Sweida | Steps Syria for Community Development Foundation
Sweida, June 17-20, 2025 – As part of its ongoing efforts to enhance the capabilities of local communities to confront challenges, the Steps Syria for Community Development Foundation organized an intensive training titled “Community Organizing Approach” in Sweida city. The training targeted 15 young men and women representing civil society organizations, volunteer teams, and activists, aiming to empower them to lead impactful change campaigns.
Building Capacity to Address Community Challenges
This training comes in response to the urgent need to organize and empower community leaders in Syria, to unify their efforts and equip them with new tools for effective impact in addressing the social, economic, and political problems exacerbated during years of conflict. The training was delivered by Reham Bahhas, a specialist in community organizing, gender analysis, and project management.
The program included key themes such as the concept of community organizing, essential leadership practices, effective empowerment, the role of stories in building committed relationships, building effective leadership teams, and designing purposeful change strategies. The training was characterized by an interactive methodology, starting with an “ice-breaking” activity that connected participants’ dreams to community change, and culminating in the design of comprehensive hypothetical campaigns using advanced tools like the “Peak-to-Peak Curve.”
Tangible Outcomes and Voices from the Field
The training empowered 15 participants to understand the community organizing approach as a tool for change based on the leadership of “stakeholders” and local context analysis. It also enhanced their leadership and empowerment skills through brainstorming activities, role-playing, and theatrical scenes simulating realistic community situations.
Despite challenges such as initial difficulty in raising real-world challenges and time constraints, the training highlighted the importance of building a safe space to enable participants to express themselves freely. Participants expressed their great benefit:
“I didn’t realize that my personal story could be a powerful tool for change and influence in my community; this training opened new horizons for me.”
“The tools we learned made me feel capable of leading my team more systematically and effectively; it’s no longer just talk, but a clear plan.”
“Building committed relationships and teamwork are the real key to the success of any campaign, and I understood this through the practical training sessions.”
The Steps Syria for Community Development Foundation reaffirms its commitment to continuing to support and empower community leaders in Syria, believing that effective community organizing is the way to build communities capable of creating positive and sustainable change.
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