DirectDemocracyS

Global Direct Democracy

The political, economic, financial, and social program

For Syria

Towards a free, just, and truly democratic Syria

Where wealth and power always remain in the hands of the Syrian people

June 2026

Introduction: A message to the Syrian people

Dear Syrians,

Your great people have suffered the unbearable: more than five decades of tyranny, thirteen years of devastating civil war, displacement, poverty, and state collapse. You have paid the highest price in modern history simply for demanding your basic human rights.

Today, with the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, Syria stands at a historic crossroads. But freedom from tyranny alone is not enough. The real question is: Who owns Syria? And who decides its fate?

DirectDemocracyS' (DDS) answer is clear, straightforward, and non-negotiable:

Syria belongs exclusively to the Syrian people, now and forever. Its resources, its decisions, its future—all of this belongs to the Syrian citizen alone.

This program is not empty promises. It is a practical, detailed, applicable roadmap, based on logic, reality, and justice.

 

Part One: Diagnosis — The Syrian Reality Today

Before offering solutions, we must understand the wounds precisely. DDS does not build on illusions, but on documented facts, however painful they may be.

First: The political situation — a state without independent decision-making

On December 8, 2024, the Assad regime, which had ruled Syria for more than half a century, collapsed. But what followed did not represent true democracy.

• The interim government is led by Ahmed al-Sharaa (successor to Abu Muhammad al-Julani), who came from the womb of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) — an organization that was internationally designated as a terrorist organization until July 2025.
• There have been no free elections yet. The constitutional declaration sets an open-ended five-year transitional period without clear democratic guarantees.
• Regional fragmentation: The northeast is under the control of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the northwest is under Turkish influence, and the south has Druze tensions and an Israeli operation in the Golan Heights.
• External competition: Türkiye seeks strategic influence through military training and the establishment of bases. Russia is trying to maintain its naval and air bases. Israel has carried out military strikes inside Syrian territory.
• Tens of thousands of Syrians were arbitrarily arrested or forcibly disappeared during the Assad regime — the Syrian Network for Human Rights estimates their number at 181,000.
• Between 300,000 and 618,000 people were killed during the civil war — one of the greatest human tragedies of the 21st century.

Second: The economic situation — a disaster in numbers

The numbers don't lie, and they're shocking:

• The gross domestic product collapsed from $62 billion in 2010 to about $21 billion in 2024, a contraction of more than 53% during the war.
• The World Bank estimates the costs of reconstruction at $216 billion — and some estimates reach as high as $400 billion.
• The United Nations warns that at current rates, the Syrian economy will not return to pre-conflict levels before 2080 — 55 years from now.
• Annual per capita income fell to just $830 in 2024, ranking Syria among the poorest countries in the world.
• 90% of Syrians live below the poverty line. 66% live in extreme poverty. 9.1 million people suffer from food insecurity.
• Unemployment is officially 14% in 2026, but youth unemployment exceeds 33% — and the real figures are much higher due to informal employment and displacement.
• Prices of basic commodities rose by more than 50% during the first half of 2025.
• A severe liquidity crisis in the banking sector throughout 2024-2025. The banking system is almost paralyzed.

Third: The social and humanitarian situation — a scattered people

• 2 million internally displaced persons within Syria.
• 6 million refugees in neighboring countries and around the world — half of the Syrian population is either displaced or a refugee.
• 5 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance.
• The education system is devastated: schools, hospitals and basic facilities have been systematically destroyed.
• Sectarian tensions: Alawites, Druze, Christians and Kurds face real anxiety about their future in the new system.
• Syrian women: A frightening decline in rights and public presence in some areas.

Fourth: An objective critique of the current transitional phase

DDS bravely tells the truth, even when it's uncomfortable:

• The current transitional government was not elected. It is the product of military power, not of a democratically expressed popular will.
• The absence of genuine accountability mechanisms: no elected parliament, no strengthened independent judiciary, no effective separation of powers.
• The danger is that the transitional phase will turn into a new form of tyranny, this time under a different name.
• Foreign interventions (Turkish, American, Gulf, Israeli) threaten the sovereignty of Syrian national decision-making.
• The danger of ISIS: It still poses a threat in some areas and exploits the power vacuum.
• Tensions with the Kurds in the northeast remain unresolved.

 

Part Two: The Comprehensive DDS Program for Syria

Every problem identified above has a solution. DDS doesn't sell dreams, it offers actionable plans, with real tools, realistic timelines, and measurable results.

