In the start of 2010/11, Rawafed began to implement a series of workshop in Wadi Al-Nadara  to help local community residents select and implement several small-scale community cultural initiatives

The workshops  (in partnership with the Governorate of Homs, the British Council and the Delegation of the European Union to Syria) were part of Rawafed’s pilot programme in Wadi Al-Nadara (comprised of 38 villages), which aims to provide people with tools and support to invest in their cultural resources (anything from handicrafts to poetry and agriculture) and to use their creativity to improve their quality of life and their community. 

Prior to these workshops,  the work had focused on participatory research, in which trained local volunteers and researchers collected data from surveys, focus groups and interviews to identify how residents view their cultural resources and identity.

Renowned for its incredible heritage sites (the famed Krak de Chevalier for example), Wadi Al-Nadara was also chosen as a pilot location because of its history of active civil participation (through formal and informal groups and committees) and a high population of young people.

However, a year and half after Rawafed’s introduction into the area, and following a thorough research process, the team was having difficulty reconnecting with, and reminding, the village residents about the incredible potential and opportunities they had to promote and protect their local identity, and to grow the local economy.  “The research was an invaluable tool for us,” notes Shaza Kandakji, the programme manager, “because it proved –without a doubt - that people were hungry to improve their communities, and to showcase their rich heritage. But due to the time it’s taken, it had also meant that we had been out-of-touch with people for a while. So it was important to say – now let us translate all this work to tangible projects. Let’s discuss how people can become agents for change in their own communities using the research results.”

Besides reconnecting, Rawafed had to ensure equal participation and representation in the workshops from across the villages. A number of factors made this challenging, include the socio-economic discrepancies across the region, and the perceptions held by members of some villages towards residents in other villages, including examples of some villages isolating themselves completely from the others. 

“This situation was challenging, but we knew that once we got people to participate in the first workshop, that word-of-mouth would travel fast, and that people would encourage each other to join,” explained Kandakji.

So as a first step, the team approached the people that they had worked with in the past -the volunteers (mostly local students) in the research phase, and asked them to both participate and advocate for the workshop.  Next, Rawafed approached local groups that were bound to include representation from many villages like the local scouts, and asked them to nominate participants as well. Finally, Rawafed approached the municipalities and asked to suggest people who were active in their communities, and asked the governorate to send a representative to each workshop as well.

“The presence of Rima Abbas, Director of the Rural Development Department in the Governorate of Homs meant that we would have direct access to a representative from the government for the first time.” noted one participant, “This was a real draw to a lot of people.”

In February, 2011, 24 community members hailing from four villages (Marmarita, Al Hosn, Anaz, Al Mishtay) attended the first workshop, including 11 women and a large number of university and high school students.   Participants divided into mixed groups and nominated several projects for extended discussions. In the final stages, they also voted on projects they wanted to implement.

“I felt empowered,” said Elias Janourah, a teacher from Marmarita, “because we were the ones choosing and designing the projects. I walked away feeling that everyone had the talent and the potential to improve their lives.”

Workshop participants had selected to implement two projects – the first, a mobile cultural club to introduce opportunities for cultural work and activities across villages, and the second, an initiative aimed at encouraging and nurturing children’s creativity and artwork.   It is important to note that he bulk of the responsibility for implementation will lie with the local residents,  with Rawafed playing a supportive role by providing logistical, networking, communication, legal and other types of recommendations and support.

Beyond the projects themselves, there were several outcomes that would help reinforce the programme’s presence in the area.  People were beginning to understand that they could have a tremendously positive impact by organizing and exchanging ideas with each other, and by drawing on their surrounding environment and culture for inspiration. They were able to be most effective however, by advocating these ideas and collaborating with other villages to create a sense of unity amongst the residents.  Lastly, they were able to communicate and work with officials and government representatives. In fact, following the workshops, some participants sent several letters and requests asking the governorate to look into some issues and concerns they had, including trash burning in the area. They immediately received a response and are now working directly with the governorate to circumvent and solve these issues.

Two other workshops took place following the first, with each boasting 20-25 participants from diverse villages, and resulting in a number of other community based cultural projects (including the revival of an unused cultural center and a local handicrafts project).  “It was obvious that people were talking about the workshops with each other. In fact, we’ve had requests from a few other villages, who had heard about the project, to invite Rawafed to organize similar workshops in their area,” said Rima Abbas of the Homs Governorate.

The cultural projects have all received small grants to begin implementation.