Thread by @SarahDadouch

Observations from yesterday's National Dialogue conference in Damascus:
-General consensus was that it was rushed: attendees invited 1-2 days earlier, some facilitators were invited only 7 hrs earlier
-Many openly criticised lack of transparency in selection process

-Alawis were present but in low attendance. A fight broke out in one transitional justice session after one Alawite decried the demonisation of the sect, met with anger from Hama attendees
-Everyone I spoke to saw ND as 1st step, NOT a culmination of dialogue

-Women made up maybe 20%
-Attendees repeatedly expressed how astonishing it was to finally meet in person fellow Syrians they had known/worked with online for over a decade
-A civil society member expressed concern over next steps, but felt "safety" after recognising 40 attendees

-Some said they still feel ND was a box to check for the new gov, and that the shape of the government has already been decided on. But they said they are waiting to see what the next steps will look like, if their interjections and amendments will be taken into account

-Employees at the presidential palace said their cadre had not changed
-When a man stood up and pledged alleigance to Sharaa during his speech ("بايعناك، بايعناك"), attendees silenced him and later criticised such Baathist style interjections
-Of 1,200 invited, round 800 attended

Fun tidbit: lunch was courtesy of fancy Syrian caterer Muhanna and was made up of Ouzi, yogurt and Syrian Nammora. Delicious, but an unfortunate delay in coffee being served after lunch left attendees crashing on the presidential palace’s couches. A classically Syrian moment.