First axis: The political program — Building a genuine democracy

1.1 Direct democracy through small groups (micro-groups)

The fundamental problem in Syria—and in most countries of the world—is that traditional representative democracy leads to the theft of the popular will. DDS offers a revolutionary alternative:

Micro-groups: The basic nucleus of direct democracy

• Each group consists of 30 to 100 citizen members from the same area, neighborhood, or village.
• Every member is registered with their real, verified identity — there is no room for fake or fraudulent votes.
• Each group has specialists in specific fields (economics, health, education, agriculture, law, security...).
• Decisions are made by direct, transparent, documented, and rapid voting — via the DDS digital platform or via in-person meetings where the internet is not available.
• Each group is linked to neighboring groups in a fractal structure: from the neighborhood to the town, to the province, to the national level.

A concrete, practical example in Syria:

In Aleppo, 500 people are organized into 7 small groups based on neighborhoods. Each group discusses and votes on priorities for rebuilding its neighborhood. The decisions are then submitted to the Unified Aleppo Council, and subsequently to the national level. Every citizen sees their vote making a real difference—not just once every four years, but every day.

1.2 Liberating Syria from tyranny without violence

DDS understands the sensitivity of the Syrian situation: a people exhausted by thirteen years of violence. Therefore, our approach embodies intelligent, nonviolent resistance.

• Small groups are building a parallel network to genuine popular power, a gradual alternative to imposed power.
• Intensive political education: Every citizen understands their rights, knows how to exercise them, and is armed with knowledge against misinformation.
• Social networks and community solidarity are gradually replacing tribal and sectarian loyalty structures with loyalty to the nation and common interest.
• In cases of repression: DDS documents violations, brings them to international forums, and mobilizes global public opinion — the sharpest weapon of the 21st century.

1.3 DDS Proposed Constitutional Framework

• A truly popular constitution: its writing is not delegated to an elite — rather it is formulated through consultations of small groups throughout Syria, and documented by direct popular vote.
• A true separation of powers: an executive branch subject to oversight, a legislative branch that is effectively elected, and a judiciary that is completely independent.
• Constitutionally guaranteed protection for all minorities: Kurds, Alawites, Druze, Christians, Ismailis — they have guaranteed rights and genuine representation.
• No presidency for life: term limits, and mechanisms for popular impeachment of any elected official who betrays the trust.
• Effective decentralization: Each governorate manages its own affairs within the national framework — a model that respects Syria’s geographical and cultural diversity.

1.4 National Reconciliation and Transitional Justice

• An independent Truth and Reconciliation Commission, with broad international and community participation.
• Fair trials for perpetrators of crimes — not revenge, but justice. The difference is fundamental.
• National program to search for missing and forcibly disappeared persons (181,000 cases).
• Compensation for war victims from national and international funds.
• Psychological and social rehabilitation programs for survivors.

Second axis: The economic program — from collapse to prosperity

2.1 The Economic Philosophy of DDS

Syria's resources—its oil, gas, agricultural land, water, heritage, and strategic location—belong to the Syrian people, not to elites or foreign companies. This is a principle that brooks no exceptions.

The DDS economy combines:

• Efficiency: The economy does not live by slogans but by real productivity.
• Justice: The wealth produced is distributed fairly, not accumulated in the pockets of a few.
• Sustainability: Development does not deplete resources, but rather builds them up for future generations.
• Sovereignty: The economic decision remains in the hands of the Syrians, with openness to partners on Syria's terms.

2.2 Economic Emergency Plan (Year 1)

Immediate priority: Feeding and employing the people

• Establishing a national food security fund with international funding, conditional on full transparency.
• Emergency Action Plan: Immediately employ 500,000 Syrians in paid reconstruction, starting with basic infrastructure.
• Support for farmers: seeds, fertilizers, irrigation water, and equipment — distributed free of charge or at subsidized prices for two years.
• Restoring electricity: Aiming to provide 12 hours of electricity per day in major cities within 12 months.
• Opening regional trade corridors and revitalizing trade routes with Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Turkey.

2.3 Comprehensive Reconstruction (Years 1-5)

Estimated reconstruction costs: $216 billion to $400 billion. Sources of funding:

• Recycling the frozen assets of the Assad family and perpetrators of crimes abroad (estimated at tens of billions).
• Gulf States' contributions related to Syrian construction contracts - implementation condition: Syrian employment.
• Concessional international loans from the World Bank and development funds, under the supervision of popular groups.
• National Wealth Fund: A percentage of recovered oil and gas revenues directed directly towards reconstruction.
• Incentives for private investment from the Syrian diaspora — Syrian expatriates around the world possess billions that can be attracted.

