MSDBy Sahar Al-Homsi
Homs is one of the most significant Syrian examples of the challenges involved in rebuilding civil coexistence after years of conflict. The issue is no longer limited to the absence of violence. It now centers on restoring trust between individuals and local communities and rebuilding the social ties that were damaged by division and tension. In this context, Homs has become an important testing ground for Syrians’ ability to develop a new social contract based on citizenship, partnership, and pluralism.
In Syrian cities, the social contract provides the foundation for peaceful coexistence. Homs represents a vivid example of a city whose civic fabric experienced profound disruption and subsequent attempts at reconstruction. Civil coexistence in Homs is not merely a condition of social peace. It is a complex process aimed at rebuilding trust, strengthening institutions, and restoring a shared collective memory that enables the city to function as a space for political and social engagement based on dignity and equality.
Understanding this process requires close attention to a complex local reality that continues to be shaped by the consequences of the conflict. It also requires a focus on locally driven mechanisms capable of rebuilding everyday social connections and developing policies that give citizenship a practical meaning beyond narrow communal or identity-based affiliations.
According to social researcher and expert Abdulrahman Shebat, the city of Homs, including its urban neighborhoods and surrounding countryside, is more than a geographical area. It is an interconnected network of social relationships, shared memories, and informal understandings that form the foundation of civic life. During the years of conflict, however, this network suffered significant erosion. Trust among neighbors weakened under the pressures of violence and mutual suspicion. Public spaces that once served as places of interaction became associated with memories of loss, exclusion, and division.
For this reason, rebuilding civil coexistence in Homs is not only a humanitarian imperative. It is also a fundamental political and strategic project that is essential to building a state founded on sustainable civic principles.
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Researcher Shebat argues that genuine coexistence requires the restoration of social legitimacy and the creation of a common civic foundation in which rights and responsibilities are shared equally regardless of differing affiliations and identities. He notes that this objective cannot be achieved solely through laws and top-down decisions. Instead, it requires stronger support for locally driven initiatives led by civil society. These efforts may include community committees, youth and cultural initiatives, and small-scale public activities that help reopen channels of communication between different neighborhoods.
According to researcher Shebat, such initiatives contribute to the gradual rebuilding of trust because they create repeated opportunities for interaction. These encounters help transform perceptions of the “other” from a potential adversary into a neighbor and partner in everyday life.
He further argues that local transitional justice is a practical necessity at this stage. He emphasizes the importance of developing accessible mechanisms to address disputes and everyday violations. Establishing reconciliation committees, implementing apology initiatives, and providing material reparations to those affected can all contribute to strengthening social stability. At the same time, he warns that the absence of accountability would reinforce perceptions of injustice and undermine prospects for building trust over the long term.
He also stresses that the form of justice required in this context is not based on retaliation. Rather, it is a process that promotes shared responsibility and provides victims with social recognition. Such recognition, he argues, is essential for creating conditions that make reconciliation possible.
Concluding his remarks, he states: “Social and cultural engagement helps rebuild a shared collective memory across the neighborhoods, towns, and villages of Homs Governorate. Effective communication of this kind serves as a safeguard against social fragmentation. Despite the tragedies that have taken place, there is an urgent need today for local festivals, cultural campaigns, and joint initiatives to document the memory of Homs. These efforts should highlight stories of connection and cooperation rather than stories of division. Local leaders and influential community actors must also promote a civic discourse that acknowledges past wounds while focusing on a shared future, rather than reducing identity to a single affiliation.”
For his part, lawyer Wajd Salameh argues that Homs, with its urban depth and extensive social interconnectedness across neighborhoods, is now facing the difficult task of repairing a civic fabric that was damaged by years of violence and division. He emphasizes that coexistence in the city goes beyond simply ending disputes. Rather, it is a comprehensive process of rebuilding a social and political framework that allows the city to regain its natural role as a space for shared living, cooperation, and collective development.
According to Salameh, the success of any coexistence initiative begins with strengthening local community engagement. This requires empowering civic associations, civil society organizations, and women’s initiatives to take a leading role in promoting everyday interaction among citizens. It also requires expanding opportunities for dialogue throughout the governorate in a neutral and inclusive manner. Such efforts can help move individuals away from positions of tension and isolation and toward greater participation, cooperation, and social engagement.
Salameh notes that these activities help build a form of basic trust that is essential for long-term stability. This trust, he argues, cannot be created through slogans or political rhetoric. It is built through consistent and repeated daily interactions.
He further stresses that the management of disagreements should move away from a logic of settling scores and toward an approach focused on minimizing harm and repairing social relationships. In his view, this requires the establishment of locally based, community-driven mechanisms, such as inclusive and independent mediation committees composed of local judges and respected community figures. These bodies can provide a practical framework for resolving everyday disputes and removing barriers that hinder communication between different neighborhoods.
Salameh also emphasizes that transparency and the legitimacy of decision-making processes are essential conditions for the success of such mechanisms and for securing public acceptance and trust in their work.
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He adds that the current reality in Syria in general, and in Homs Governorate in particular, requires the development of alternative narratives capable of challenging the notion of a “permanent enemy.” This can be achieved by highlighting stories of solidarity, mutual support, and cooperation among the city’s residents. He believes that bringing greater attention to these positive examples can gradually transform public perceptions and help reshape collective memory around the idea of a shared city and a common future.
Salameh concludes by stating: “The process must be long-term and flexible. It must acknowledge weaknesses and recognize small achievements. The restoration of coexistence in Homs is not the project of a single actor. It is a cumulative task that requires citizen participation, effective civil institutions, and support for strengthening municipal services. Through these integrated components, Homs can recover not only the safety of its neighborhoods, but also a sustainable civic project capable of producing shared citizenship that can be extended to all Syrian regions.”
In conclusion, rebuilding civil coexistence in Homs appears to be a multidimensional process. It requires efforts to restore trust through regular interactions, joint projects, and mechanisms for conflict resolution. These efforts must be implemented in parallel with the strengthening of local justice mechanisms capable of addressing social wounds, acknowledging harm, and repairing its consequences.
There is also a clear need to develop inclusive narratives based on shared memory and experiences of solidarity and positive diversity. This would help strengthen the sense of belonging to a single city and a single community.
From this perspective, coexistence in Homs is not only a local project. It also represents a Syrian model that can inform broader efforts to redefine citizenship as an equal right and a mutual obligation among all Syrians.
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