The occupiers denied children education. Now they get it.
TFF’s first four photo series from Aleppo have been seen by 95,000 people so far and been featured in online magazines from Vietnam to California, among them a German site with a million visitors daily.
Above is the fifth story.
It’s about the terrible, systematic destruction of this UNESCO World Heritage site but also about an Aleppo businessman who turned his damaged factory into a school for 1500 children.
It had been damaged by the Free Syrian Army and al-Nushra who looted it and then used it as HQ.
It’s situated in the Sheikh Najjar Industrial City outside Aleppo that – before the militant/terrorist occupation – represented no less than 50% of Syria’s total industrial production.
During two years, these children received no education. Now they do. And hope is slowly coming back.
This photo story ends with some “civilisational questions” by Jan Oberg who also took the photos.
This is the kind of story Western mainstream media don’t bring for reasons one must assume are political.
But TFF does. Because it is a free research think tank.
We focus on the conflict and civil society where media are obsessed with violence and war criminals.
We look at peace opportunities where others spend their energy on blaming one or the other but have no ideas on how to solve underlying conflicts and make peace.
TFF doesn’t work for this or that violent party but for the UN Charter norm of peace by peaceful means. That is, for the innocent, suffering people in Syria – the largest humanitarian crisis since 1945:
Such as these wonderful, innocent children whose story deserves to be told.
Dear Dr Oberg
While I respect your work ro provide a more nuanced picture of Syria, this is far too biased.
There is no such thing as an “independent member of the Syrian parliament”
Fares Al-Shehabi was elected through the system that has been designed and controlled by the Assad government, and he – as everybody else elected to sit in Damascus – is completely vetted and aligned by and with the Presidency.
Fares Al-Shehabi is likely a new Prime Minister of Syria. And was tagged for this earlier in 2016. He is not i any way a break with the Assad system.
Balance is good but don’t bias towards what Assad whats you to think and write Dr Oberg.