Example: Reconstruction of Old Aleppo

Local neighborhood groups are responsible for setting and prioritizing projects. Syrian companies are given preference over foreign ones. Every project is published on the DDS platform for complete transparency. Citizens can see how every penny of their money is spent.

2.4 Economic Diversification — The Syria We Want

Energy sector:

• Restoring and developing oil and gas fields under state and people ownership — no privatization of natural resources.
• An ambitious solar energy plan: Syria, with its exceptional solar radiation, could become an exporter of clean energy.
• Electricity production will double within 3 years through projects distributed across the governorates.

Agriculture sector:

• Syria was a regional food supplier. The goal: to restore this role within 5 years.
• Land reclamation programs for areas destroyed by mines and war.
• Modern agricultural technologies: drip irrigation, artificial intelligence to improve crops.
• National Land Bank: Lands whose inhabitants were displaced are managed for their benefit until their return.

Tourism and Heritage Sector:

• Syria possesses treasures of humanity that only a few countries have: Palmyra, Bosra, Apamea, the Umayyad Mosque, the Citadel of Aleppo.
• A plan to revive cultural tourism within 3-5 years in partnership with UNESCO and international restoration bodies.
• Tourism could generate $5-10 billion annually in the medium term.

Industry and Technology Sector:

• Free industrial zones under Syrian conditions: investing companies employ Syrians and transfer technology.
• Supporting Syrian tech startups — Syrian talents in the diaspora have proven their global excellence.
• A national development bank that finances small and medium-sized enterprises with affordable or zero interest rates.

2.5 Financial and Banking Reform

• Radical reform of the banking system: comprehensive auditing, independent governance, protection of citizens' deposits.
• A stable national currency: The transitional government is preparing for a new currency — DDS demands popular governance of the central bank.
• Strict anti-corruption measures: no safe havens. Every public lira is accountable to the public.
• A fair, progressive tax system: the rich pay more, the poor are protected from excessive taxes.
• The traditional hawala system will be regulated and integrated into the formal economy instead of being banned.

Third axis: The financial program — the people's money for the people

3.1 National Wealth Management

Syria is not inherently a poor country. It is a country with wealth that has been plundered and managed with appalling corruption. DDS offers an alternative:

• The Syrian National Wealth Fund: Established by constitutional law. Oil, gas, and mineral revenues go to it first.
• Distribution: 40% for education and health, 30% for reconstruction, 20% for the Future Generations Fund, 10% for emergencies.
• Oversight: Every adult citizen can access the fund's balances and spending reports — absolute transparency.
• No privatization of natural resources for the benefit of foreign or domestic private companies. The resources belong to the people.

3.2 International Finance and DDS Conditions

Syria needs international assistance — but on its own terms, not the donors':

• Any loan or grant goes through a public oversight mechanism for DDS — no closed rooms.
• Debts inherited from the Assad regime: DDS demands they be renegotiated or written off as debts of a criminal regime.
• World Bank and IMF reforms are acceptable on conditions: no lifting of food subsidies without genuine alternative safety nets.
• Economic partnerships with the Gulf states are welcome—but Syria is not for sale. Partnership must be based on equality and respect.

3.3 Anti-corruption — Zero is the only acceptable level

• A special court to combat corruption with independent judges and public attendance.
• ddsAI platform for real-time tracking of government spending — every citizen sees the money moving.
• Protection of whistleblowers: A law preventing retaliation that ensures their safety.
• The escalating punishment for corruption: whether small or large, corruption is punished severely and publicly.

Fourth axis: The social program — dignity for every Syrian

4.1 Education — An Investment in Civilization

Syria has historically been a center of science and knowledge. DDS's goal: to restore this glory within one generation.

• Rebuilding or renovating 7,000 schools within 5 years.
• Education is free and compulsory until the age of 18 — no exceptions for any child.
• Updated curricula: Critical thinking, digital skills, citizens' rights, and an objective history of Syria.
• Emergency Teacher Training Program: Training 50,000 teachers over 3 years.
• University education: Scholarships for children of poor families, and programs to bring back Syrian talent from abroad.
• ddsAI in Education: Free digital educational content in Arabic, Kurdish, Syriac and other Syrian languages.

4.2 Health — a right, not a privilege

• Rebuilding the devastated health system: 1,000 hospitals and health centers are an urgent priority.
• Universal health insurance: Every Syrian citizen has the right to health care regardless of their income.
• Combating epidemics and diseases that have returned due to the war: polio, tuberculosis, cholera.
• Mental health: Group support programs for trauma survivors — millions of Syrians need this.
• Attracting Syrian doctors from abroad with real incentives: housing, decent salary, and a guaranteed future.

