Ahimsa is a civil society organization established and licensed in 2023, headquartered in Al-Hasakah, Northeast Syria.

The word “Ahimsa” is a Sanskrit term, originating from ancient Indian languages. Mahatma Gandhi famously adopted the principle of Ahimsa, making it a cornerstone of his philosophy of nonviolent resistance. Gandhi utilized this concept as a powerful political tool for social change, subsequently inspiring global civil rights movements.

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Vision
A cohesive Syrian society that believes in nonviolent struggle, fortified with strategies and tools of nonviolent action, keen on resisting and rejecting violence, leading to sustainable peace.
Mission
Ahimsa Organization works in Northern and Eastern Syria to promote peaceful civil intervention by adopting the philosophy of nonviolent struggle as a fundamental way of life. It seeks to transform the concept of nonviolence from mere condemnation and denunciation into building effective programs that contribute to achieving social justice. It focuses on spreading the culture of nonviolence and developing its tools and strategies within Syrian society. Ahimsa believes that nonviolence is not limited to merely demanding rights but also includes reclaiming them through innovative peaceful methods that ensure positive and sustainable change. The organization works with youth, civil institutions, and activists to promote these values and build a more just and peaceful society.

Objectives and Services

  • Gender-sensitive training and educational programs focused on disseminating concepts of nonviolence, social justice, and environmental justice among various community groups.
  • Building the capacities of young male and female leaders in nonviolent action strategies, through training workshops, youth camps, and local and international networking platforms.
  • Implementing local campaigns to enhance community cohesion, including dialogue forums, coexistence initiatives, and expressive arts that utilize nonviolent tools.
  • Designing and implementing nonviolent civil interventions, where local communities collaborate with civil organizations to develop peaceful mechanisms for conflict response.
  • Integrating the concept of "means as value" into action plans, through developing training guides and guidelines that promote nonviolent planning.
  • Producing and disseminating analytical research highlighting the effectiveness of nonviolence in reclaiming rights, including field studies that consider gender and local context.
  • Implementing peaceful advocacy campaigns led by a coalition of young men and women, pushing for the adoption of legislation or community practices based on nonviolence.
  • Launching environmental nonviolence initiatives, such as campaigns to protect natural resources, and awareness programs on the relationship between environmental behavior and peaceful justice, in cooperation with local environmental organizations.
  • Promoting awareness of the culture of nonviolence and gender justice among all community segments.
  • Empowering multi-gender youth leadership to adopt nonviolent struggle practices in social change.
  • Enhancing community cohesion by solidifying the values of nonviolence, diversity, and mutual respect.
  • Supporting peaceful civil intervention in Northern and Eastern Syria based on nonviolence strategies and community participation.
  • Establishing nonviolence as an approach in planning and change, emphasizing the consistency of means with ends.
  • Producing analytical knowledge that highlights the impact of nonviolence in reclaiming rights and freedoms.
  • Expanding nonviolent advocacy campaigns to support social justice and peaceful reforms.
  • Promoting the concept of environmental nonviolence as an entry point for achieving environmental justice and protecting natural resources.

Local and International Participations

Ahimsa Organization strives to bring the voice of nonviolent action to national and international platforms, through active participation in events and initiatives that promote nonviolence to achieve sustainable peace at various levels. The organization has participated in a number of important events, most notably:

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Feminist Courage for Environmental Peace

Contribution to the "Feminist Courage for Environmental Peace" event, which focused on the environmental impacts of armed conflicts, and the leadership role of women, girls, and gender minorities in building environmental peace, especially given their disproportionate impact by these crises and the marginalization of their roles in decision-making.

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The Eighth Brussels Conference

Attendance and Contribution to the Eighth Brussels Conference on the Future of Syria and the Region in 2024, including participation in several side events held on the sidelines of the conference.

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CSW66 & CSW68

Participation in the Virtual Event of the 68th and 66th Sessions of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68 and CSW66), where Ahimsa contributed to highlighting the role of nonviolence in promoting gender justice.