"And Remind Them of the Days of Allah"

This reminder is a lesson, a reflection, and a source of experience, deserving of remembrance and specialization, and a reminder for the nation in the world. The matter concerns the nation, as it is among the blessed days of Allah. Thus, I address the topic of "stabilizing events in the system of change." Dr. Hamid Rabi' used to say: History is a laboratory of experiments, and therefore, historical and spatial experiences can be utilized to create nurseries for reform.

 The Context of Syria

What happened in Syria is not a product of the moment. There were reform laboratories and nurseries in Idlib and Aleppo. These laboratories and nurseries (liberated areas) form a foundation and a beginning for wide-ranging and significant reform, not only in Syria but across the entire nation, despite the state boundaries and nationalism that have turned borders into restrictions on the nation's movement and effectiveness. These borders have transformed their leaders and owners into roles of detriment and devoid of benefits and fruits.

 Strategic Mobilization

Here, I draw attention to an important issue: When can we organize those pages of the Days of Allah and their decisive, revealing events in the book of the coming strategic mobilization? We move from one state to another within the laws of change. Joy should be employed as an expression of broad hope, according to Al-Mawardi: The world is only rectified by six things, concluding with broad hope. Broad hope may come at a specific point, place, and time, but we must make it broad, wide, influential, impactful, real, and elevating.

Recognizing Events

There are fundamental prerequisites to viewing the event internally and externally: Tyranny and occupation are one creed; aggression was in "the flood of Al-Aqsa" (the usurping occupying enemy), and thus tyranny and despotism stem from aggression and vice versa.

Transitional Phase

The concept of the transitional phase emerged in psychology, associated with the phase between childhood and maturity, known as adolescence. Adolescence is called a transitional phase because it transitions from childhood to maturity. This concept was also introduced in economic literature when discussing stages of growth, with a transitional phase between growth stages. This concept found its way into sociological literature—especially Western—where it was called "the transitional society," referring to the shift from traditional or underdeveloped states to modernity.

Democratic Transition

Political development and political systems science also include the concept of "democratic transition." The process of democratic transition is linked to the process of transition. Hence, we are faced with extensive literature and a concept that travels from one field to another. In political science, the concept takes two forms: the customary form related to transitional phases in the shape of elections and political transformation, and the form after revolutions.

Managing Transition

We must understand the contexts to grasp the nature of the transitional phase, its stages, and its objectives. Managing the transition and the necessary awareness after the first liberation battle, represented by toppling the tyrant, is a significant ongoing effort to eliminate the tyrant's system and regime, along with the challenges, crises, and entanglements it left behind. This underscores the necessity of establishing a strategy for managing transitional phases, building on existing structures and plans, creating and establishing what is missing, and achieving the desired near and mid-term objectives. This involves challenges such as initiation, survival, construction, performance, growth, advancement, completion, and effective movement in achievement and impact.

Strategic Management

There must be strategic tools for change management, primarily a "strategic consultative mind" in managing and organizing change. The transition is not a singular matter; it encompasses political, economic, social, security, military, societal, and constitutional transitions to formulate a minimum agreement and build a new social contract. Institutionally, it includes judicial, security, and other institutions that must be placed on the change agenda.

Moving Beyond the Moment

In the study of the science of transition and the management of its stages, it is essential to move beyond the snapshot of the moment to the true objective, in speech, action, and movement. Defining transitional phases as managing exceptions, which are fundamentally different from stability phases, is crucial. The transitional period can last five years or slightly more.

Differentiating Push and Impulse

Managing the transitional phase requires differentiating between push and impulse; confusion between the two could lead to lost opportunities. Why? Because the first requirement is to map the Syrian reality, as well as the regional and international reality. Understanding the contexts, their intersections, and interactions is essential. However, the primary challenge is that this reality must be urgently and quickly raised, and these maps must be drawn within a few days due to their pressing need. These maps must rely on accurate and sufficient information, allowing decision-makers to understand the ground they move on accurately and genuinely.

Avoiding Western Prescriptions

Equally important is avoiding Western prescriptions in transitional phases. The Syrian revolution must steer clear of solutions like elections and constitutions. Political representation does not have to be limited to elections; it can be managed in various ways and methods. It is possible to address this using recognized scientific approaches, especially after mapping the different realities.

Birth of Three Revolutions

Three revolutions are born with the protest actions forming the revolutionary act: the first seeks change, the second stirs anti-revolutionaries, and the third is a revolution of expectations. Every change or revolution has a promise, and it is crucial to have a clear promise for the people, not overwhelmed by rosy images or smothered by economic conditions. It must not fall into oblivion and become a forgotten relic.

Creating Awareness

Balancing revolutionary actions between the three approaches related to revolutions is necessary in the transitional stages. This is where the emphasis on creating awareness comes in; it is a significant endeavor aimed at forming a new culture and collective consciousness. This requires real institutions to disseminate change ideas and systems, seize and capitalize on these events. It should be an opportunity not to be wasted or killed by neglect or impulsiveness. The current push should seek to draw lessons from the Syrian model that may add value in this regard.

Defining the Syrian Model

To build this Syrian model, we need to identify the knowledge model that represents our reference. Each component provides vision, awareness, and pursuit, understanding the contexts and interactions, whether international, regional, local, or internal, through mapping: strength and effectiveness, capabilities and possibilities, tools for creating status and empowerment, and building strategies and tools around guaranteed pursuit and secure awareness. These include the desired discourse strategy, the strategic collective mind, the required liberation, and the promised livelihood for the people and the public.

  Comprehensive Contexts

All of this must be in comprehensive contexts, ensuring and safeguarding the revolution and its people and continuity against change thieves, the most dangerous group the revolutionaries may encounter. The popular support base must be preserved and invested in.

Policies of tyranny and despotism have severely affected the weak in Syria and the nation; the weak are the leaders of the convoy and must not be forgotten. The completeness of change must be proportionate and inclusive of the people, with the people, and for the people. Polarization kills change and, with its outbreak and the inability to organize and manage it, becomes the graveyard of revolutions.

---------

Read the article in Arabic