SYRIA: BUILDING STRATEGIC OPPOSITION ADMINISTERING ORG: DATES OF PROJECT: AMOUNT REQUIRED: InterConnect Youth Jan-Dec 2012.

$191,500

Syria: Building Strategic Opposition will work with the Syrian youth opposition, opposition and reformist groups from around the region, as well as constitutional law experts, to create an environment where the Syrian opposition approaches the political protests in a more systematic fashion, with a greater understanding of the strategic and political goals they want to achieve. The focus will be on forming vision and principles for a post-Assad Syria. Assad has showed unwillingness to compromise on affording basic human rights, including the freedom of protest, to his citizens. However, the opposition has largely come across as disparate and lacking coordination. This perception is accurate both on the ground in Syria and in the groups set up to represent the Syrian opposition. This project aims to give the youth wings of these groups a united voice to aid them in triangulating their approach to the revolution. The Syria: Building Strategic Opposition will have four objectives to assist in the toppling of Assad and the transition to a peaceful and democratic state, based upon the rule of law and the respect for minorities. The aims are to: Train 20 young Syrians as leaders of the opposition youth movements. This includes in community organizing, strategic thinking and legislative drafting. 2. Provide support for the Syrian opposition by providing a stock of 250 mobile phones, 1000 SIM cards, 10 satellite dishes, 8 generators, and 10 satellite internet accounts (routed through Turkey) for the Syrian opposition youth movements in Damascus, Aleppo, Homs and Hama. 3. Allow a draft constitution to be drawn up by the Syrian Opposition Youth Movement reflecting the collective desires of the youth of the country, and to use this document in negotiations with the official Syrian opposition movements. 4. To document, and collate in a central database, the allegations of human rights abuses by the Assad regime relating to the opposition protests, to assist organizations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International in their work in Syria.
1.

The program will consist of five stages: Stage 1 will be to convene a high level conference between young Syrian activists, and young activists from other Arab Spring countries, in order to workshop effective strategies and coordination. There will be a focus on learning the lessons from the largely peaceful revolution in Tunisia, but also on taking strategies used in Egypt, Yemen and Libya and integrating them into the Syrian opposition. Stage 2 will involve assisting with the telephony and communication needs of the Syrian opposition, including providing vast numbers of Syrian registered SIM cards, phones and the funding of satellite dishes and generators for the opposition. Stage 3 will provide professional support for the Syrian youth movements as they draft a proposed constitution for a post-Assad Syria, in order to build a groundswell of public support in Syria for the protests. Stage 4 will document, and collate in a central database, the allegations of human rights abuses by the Assad regime. These will then be translated from Arabic to English and disseminated to human rights groups in Western countries. Stage 5 will register an official alliance of youth from Arab Spring countries, which will coordinate through a central office operating out of Tunis. This will provide support to both opposition and reformist movements in other Arab countries.

SYRIA: BUILDING STRATEGIC OPPOSITION ADMINISTERING ORG: DATES OF PROJECT: AMOUNT REQUIRED: InterConnect Youth Jan-Dec 2012. $191,500

I.

OBJECTIVES

Syria: Building Strategic Opposition has four aims: To train 20 young Syrians as leaders of the opposition. This includes in community organizing, strategic thinking and legislative drafting. 2. Provide support for the Syrian opposition by providing a stock of 250 mobile phones, 1000 SIM cards, 10 satellite dishes, 8 generators, and 10 satellite internet accounts (routed through Turkey) for the Syrian opposition youth movements in Damascus, Aleppo, Homs and Hama. 3. Allow a draft constitution to be drawn up by the Syrian Opposition Youth Movement reflecting the collective desires of the youth of the country, and to use this document in negotiations with the official Syrian opposition movements. 4. To document, and collate in a central database, the allegations of human rights abuses by the Assad regime relating to the opposition protests, to assist Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International in their work in Syria.
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II.

PROPOSED ACTIVITIES

The program will consist of five stages: Stage 1 will be to convene a high level retreat between young Syrians and young activists from other Arab Spring countries in order to workshop effective strategies and coordination. There will be a focus on learning the lessons from the largely peaceful revolution in Tunisia, but also on taking strategies used in Egypt, Yemen and Libya and integrating them into the Syrian opposition. Stage 1 will involve: - A higher level retreat convened in Liechtenstein will be held from Jan 15-19 2012. The assistance of the Liechtenstein Institute on Self Determination at Princeton University will be sought. - The make-up of the delegates for the retreat will be:

o 20 Syrian young professionals (15 sourced from inside Syria, 5 sourced from the Syrian diaspora, who are active in the Syrian opposition in Homs, Hama, and Damascus) o 8 Tunisians active in the Tunisian Youth Council. o 6 Egyptian youth journalists and bloggers o 3 Libyans, former members of the Libyan Transitional National Council, specializing in Rule of Law and Constitutional formation. o 3 Yemenis, with a focus on political negotiation. The retreat will be facilitated by Slim Amamou, former Minister for Youth and Sport in Tunisia. The final day of the retreat will involve sessions about Rule of Law and Constitutional Reform in post-Assad Syria, run by an expert in constitutional law either from Princeton University, or the Faculty of Law at the University of New South Wales, Australia. These sessions will draw on the experience of the Libyan TNC in the drafting of their own constitution.

