On 18-19 July 2013, a group of practitioners, scholars, and policy makers with global experience representing a variety of institutions gathered in Washington, DC to explore how the principles and practicalities of including non-violent, non-state actors in mediation, transition, and peace-making processes can be applied to Syria. The meeting’s key objective was to develop viable options for cultivating a more inclusive and gender-sensitive Syrian mediation process, including strategies for implementation.

The host organizations include Inclusive Security, the International Civil Society Action Network, and Nonviolent Peaceforce.

Read the full meeting report here.

The meeting report includes answers the following questions, as well as detailed models for inclusion in the Syrian context.

What do we mean by ‘inclusivity’?
Does inclusion matter?
Is the inclusion of civil society a new phenomenon?
Do Syrian civil society activists want to be included in any mediation and transition process?
Who should be included?  What are the criteria for inclusion?
How should civil society representatives be selected? Can the process be ‘inclusive enough’?