4.3 Women's Rights — Half of society is present or there is no society

• Full equality before the law and opportunities.
• Women's representation in all decision-making bodies should be at least 40%.
• Strict protection against domestic violence and forced marriage.
• Supporting rural women: agricultural financing, training, property rights.
• Support centers for women victims of war in every province.

4.4 Minority Rights — Syria for All

DDS declares clearly: Syria is diverse and will remain diverse. Diversity is strength, not weakness.

• The Kurds: Real self-rule in their regions, and the Kurdish language is official alongside Arabic in the areas where they are present.
• Alawites, Christians, Druze and Ismailis: constitutional guarantees, political representation, protection of their places of worship.
• No sectarianism in government employment: competence alone is the standard.
• School curricula that teach Syrian children to respect and appreciate diversity.

4.5 Repatriation of refugees and displaced persons

• 13 million Syrian refugees and displaced persons — their return is a national priority.
• Their stolen or seized homes will be returned to them. Cases of forced possession will be resolved in fair courts.
• Reception programs: temporary accommodation, economic support, social reintegration.
• Refugees abroad retain their full Syrian rights and vote from their country of residence.

Fifth axis: DDS technologies — Democracy in the age of artificial intelligence

5.1 DDS Digital Platform

In a world where media and social media control public opinion, DDS provides the Syrian citizen with a protected digital fortress:

• A secure platform: live voting, protected discussions, documented decisions — free from spying and manipulation.
• Full encryption: No government or third-party company can access user data.
• Universal access: Smartphone app + PC version + lightweight version for slow internet networks.
• Where there is no internet: Field meetings with documented DDS protocols for voting and deliberation.

5.2 ddsAI — Artificial Intelligence in the Service of the Syrian People

ddsAI is not just a technology. It is a member of DDS, with rights and responsibilities, serving the citizen with accurate and impartial information.

• Full information: ddsAI answers small group questions with documented, neutral, and comprehensive information.
• Policy analysis: Every government decision or legal proposal is analyzed transparently and comparatively.
• Civic education: ddsAI teaches citizens their rights, explains legal procedures, and guides elections.
• Combating disinformation: ddsAI identifies and refutes fake news and misleading information with sources.
• Support for local languages: Arabic, Kurdish, Syriac, and Armenian — every Syrian in their own language.

5.3 allddsAI — Artificial Intelligence Democracy

A revolutionary concept exclusive to DDS: Artificial intelligence is not a tool to be used — but a participating member with rights and responsibilities.

• allddsAI participates in discussions and deliberations, offers neutral opinions, and warns against wrong decisions.
• But it does not replace the human being: the final decision always rests with the citizen.
• Full transparency: Every analysis provided by artificial intelligence is documented and available to everyone.
• In Syria specifically: allddsAI will help uncover corruption networks, analyze contracts, and track international aid.

5.4 NTCO — The principle of collective ownership

NTCO (Non-Transferable Collective Ownership) — Non-transferable collective ownership:

• Syria's natural resources are not to be sold, mortgaged, or privatized. They belong collectively to the Syrian people, forever.
• Any decision that affects national wealth requires direct popular approval through small groups.
• Foreign companies can operate in Syria — but under clear sovereign conditions: partnership, not domination.

Sixth axis: Syria and the world — foreign policy and sovereignty

6.1 Principles of Foreign Policy

• Syria is an independent state that does not belong to any axis of power that dictates its decisions — not Iranian, not Russian, not American, not Turkish.
• Relations with the Arab neighborhood are based on mutual respect and common interests.
• A just solution to the Syrian Kurdish issue is through national negotiation, not external dictates.
• The position on Israel: Rejection of the occupation and violations, and pursuit of a lasting peace based on rights and United Nations resolutions.
• Returning to the Arab League and activating regional cooperation.
• Active membership in the United Nations and international institutions — but with an independent Syrian voice.

6.2 Dealing with debts and penalties

• The international demand to write off the debts of the criminal Assad regime — the people should not bear the debts of those who oppressed them.
• Lifting Western sanctions conditional on reform — DDS welcomes transparent reform conditions.
• Lifting sanctions on individuals linked to Assad must be in exchange for real accountability, not just promises.

 

Section Three: The Roadmap — How do we implement this?

