One year since the fall of Bashar al-Assad, Syria stands at a critical crossroads. The country’s new leadership faces the monumental challenge of rebuilding a nation devastated by years of conflict, while balancing the demands of political and economic reconstruction, transitional justice, and foreign relations. In the months since the transition, over one million refugees and nearly two million internally displaced persons have returned home, hopeful for stability and recovery. Yet across much of the country, destroyed infrastructure, limited job opportunities, and fragile security continue to hinder returnees’ efforts to rebuild their lives. Though the Syrian government has signed billions of dollars’ worth of investment deals with partners from the Gulf, Europe, and beyond, the material impact on everyday Syrians’ lives has yet to be felt. On the political front, a rushed national dialogue, a constitutional declaration that empowers the executive branch, and a parliament selected through appointment and indirect electoral college have raised questions about what’s to come. Meanwhile, Syria’s re-emergence on the international stage has accelerated, while Israeli military incursions continue to threaten the country’s security and sovereignty. President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s historic appearances at the United Nations General Assembly and recent visit to Washington, DC mark a new phase in Damascus’s foreign policy, as it seeks to get sanctions fully lifted, normalize relations, and attract global investment. But at home, questions over justice, accountability, the fate of the disappeared, and violence in the coast and Suwayda continue to haunt the nation, testing the new government’s promises to deliver for all Syrians.
On Tuesday, December 9, at 10:00 AM EST, join the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy (TIMEP) for “Syria One Year into Transition,” an online moderated discussion featuring Sana Mustafa, Joseph Daher, Justin Salhani, and Sarah Hunaidi, moderated by Obai Kurd Ali. The panel will explore key questions: How are Syrians experiencing the return and reconstruction process amid continued instability? What do the economic, political, and security measures taken by the new Syrian authorities reveal about the direction of governance? How are foreign actors shaping, interfering with, or impacting Syria’s path forward? And what prospects exist for justice, accountability, and a genuinely inclusive future after more than a decade of war?
Watch the discussion:
Speaker Profiles:
Sana Mustafa
Sana Mustafa is a movement leader in the forced displacement sector and a feminist human rights activist fighting against systems of oppression in Syria and around the world. After being forcibly displaced by the Assad regime, Sana led the establishment of global efforts for the representation and inclusion of forcibly displaced persons such as the Global Refugee-led Network and the Resourcing Refugee Leadership Initiative—the first ever global fund by refugees, for refugees. Sana is a member of Syria’s first Syrian Women’s Political Movement, a coalition with the aim of uniting women from across professional fields and ethnic lines to create a vision for women’s inclusion in a future Syria. Currently, Sana manages her own consulting business where she works with leaders, organizations, philanthropists, and foundations across sectors on a variety of issues such as equitable resources mobilization, leadership and organizational developments, uplifting proximate leadership, and movement building.
Joseph Daher
Joseph Daher is a Swiss-Syrian academic and expert on the political economy of the Middle East. He received his PhD in Development Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London (2015) and his PhD in Political Science from the University of Lausanne (2018), Switzerland. He is currently an associate researcher at the Bonn International Center for Conflict Studies. He is the author of several books, including Hezbollah: The Political Economy of Lebanon’s Party of God (Pluto Press, 2016), Syria After the Uprising (Pluto Press, 2019), and Palestine and Marxism (Resistance Books, 2024). He has taught at several universities, including the University of Lausanne, University Paris Dauphine, and the University of Ghent, and was an Associate Professor at the European University Institute in Florence, where he participated in the project “Wartime and Post-Conflict in Syria” (WPCS) and coordinated the project “Syrian Trajectories: Challenges and Opportunities for Peacebuilding.”
Justin Salhani
Justin Salhani is a Nonresident Fellow at TIMEP focusing on misinformation and disinformation in the Levant. He is a writer and journalist based in Beirut. Since 2023, Justin has been a senior producer with Al Jazeera Digital, where he covers politics and society in Lebanon and Syria. He has been covering the region since 2011 and has reported from Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Turkey, Egypt, Kuwait, Qatar, France, Italy, and the United States. Justin has also contributed to Time Magazine and Dial Magazine and is a regular contributor to the From the Periphery Media Collective’s podcast series. His media appearances include Al Jazeera, BBC, CBC, France 24, Times of London radio, among others. Justin was previously based in Washington, DC, Paris, and Milan.
Sarah Hunaidi
Sarah Hunaidi is a Syrian writer and civic rights advocate whose work focuses on political transformation, memory, and the lived experiences of Syrians during and after the uprising. Her writing has appeared in outlets including The New York Times, Foreign Policy, The Independent, Chatham House, and others, where she examines questions of identity, state violence, and the complexities of exile. She holds a Master’s degree in Middle Eastern Studies from Harvard University and previously studied International Studies at DePaul University. Alongside her writing, she creates accessible political-education content through “Siyasa 101,” a project aimed at making political concepts understandable to a wide Arabic-speaking audience. She is also a member of the Syrian Women’s Political Movement, contributing to policy discussions on women’s rights, representation, and Syria’s political future.
Obai Kurd Ali
ModeratorObai Kurd Ali is the Legal Unit Manager at TIMEP and specializes in international human rights law, with 10 years of experience in the Syrian conflict. He can apply the law to complex and sensitive contexts involving victims and communities, duty-bearers, and other stakeholders to achieve effective accountability and sustainable justice. Obai is skilled in leadership and team management, agreement facilitation, dealing with stakeholders from different backgrounds, and organizing joint efforts to achieve goals and shared interests. Obai holds an LL.M. with distinction in Human Rights, Conflict, and Justice from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) at the University of London (2021). In addition, he holds an LL.B in Syrian national Law from Damascus University (2014). Obai has also been awarded the Chevening Scholarship for youth leaders from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.