Case Study on the Syrian Conflict





Abstract

Conflicts have been an integral part of our history. Since the recorded history began, we have seen numerous wars and conflicts arise, which led to unimaginable destruction, and the establishments and disestablishments of empires and kingdoms. The statistics of these conflicts that cause innumerable people to die millions of others to suffer make us wonder as to whether the conflict is actually necessary? These horrors actually make us realize that there should be a better way to manage these conflicts and that leads to effective ways of establishing conflict resolution methods (Avruch, K.2003). This paper attempts to analyze the conflict in Syria, its roots, causes and the present situation. What will follow will be ways that this conflict can be managed and how eventually to bring it to an end.

Introduction

The Syrian conflict began as a result of the Arab spring uprisings. Throughout the Arab world, the year 2011, marked the beginning of many uprisings and civil disobedience movements, which started from Tunisia, and then spread across the Arab world. A basic cause that lay at the heart of all of these uprisings was the frustration of the general populace, with the way their country was being governed and the direction in which it was heading. There were many problems that simultaneously effecting most of these countries; unemployment, corruption, nepotism and the lack of political freedoms and reform. It was against this backdrop that most of these uprisings began, that quickly turned into full fledged conflicts between those who wanted to see change, and those who were supporting the forces of the status quo.

Discussion

The Syrian uprising began as early as January of 2011, where regional groups and human rights activists started small protests that were essentially peaceful in nature, and wanted to see reform and democratic process in the country. It was later in this month that children were arrested by the police, in the city of Daraa, for writing anti regime slogans on the wall. These children were tortured and then taken to prison for interrogation. During the course of the following months, many people whose relatives were help by the government's security forces, held protests in the city and also in Damascus. These protests were fired upon by the security forces, killing protestors.

This, in turn, started a wave of protests that spread across the whole country. The funerals of the victims of the shootings were held, and these were attended by thousands of people. The government responded by further clampdowns of the freedom of speech and assembly and thus began the violent conflict that is still ongoing as we speak.

An analysis of the conflict must also analyze the history of what basically planted the seeds of the discontent.

Since its independence, the history of this Mediterranean country, has been marred by political instability in the forms of coups and counter coups. Following its independence in 1946, the state saw instability as the European powers battled it out in the region for political ...