Announcing the winners of the 2023 Syrian Co-Production Fund

Following the earthquake that devastated vast areas of Syria and Eastern Turkey in February, Syrian media outlets and CSOs were invited to collaborate on productions under the theme of ‘Responding to new crises and geopolitical shifts’. A total of six partnerships were selected to participate, including groups based inside Syria and abroad, working on themes from the legacy of the earthquake to climate crisis, drug addiction, disability and gender equity. Following an intensive period of media and advocacy coaching amid the challenges of renewed conflict in the region, partners in November submitted their final productions to the jury to compete for the Co-Production Fund prizes.
 

Awarding new capacities

In 2023, new prizes were designed to award achievement in the areas of impact, originality and innovation, recognising that partners come from a variety of backgrounds and skill-sets, each with unique strengths.

Exemplifying these fresh media perspectives and approaches to advocacy, the consortia of CSOs Nextep and Amal al Furat with media outlet Nextory was awarded the prize for innovation for their project on the effects of climate change on northeastern Syria. The collaboration included a photo contest and exhibition in the towns of Qamishli and Raqqa, exploring the theme of climate justice. The resulting media production - including podcasts, articles, infographics and video - documented how women in the region bare the main burden of climate change, from suffering miscarriages due to hauling water, to premature puberty from toxic water sources and forced migration for work opportunities.

"Climate change affects the basic rights of the residents of northeastern Syria, especially the marginalized and vulnerable groups, primarily women - firstly due to the absence of awareness of the problem and secondly through its effects on their basic rights," a representative of Nextep told FPU. "Through the CPF, we have been able to create an integration between civil and media work, given the roles that both parties play in building trust and enhancing accountability among the targeted communities."
 

Bridging divides

On this basis that both media and CSOs can foster trust, transparency and social cohesion, the Co-Production Fund supports cross-sectoral initiatives that promote quality journalism and dialogue across Syrian society through principles of inclusion, collaboration and coaching.

The partnership between Syria Snack and the Civil Society platform, which received the award for impact, underscored the potential for co-operation across political and geographic divides. Under the title, ‘Syrians' strife transcends the political divide - the humanitarian response to the February 6 earthquake’, the multi-media production documented how aid and solidarity to earthquake-effected regions blossomed in the aftermath of the disaster.

"Despite all the pain caused by the earthquake and the burdens it added to Syrians already exhausted by twelve years of war, the project represented an important opportunity to rediscover the humanity of the relationship between Syrians," says Belal Slyten from Syria Snack. "We are happy to win this award, through which we see the reality of the humanitarian response and the effort all Syrian actors who launched initiatives and campaigns to support each other without discrimination."
 

Fostering hope from hardship

Winners of the award for originality, the partnership between Radio Nassa’m and the Arab Women’s Organization, ‘Hope from beneath the rubble’, sheds light on the resilience of women survivors of the earthquake. Through a series of videos and podcasts, the project tells the devastating story of the director of the Turkey-based Arab Women’s Organization, Amal Abed al-Qadir, and those she supported who lost their lives or family members in the catastrophe.

As the project documents, the earthquake resulted not only in the tragic death of many of women involved the organisation, but also the destruction of its headquarters in eastern Turkey. "The moment I saw the piled -up stones and could not see the women was very difficult", al-Qadir explains. "I spoke to the stones and the collapsed walls and I was very sad. How did it all fall apart? How did all those hopes vanish?"

Despite this devastation, al-Qadir maintained her strength and determination to empower women through training and economic opportunities. Radio Nassaim’s interviews with disabled women associated with the organisation unearth under-explored experiences of the disaster and its legacy, as well as a view towards the future.