Manifesto of the Syrian Movement for a Pluralistic Society
The Syrian Movement for a Pluralistic Society was founded in Paris on 10 October 2012 by the political leader Randa Kassis, together with a group of Syrian dissidents.
The Movement seeks to establish a free, federal, secular, and democratic Syria. It is both a political and social initiative that aspires to foster democratic awareness and to cultivate critical thought around the concept of freedom.
The plurality of Syrian society lies at the very heart of this Movement. It recognises the richness of Syria’s diverse religious, national, intellectual, and political affiliations, and regards this diversity as a vital resource in building a culture of tolerance and respect. It affirms that differences, far from being obstacles, are essential to enabling any nation or society to live in peace and harmony.
The Movement is committed to the implementation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to nurturing democratic consciousness, and to strengthening the intellectual frameworks through which freedom is understood and advanced.
It holds that the sanctity of individual liberty is the foundation of democratic life, for without the freedom of thought, expression, and conscience, democracy is emptied of meaning. Personal liberty is therefore not merely one aspect of public freedoms but their very essence, around which all civic structures revolve. From this principle arises the imperative to reconcile individual rights with collective responsibilities, ensuring that the voice of the person is never silenced by the weight of the majority.
The Movement affirms the full equality of all genders in rights and duties, and seeks to dismantle tribal, familial, and sectarian loyalties, replacing them with a shared culture of citizenship rooted in respect for the free and sovereign individual.
Federalism as the Framework of Unity
At the core of its vision lies the conviction that the future stability of Syria depends upon embracing a federal structure. Federalism, in the Movement’s view, is not fragmentation but a framework of unity built through diversity.
When federalism is grounded in an economic and geographic vision, it allows each region to harness and manage its resources while contributing equitably to the prosperity of the nation. The fertile lands of Idlib and Hama form a complementary agricultural–industrial base, securing food supplies through both production and processing. The oil and gas reserves of the east, centred in Deir ez-Zor and al-Hasakah, could generate the energy and revenues required to drive development across all regions rather than concentrating wealth in a single authority.
Aleppo, long Syria’s foremost commercial city, could reclaim its historic role as an international economic gateway, linking Syrian trade and industry to regional and global markets. Homs, with its strategic refineries and industrial capacity, could provide vital energy processing and industrial output to sustain the economy. Damascus, as the cosmopolitan federal capital, could serve as the administrative and political heart of the union, balancing governance with its own historic role as a centre of trade. Sweida, with its volcanic soil and vineyards, could stand as a hub of viticulture, reviving a tradition that reaches back to antiquity. Alongside this, the production of arak—long regarded as the pride of the country—deserves to be maintained as a heritage craft. The port cities of Latakia and Tartus would remain Syria’s lifeline to maritime commerce, while the archaeological and cultural wealth of the country, from Palmyra to the old city of Aleppo, would serve as a powerful resource, enriching every citizen and reinforcing a shared sense of ownership.
Crucially, federalism must ensure that these resources do not lead to isolation, but to interdependence. Through shared infrastructure, cross-regional trade agreements, and cooperative development projects, federalism weaves together the interests of each region. Agricultural produce from the north could be processed in industrial centres of the west, oil revenues from the east could finance schools and hospitals across the country, and the coastal ports could serve inland regions, giving each a tangible stake in the prosperity of the other. This mutual reliance, practical and visible, becomes a pillar of federalism: when prosperity is tied to cooperation, unity becomes not an imposed demand but a shared necessity.
Geographically, federalism acknowledges the diverse character of Syria’s regions—the Euphrates Valley, the coastal areas, the plains of the Jazira, and the mountainous hinterlands. Each has distinct traditions, needs, and possibilities, which centralised rule has repeatedly failed to address. By granting autonomy in local affairs while encouraging cooperation between regions, federalism balances self-governance with shared responsibility.
To achieve this balance, the Movement envisions the division of Syria into nine or ten autonomous administrations, or cantons, each with its own elected institutions and capacity to govern local matters, while remaining tied to a common Syrian federal framework. This model prevents domination by any single group, empowers local communities, and reflects Syria’s true social and geographic complexity.
Philosophically, federalism is more than a political model; it is a moral necessity. Centralised power in Syria has not only failed but has repeatedly led to tyranny, corruption, and the suppression of difference. Federalism stands as the antidote to authoritarianism: by dispersing power, it prevents domination by any one group, sect, or party. It makes diversity not a threat but the very guarantee of freedom.
The Four Principles
The Movement rests upon four non-negotiable principles:
- Freedom: No citizen must be oppressed, silenced, or denied liberty of thought, expression, or conscience.
- Federalism: Syria must be organised into autonomous administrations bound by cooperation, interdependence, and shared responsibility, ensuring no region is exploited or neglected.
- Secularism: The state must be protected from the domination of religion, while safeguarding the right of individuals to believe or not to believe. Regions with strong traditions of pluralism—such as North East Syria, Sweida, the coastal regions, the Christian Valley, cities with diverse identities, and areas where secular Sunnis live—must be able to adopt secular governance to reflect their character, while all regions remain bound by the federal guarantee of rights, freedoms, and equality.
- Democracy: Syria must be governed by the will of its people, with equality, justice, and representation at its core.
Federalism therefore embodies the only framework capable of turning Syria’s plurality into lasting peace. It is a covenant of dignity, a structure of justice, and a philosophy of shared responsibility. Syria’s strength does not lie in imposed unity, but in the freedom of its many communities to govern themselves while binding their futures together.
Our Vision
Only by enshrining these principles can Syria emerge from conflict as a nation where every citizen, regardless of faith, ethnicity, or region, lives in equality, dignity, and peace.
This is the covenant of the Syrian Movement for a Pluralistic Society: a Syria that is free, federal, secular, and democratic.