Between revolution and a new beginning - Syria after Assad

We are delighted to invite you to the event ‘Between revolution and a new beginning – Syria after Assad’. The event will take place on Tuesday, 24 June 2025 at 17:15 at the Schwarzkopf Foundation Young Europe.

Syria was characterised by war, repression and the authoritarian regime of Bashar al-Assad for over a decade. Millions of people fled and entire parts of the country were destroyed. With the fall of Assad in December 2024 and the establishment of an Islamist transitional government, the political situation has changed – at least superficially. There is a new constitution and the first signs of reconstruction. However, the transition is fragile: the violence has not ended and the political situation remains tense. The massacre of members of the Alawite minority in March 2025 has shown that retaliation, power struggles and insecurity are still part of everyday life. The situation of minorities such as the Druze also remains worrying – as does the question of who will have a say in the new Syria and who will be excluded.

Heba Alkadri grew up in Damascus and began writing about the Syrian revolution as a teenager under a pseudonym – an act of self-assertion under the pressure of a surveillance state. She fled to Germany in 2016. Today she works as a journalist for the Funke Media Group. Her texts deal with flight, language, memory and the struggle to find one’s own identity in exile. She returned to Syria for the first time in 2024 and has been reporting on a country in upheaval ever since – between a spirit of optimism and deep social tensions.

We are happy to welcome the Syrian-German author and journalist Heba Alkadri to the Foundation on Tuesday, 24 June 2025 at 17:15 on the topic of ‘Between revolution and a new beginning – Syria after Assad’.

Together with Heba Alkadri we want to talk about the following questions How did Heba Alkadri’s view of Syria change in exile – and on her return? How does she experience the current situation on the ground? What hopes are there – and what dangers? How do language, memory and identity characterise life after fleeing? What does a country like Syria need to find a just society after years of destruction and dictatorship? How can responsibility, coming to terms with the past and political participation be combined? And: What role can – or should – Europe play in the Syrian transformation process?

The event is part of the new ‘Young European Security Talks’ series. With this series, we would like to discuss current security policy issues together with young people – in dialogue with experts and society shapers.

We look forward to your participation and ask you to register online or by e-mail by 23 June 2025.