“We Didn't Think It Would Hit Us:”
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“We Didn’t Think It Would Hit Us:” Understanding the Impact of Attacks on Schools in Syria September 2018 SAVE SYRIAN SCHOOLS “We Didn’t Think It Would Hit Us:” Understanding the Impact of Attacks on Schools in Syria RESEARCH REPORT Funders This publication and the Save Syrian Schools project were made possible with partnership and leadership support of the United Kingdom’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Government of Sweden, and with support from the Australian Government, the Government of Canada, and the Violet Jabara Charitable Trust. Save Syrian Schools III About International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) The International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) works across society and borders to challenge the causes and address the consequences of massive human rights violations. We affirm victims’ dignity, fight impunity, and promote responsive institutions in societies emerging from repressive rule or armed conflict as well as in established democracies where historical injustices or systemic abuse remain unresolved. ICTJ envisions a world where societies break the cycle of massive human rights violations and lay the foundations for peace, justice, and inclusion. For more information, visit www.ictj.org Badael Badael (“Alternatives” in Arabic) is a Syrian nongovernmental, nonprofit organization committed to strengthening civil society groups and nongovernmental organizations in Syria that are active or want to become active in the promotion of nonviolence and in the implementation of activities to reduce the severity of violence, break its cycle, respond to the conflict, and prepare for the process of post-conflict peacebuilding. Badael’s staff comes from different regions in Syria and includes activists in the fields of peacebuilding and human rights advocacy. For more information, visit www.badael.org. Center for Civil Society and Democracy (CCSD) Center for Civil Society and Democracy (CCSD) is an independent Syrian nongovernmental, nonprofit organization whose mission is to support and strengthen civil society and democracy and promote the values of freedom, justice, and coexistence. CCSD was founded in December 2011 with the aim of supporting sustainable and long-term movements for peace, justice, and democracy in Syria. Since then, CCSD has grown to include nearly 90 staff members working in Syria, Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraqi Kurdistan. Through intensive trainings and mentoring focused on transitional justice, transparency, project design and management, and leadership, among other things, CCSD has developed the capacity of over 300 civil society organizations and local councils. As the result of these efforts, CCSD established and continues to act as the executive secretariat for three major networks: I Am She, Aman Network, and Syrian Civic Platform. The networks, respectively, focus on women’s empowerment, community safety and conflict mitigation, and civil society’s input on the peace process. For more information, visit www.ccsdsyria.org. Dawlaty Dawlaty is a nonprofit foundation that believes in nonviolence and peaceful resistance and works toward achieving a democratic and peaceful transition to a state that upholds human rights, equality, tolerance, and diversity. Dawlaty supports civil society in becoming active participants in Syria’s transition to a just and democratic state. Dawlaty works to build the knowledge of civic values and life skills of young people so they can engage in their communities and nation. In addition, it works to build an archive of stories and artwork to memorialize the Syrian uprising and highlight the experiences and voices of marginalized groups within the Syrian conflict. Dawlaty works on the ground and online to document, advocate, and build the capacity of civil society groups and young people. Dawlaty works in partnership with Syrian organizations to amplify Syrian voices. For more information, visit www.dawlaty.org. Lawyers and Doctors for Human Rights (LDHR) Lawyers and Doctors for Human Rights (LDHR) is a Syrian civil society, nongovernmental Syrian organization that supports civilians in crisis, provides assistance aimed at stopping human rights violations, and helps those in need of rehabilitation services to become active members of society. LDHR originally started as a group of lawyers and doctors who devoted their efforts to documenting, according to international standards, the atrocities taking place in Syria against detainees. The group later took on other activities such as establishing evaluation committees, submitting recommendations under the supervision of international experts, and bringing together relevant bodies and helping them coordinate their efforts to achieve justice and enrich the spirit of society with the sacred values of humanity. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/ldhr.org1. Startpoint Startpoint is a nongovernmental, nonprofit organization licensed in Sweden. Startpoint works in the field of community development for Syrians seeking to achieve a healthy society in Syria based on the values of equality, justice, and democracy. Startpoint was established in January 2015 by Syrian activists committed to helping Syrian society recover from the effects of conflict and build the future to which it aspires. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/pg/StartPoint11/about. IV Save Syrian Schools Syrian Institute for Justice (SIJ) The Syrian Institute for Justice (SIJ) is a nongovernmental, nonprofit organization. It was established in 2011 in Aleppo by a group of lawyers specializing in human rights law and criminal documentation. SIJ documents all human rights violations in Syria, regardless of who the perpetrator is. In an effort to establish principles of transitional justice, SIJ sets up legal case files, according to the rules of international criminal courts, to be presented to the specialized courts, and to prevent perpetrators from escaping punishment. For more information, visit twitter.com/SyrianInstitute. Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) is a Syrian human rights organization that documents human rights violations in Syria and defends the human rights of the Syrian people at the international level. SNHR affirms the need to guarantee victims’ rights and commemorate their memory, and to expose perpetrators of crimes as a first step toward holding them accountable, which SNHR sees as of utmost importance to the transitional justice process because there is no stability without justice. SNHR also raises awareness within Syrian society about people’s civil and political rights. SNHR hopes that Syria will become a modern nation state with an active civil society, where all people have equal rights and obligations. For more information, visit www.sn4hr.org. The Day After Association (TDA) The Day After Association (TDA) is an independent, Syrian-led civil society organization working to support democratic transition in Syria. In August 2012, TDA completed work on a comprehensive approach to managing the challenges of a post-Assad transition in Syria. The initial Day After Project brought together a group of Syrians representing a large spectrum of the Syrian opposition — including senior representatives of the Syrian National Council, members of the Local Coordination Committees in Syria, and unaffiliated opposition figures from inside Syria and the diaspora — to participate in an independent transition planning process. For more information, visit www.tda-sy.org. Violations Documentation Center (VDC) The Violations Documentation Center (VDC) was established in June 2011 to ensure accurate and independent documentation of all types of human rights violations in Syria and to serve as a reference for the media and for all future accountability and justice processes in Syria. VDC is considered one of the largest human rights organizations working in Syria, with staff and contacts located in all Syrian governorates and most of its cities. Its activists face significant dangers in documenting human rights violations and violations of international humanitarian law committed by the Syrian government and other armed groups active in the conflict. VDC is considered a reliable reference for lawyers, media, the United Nations, and other justice mechanisms because of its rigorous methodology and adherence to legal standards in documentation, regardless of the party committing the violation. The center is also frequently invited to provide in-depth briefings in international forums such as the United Nations Security Council. For more information, visit www.vdc-sy.info. Women Now for Development Women Now for Development is a Syrian nonprofit organization dedicated to deepening and strengthening women’s role in Syrian and host communities by enhancing their political, social, economic, and cultural participation. Established in Paris in June 2012, Women Now for Development started by launching a series of small projects that supported 10 families. Today, it is the largest women’s organization working to empower Syrian women and help them find their political voice, across socioeconomic and cultural groups and boundaries, both inside Syria and in neighboring countries. More than 11,000 women, children, and men benefited from its services in 2016 alone. For more information, visit www.women-now.org. Save Syrian Schools V Acknowledgments The production of this report has been a true collaborative effort and would not have been possible without the tireless work of numerous