Stage 2 will involve assisting with the telephony and communication needs of the Syrian opposition, including providing vast numbers of Syrian registered SIM cards, phones and the funding of satellite dishes and generators for the opposition. Stage 2 will involve: o Providing 1000 SIM cards and 250 mobile phones, sourced from Jordan, for use in mobile phones in Syria. One of the greatest needs for the protesters is in mobile phone SIM cards and mobile phones. Syrians are being constantly tracked and tailed by the Syrian authorities. Providing a much needed stock of SIM cards gives the opposition the opportunity to subvert tracing by the government. These cards would need to be taken from Amman, Jordan, to Damascus for use by the opposition. o Providing 10 satellite dishes, sourced from the Damascus black market to allow for uncensored access to the internet. This is combined with 10 yearly internet access accounts, routed through Istanbul, Turkey. o Providing 8 generators. The Syrian regime is increasingly cutting electricity from areas where they believe protests are being coordinated from. These generators will provide a much needed back up for the protest coordinating hubs. These will be sourced on the Damascus market, and delivered around the country. o These will be delivered by March 2012.

Stage 3 will provide professional support for the Syrian youth movements as they draft a proposed constitution for a post-Assad Syria, in order to build a groundswell of public support in Syria for the protest movement. Stage 3 will involve: o Representatives from the former Libyan Transitional National Council will work with Syrian young people to help draw up a draft constitution to best protect the rights of minorities, youth and all political parties. o This will allow the youth to approach official opposition groups in Syria, such as SNC and the Syrian Revolution General Commission, with a draft document for the purpose of integration into any official draft released by the Syrian opposition. o The assistance will start at the Higher Level Retreat and involve weekly teleconference sessions with interested parties and external constitutional law experts present at the retreat until completion of draft constitution in April 2012. Stage 4 will document, and collate in a central database, the allegations of human rights abuses by the Assad regime. These will then be translated into Arabic and disseminated to human rights groups in Western countries. It is well known that the Syrian Government is repeatedly committing grave human rights abuses against protestors and political dissidents. However, there exists no single body to collate and document these abuses. Stage 4 will involve: o Establishing an office to act as the clearing house for such allegations, examining the evidence for such claims and documenting these online, as well as in official reports. These reports will then be translated into English for dissemination to Human Rights and Advocacy networks in the US and Europe. o Three graduate staff will be employed, and an office hired in Damascus to act as the headquarters for such operation. One satellite dish, and a generator (purchased in Stage 2) will be located at this office. Stage 5 will register an official alliance of youth from Arab Spring countries. Coordinating through a central office operating out of Tunis. This will provide support to both opposition and reformist movements in other Arab countries. Stage 5 will involve: o The Tunisian government will fund the Arab Spring Youth Secretariat to liaise with youth movements in Arab Spring countries as well as youth opposition and reformist movements

around the region. This office will be established in third quarter 2012. o Funding for this will be treated off-budget with hope of receiving funding for this through the newly-established Tunisian Government.

III.

BUDGET

A budget in the amount of $191,500USD is attached. IV. Contact

Alistair Campbell InterConnect Youth acampbell104@gmail.com +614-316-62-513

SYRIA: BUILDING STRATEGIC OPPOSITION ADMINISTERING ORG: DATES OF PROJECT: AMOUNT REQUIRED: InterConnect Youth Jan-Dec 2012. $191,500

The following budget is for the entire Syria: Building Strategic Opposition project, which totals to 191,500USD. I. HIGHER LEVEL SUPPORT RETREAT Hire of Venue Flights for Syrian Participants Flights for Tunisians Flights for Egyptians Flights for Yemenis Flights for Libyans Flight for One Constitutional Law Expert Flights for International Facilitators Syrian Coordinators in Damascus, Aleppo, Homs and Hama (Salary) Amount/unit Quantity Total

$25,000 $1,200 $1,200 $1,200 $1,000 $1,000 $3,000 $2,200 $1,200

1 20 8 6 3 3 1 8 4

$25,000 $24,000 $9,600 $7,200 $3,000 $3,000 $3,000 $17,600 $4,800 $97,200

II: SYRIAN COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANCE Syrian SIM cards sourced on the black market in Jordan Mobile Phone handsets Black market satellite dish Petrol-powered generators Turkish Satellite Internet Accounts

Amount/unit

Quantity

Total

$7 $50 $1,100 $400 $600/year

1,000 100 10 8 10

$7,000 $5,000 $11,100 $3,200 $6,000 $32,300

III. CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM Engagement of 3 academic constitutional law experts

$3000

Quantity 3

$9,000 $9,000

IV. HUMAN RIGHTS DOCUMENTATION Amount/unit Rent/utility cost of Damascus Office 3 full time staff for Damascus office Translation Services on a contractual basis $9,000/year $11,000 $11,000 Quantity 1 3 1 Total $9,000 $33,000 $11,000 $53,000

Total Program Costs

$191,500