On the occasion of the Oriental Landscapes (June 16-23), Global Week for Syria and the International Refugee Day (June 20) The Hague Peace Projects and Music and Beyond Foundation are organizing a two day conference on the Future of Syria on the 19th– 20th of June. The first day will consist of a discussion surrounding the future of Syria; During the morning we will have panel discussions with high level experts involved in the peace negotiations on Syria. This will be followed by various workshops related to different aspects of rebuilding Syria. The second day will be focusing on the integration of newcomers into Dutch society, with our two main topics consisting of economic integration and social/cultural integration. We will bring together those organizations and institutions responsible for integration and the refugee community in order to promote better understanding and cooperation in the integration process.
Day 1: Future of Syria
Since 2011, the Syrian war has forced half of the total Syrian population to leave their homes and more than half a million Syrian have lost their lives. This war has profoundly destabilized the entire region and created a geopolitical standoff between great regional and global powers. Although the development of the war in Syria is uncertain, it is crucial for Syrians as well as the international community to envision a future, which strives for security, justice and peace.
Therefore, the Hague Peace Projects will bring together high- level speakers from Syria and the Netherlands to explore the possible outlines of the future of Syria. There will be a panel discussion in the morning that will also follow the recent changes and the on-going negotiation processes over Syria.
In the afternoon, several workshops will be organised by Syrian activists who are together looking for common ground to contribute to peace building in their country of origin by considering themes on workshops such as: the war economy, transitional justice, empowering women and youth, local governance and strengthening local communities.
Day 1 Monday 19 June: The Future of Syria
| 09.30 – 10.00 |
Registration Coffee/ Tea |
| 10.00 – 12.15 |
1st Panel Discussion: Future of SyriaSpeakers: Rabie Nasser, Bassam Alahmad, Hala Alahmed. |
| 12.15 – 13.15 |
Lunch break |
13.15 – 15.00 |
Workshop Part 1:
|
| 15.00 – 15.15 |
Break |
| 15.15 – 16.45 |
Workshop: Part 2:1. The group Moderators from the workshops discuss the findings of the group in a panel setting. 2. The floor opens to public. |
| 17.00 – 18.00 |
Registration for the music event (free for the participants of the conference) |
| 18.00 – 19.00 |
Lecture (interview with Tony Overwater) |
| 19.00 – 20.00 |
Food: Syrian Cuisine |
| 20.00 – 22.00 |
Concert: Salon Joussour – Rohana Overwater Ensemble |
Reserve Tickets here for Day 1
Day 2: Integration: Aspirations and Challenges
After the influx of large groups of refugees from different countries in the past few years the national government, municipalities and civil society organizations have proposed many solutions for a smooth integration. Not all of them have shown clearly positive results and some policy measures even create great confusion and uncertainty among permit holders. One of the reasons of this failure could be a lack of consultation of permit holders. Thus, taking into account permit holders ‘ needs, capabilities, aspirations and suggestions for successful integration could be the most fruitful way forward for all of the parties.
Therefore, this event is intended to bring together policy makers and integration specialists from different organizations and municipalities including permit holders in order to discuss the obstacles and solutions towards a successful integration in The Netherlands.
The morning section is reserved for two panel discussions regarding specific aspects of integration, such as the labour market and social-cultural integration, where policy makers, academic and permit holders will share their knowledge and concerns. In the afternoon, permit holders together with local civil society activists will be conducting workshops to find solutions for some of the most pressing integration issues faced currently.
Day 2 Tuesday 20 June: Integration: Aspirations and Challenges
| 09.30 – 10.00 |
Registration Coffee/Tea |
| 10.00 – 12.00 |
1st Panel discussion: Integration in to the Dutch Labor MarketSpeakers: Quirine Veth (workforce.nl), Catrien Smit (Den Haag municipality), Tesseltje de Lange (Amsterdam University), George Kader |
| 12.00 – 13:00 |
Lunch break |
| 13.00 – 15.00 |
2nd Panel Discussion: Social & Cultural integrationSpeakers: Kees Diepenveen (Wethouder Utrecht), Mirjam Huisman (VluchtelingenWerk) Besan Zarzar (Net in Nederland) |
| 15.00 – 15.15 |
Proceed to the workshops |
15.15 – 16.30 |
Workshop Part 1
|
| 16.30 – 16.45 |
Break |
| 16.45 – 18.00 |
Workshop: Part 2:1. The moderators from the workshops discuss the findings of the group in a panel setting. 2. The floor opens to public. |
| 18.30 – 21.00 |
ConcertsAura Rascon – bansuri |
Reserve Tickets here for day 2
Location: Korzo Theatre, Prinsestraat 42, Den Haag
19 & 20 June