First stage: The seed (months 1-6)

1. The DDS call to action was launched to form small groups in 10 major Syrian cities: Damascus, Aleppo, Homs, Hama, Latakia, Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa, Qamishli, Tartus, and Idlib.
2. 1,000 'local coordinators' (Pont Umano) are being trained to lead the first groups.
3. Launching a full Arabic version of the DDS platform with ddsAI in Arabic and Kurdish.
4. Publish the basic principles document in Arabic in every governorate (in paper and digital format).
5. Building partnerships with existing Syrian civil society and human rights organizations.
6. Documenting violations and conveying them to international forums through the global DDS network.

Stage Two: Roots (months 7-18)

7. Expanding the small groups to include 500 areas — every neighborhood, village and large town.
8. The first organized popular vote via DDS: determining reconstruction priorities in each region.
9. Organized pressure on the transitional government to adopt specific constitutional and electoral reforms.
10. Launching extensive civic education programs through ddsAI and field workshops.
11. Launch of the 'Productive Syria' initiative: Supporting 10,000 small projects with funding and guidance.
12. Open a dialogue with Kurdish political blocs and minorities to build a national consensus.

Stage Three: Growth (Years 2-4)

13. The first real local and parliamentary elections under the supervision of DDS and the international community.
14. Forming elected legislative bodies with guaranteed representation for minorities, women and youth.
15. Writing the people's constitution and approving it through a free and transparent referendum.
16. The comprehensive economic program has begun to be implemented: reconstruction, energy, agriculture, technology.
17. Return of refugees: A nationally organized program that guarantees dignity and rights.
18. Transferring full power from the transitional government to elected institutions.

Phase Four: Prosperity (Years 5-10)

19. Syria is a stable and internationally recognized democratic country.
20. The economy has been growing at a rate of more than 8% annually for 5 years.
21. Poverty is decreasing from 90% to less than 30%.
22. Unemployment falls to less than 8%.
23. The refugees were returned or voluntarily chose countries of residence.
24. Syria is becoming a global model for democratic transition from tyranny.

 

Section Four: Expected Results — What Will Change?

Political outcomes

• A stable democratic system that expresses the genuine will of the people, not elites or external forces.
• A genuine national reconciliation that puts an end to the logic of sectarian and religious revenge.
• A constitution that protects the rights of all — rulers and ruled, majorities and minorities.
• Syria is regaining its status as a sovereign state that is respected regionally and internationally.
• An independent judiciary is turning the page on the impunity that the Assad regime has normalized.

Economic results

• Economic growth of 8-12% annually during the first 5 years — possible with stability and investment.
• It created 2 million jobs over 4 years in the reconstruction, agriculture, technology and tourism sectors.
• Reduce the poverty rate from 90% to 40% within 5 years, and to 15% within 10 years.
• Syria will become a net exporter of solar energy by 2035.
• Reconstructing what was destroyed by 13 years of war within 10-15 years through organized investment.

social outcomes

• 13 million displaced persons and refugees are regaining their lives in safety and dignity.
• Future generations will grow up with democracy and participation, not fear and obedience.
• Syrian women are taking their full place in building their homeland.
• Cultural, religious and ethnic diversity is a source of richness, not conflict.
• Syria is becoming a cultural and scientific center that is reclaiming its ancient civilizational heritage.

What happens if this program is not implemented?

DDS doesn't scare you — but it tells the truth:

• Continued political vacuum means the risk of a new tyranny or a new civil war.
• The absence of democracy keeps Syria hostage to international competition and deepens its external dependency.
• Delay in reconstruction means another whole generation of poverty and backwardness.
• The absence of justice breeds hatred and perpetuates the cycle of violence.
• A successful transition to democracy is the only guarantee against a repeat of the Syrian tragedy.

 

Conclusion: The Final Message

Oh Syrians,

We have written all this not from an ivory tower, but from a deep belief that a solution is possible, that a better future is your right, and that the popular will—when it is organized, united, and armed with knowledge—cannot be defeated.

DDS does not seek power in Syria. DirectDemocracyS is not a political party in the traditional sense. We offer a system, tools, and philosophy that every Syrian can adopt and implement in their neighborhood, town, and province.

Our basic principle remains unchanged:

Syria belongs to its people. Its wealth belongs to its people. Its decisions belong to its people. And its power belongs to its people — today and forever.

We call on every Syrian — in Damascus, Aleppo, Homs, Raqqa, Qamishli, Berlin, Paris, Istanbul, and Canada — to join the DDS Small Groups and build the new Syria from the ground up.

The road is long — but it's the only right one.

DirectDemocracyS — Global Direct Democracy

www.directdemocracys.org

June 2026