WanabqaWhere Every Syrian Voice Matters

'We Will Remain' is more than our name; it's our pledge to connect and empower every Syrian voice, building a legacy of unity and resilience.

Who is Wanabqa?

We are a grassroots Syrian youth-led collective dedicated to promoting, preserving, and rethinking Syrian identity through research, cultural advocacy, social change, storytelling, heritage, and inclusive dialogue. Wanabqa is a movement dedicated to situating Syria in a deserved manner within the world's consciousness, as well as unifying Syrians by creating a safe space that celebrates our diversity, fights propaganda, and sparks dialogue.

We are an independent, non-partisan/non-governmentally affiliated collective that takes pride in having a team that reflects Syria's diversity: ideologically, ethnically & religiously. We emphasize being inclusive and respectful of all that makes up our Syria, as we believe there is no one experience of being Syrian. Wanabqa has introduced the world to hundreds of Syrian stories and talents, is followed by a community of over 51,000, and provides free psychosocial support to over 300 Syrians worldwide through our service Dardasheh.

What do we do?

We...

  • Share the stories, voices, experiences, memories, and talents of Syrians worldwide.
  • Discuss social/societal, cultural, and identity issues.
  • Raise awareness about the history, heritage & diverse identities of Syria.
  • Address mental health within the Syrian community and provide psychosocial support.
  • Archive our past and present.
  • Create a safe space that is inclusive of all Syrians, regardless of location, ethnic/cultural, background, religion, and identity/sexual identity.

Mission

Be the leaders in preserving Syrian identity by creating a community with shared aspirations for the Syria we were never able to have. We work on achieving this by providing a space for dialogue and awareness, by tackling local political propaganda that have limited the Syrian community's capability to unify, inclusive strategies that ensure Syrian pluralism is understood, and sharing awareness-raising content that shatters existing false notions about Syrians and Syria worldwide. We aspire to be Syria’s modern and honest representative.

Vision

Create a safe space that is inclusive of all Syrians, regardless of location, ethnic/cultural background, religion, identity, or sexual orientation, by establishing a community with shared values, language, and understandings of what it means to be Syrian. We envision having created a community that is informed and united on the basis of their experiences, histories, and identity. More broadly, we advocate for an empowered and united levant by strengthening relationships with fellow levantines via shared history, struggles and collaboration.

Values

Education is a tool for reconciliation and bridging gaps, paving the way for change. Wanabqa believes that knowledge is an essential rebuilding tool. Providing knowledge objectively and honestly, beyond propaganda, is necessary – therefore, we ensure that this knowledge is made accessible to everyone.

Educating our community about Syria’s diverse ethnicities, religions, identities, and history. We represent, honestly, all that makes Syria, Syria.

We ensure on establishing a non-exclusionary Syrian community that is conscious of its differences. We insist on a truthful representation of the diverging realities, stories, and experiences of Syrian people.

Wanabqa recognizes the importance and role of religion in shaping the Syria we all know. We also believe that secularism creates a space in which that reality is respected, however, which also ensures that all Syrians regardless of their religion and ideologies are to be respected and viewed as equals. Secularism creates a space where all have the freedom to practice their lives as they deem best for themselves, and recognizes that we all share more in common beyond religion.

We discuss the undiscussed. We thrive on dialogue and believe the way forward is to create a safe space to discuss our past, present, and future… the taboo, the hidden, the distorted, and the misunderstood.

Progress is achieved through peace building strategies which pave the way for eventual change. This will take long, and the effects of our experiences during the war and its impacts on us, will be permanent. Wanabqa simply aims to be a Syrian collective that works on paving the way for that.