Abstract

In the wake of the Assad regime’s collapse, Syria faces a pivotal yet precarious moment. This talk frames recent events in Syria through the lens of “The Right to Meaning,” exploring what is still required for the revolution to succeed in its cognitive dimension—how its vision can be translated into lasting political, social, and cultural transformation. While the regime’s downfall represents a momentous victory, the struggle continues on multiple fronts. Key issues include the restoration of national sovereignty, transitional justice, the challenge of rebuilding a fragmented society without repeating past cycles of repression, ensuring accountability for war crimes, managing military and security sector reform, securing individual freedoms and the right to public participation for all, improving living conditions amidst ongoing sanctions, and navigating complex international relations in a deeply fractured geopolitical landscape. Drawing on insights from Syrian intellectuals and activists, this discussion will examine ongoing efforts towards democratic governance, freedom of expression, and gender equality, emphasising the need for a collective reclamation of meaning in a newly liberated, but still fragile, Syria.

Chair: Professor Hazem Kandil, Head of Department