now experience democracy.

questions for discussion:
1) in which ways did this change your perception on Syria/Arab Spring? or did it confirm what you already thought/knew?

2) what are some ways in which women are uniquely affected by conflict in which men are not? how can we (regardless of nationality) in the US help women internationally who deal with these challenges?

3) what are advantages of smaller and local community organizing?

4) why is discourse on Arab Spring/Syria especially limited, and why does it tend to leave out civil society participation, role of women, gender/sexual minorities, etc? (there is no wrong answer to this or anything else)