12April
2018The Syrian Diaspora in the Aftermath of 2011
2018

The 2011 uprising in Syria resulted in the forced displacement of several millions of Syrians with families and Syrian capital to settle temporarily in neighbouring countries and in other continents, greatly increasing the size of the Syrian diaspora historically known for its economic dynamism.
During the years of conflict, the Syrian diaspora mobilized in exile and in support of those who remained inside Syria. Notwithstanding administrative constraints, these solidarity networks have been remarkably organized, although new lines of cleavage emerged.
What do the forms of solidarity observed within the Syrian diaspora tell us about today's diasporic modes of organization? In what ways can the experiences of other diasporas in the region (Lebanese, Armenian, Palestinian) inform the Syrian diaspora and who are the key actors seeking to organize it?
This workshop was organized by the Arab Reform Initiative in collaboration with the Chair of History of the Contemporary Arab World at College de France. It brought together researchers from various backgrounds, who presented the outcomes of field-informed studies on the economic and social dynamics of the Syrian diaspora. These original studies bring a wealth of information and analysis to the broader debates on the future of societies in migration.
* The research papers will be made available on ARI website soon.
The research and workshop were supported by Ford Foundation and the Asfari Foundation.
Address : Chaire Histoire du Monde Arabe Contemporain, Collège de France, 4ème étage
3 rue d’Ulm, 7505 Paris
The programme:
9h30 Registration, and coffee
9:45 – 10:00
Opening
Henry Laurens
Bassma Kodmani
Hana Jaber
10:00 - 10:45
Session I: Diasporas in the Region: A Comparative Perspective
Moderator: Henry Laurens
10:00 - 10:15
Lebanese Communities Abroad: Feeding and Fueling conflicts
Tamirace Fakhoury
10:15 - 10:30 The Palestinian Diaspora and the State-Building Process
Taher Labadi
10:30 – 10:45 Discussion
10:45 -11:00 Coffee Break
11:00 – 12:00 Session II: Historic Syrian Diasporas Worldwide
Moderator: Bassma Kodmani
11:00 - 11:15 Syrians in the USA: Solidarity Despite Political Rifts
Basma Alloush
11:15 - 11:30 Arabism and its Repercussions: Forms of Solidarity among
Syrians in Latin America
Cecilia Baeza
11:30 - 11:45 Mapping the Syrian Civil Society Groups in Europe
Nora Ragab
11: 45 – 12:00 Discussion
12:00 -14:00 Lunch Break
14:00 - 15:00 Session III: Syrian Investments in the Turmoil of the Arab Uprisings
Moderator: Salam Kawakibi
14:00 – 14:15 Mapping Syrian Skills in the Gulf: The Case of Qatar
Khadr Zakaria
14:15 – 14:30 Gulf Countries as a Destination for Syrian Financial Capital:
The Case of the United Arab Emirates
Maher Juneidi
14: 30 -14 :45 Syrians in Egypt: Major Financial Investments in a Volatile
Context
Firas Hajj Yehia
14:00 – 15:00 Discussion
15:00 - 16:00 Session IV: Refugee Flows and the New Syrian Diaspora in the Region
Moderator: Nasser Djabi
16:00 – 16:15 Syrians in Turkey: Groupings, Fractures and a Floundering
Civil Society
Sasha AlAlou
16:15 – 16:30 Syrians in Lebanon: between Absence of Policy and Discouragement
Rayan Majed
16:30 – 16:45 Engaging Syrian Organizations on Durable Solutions: Sharing Experience from Jordan
Israa Sader
16 :45 – 17:00 Discussion
17:00 -17:15 Coffee break
17:15 -17: 45 Session V: Wrap-Up Session
Hana Jaber, Bassma Kodmani, Henry Laurens