Introduction

The research presented in this report identifies changes and continuities in the peacetech landscape in Syria, and presents pressing considerations for innovative peacebuilding there.

In January 2016, the British Council commissioned Build Up to map peacetech initiatives responding to the Syrian crisis and consider options for future work using technology for peacebuilding and development. The resulting report, ‘Innovative Peacebuilding in Syria’, provided an initial exploration of the peacetech landscape in Syria. It also outlined a number of recommendations, some of which led to the design and implementation of the Digital Steps programme. The Digital Steps programme, run over nine months by Build Up and the British Council, supported eight Syrian innovators to design, test and pilot a technology initiative that contributes to co-existence in Syria.

In June 2018, the British Council asked Build Up to provide an update to the 2016 research, in order to reflect both contextual changes in the Syrian conflict and lessons learned from the Digital Steps programme. The following report identifies both changes and continuities in the peacetech landscape in Syria, and presents the most pressing considerations for innovative peacebuilding in Syria moving forward.

Methodology

The objective of this was to narrow the scope of the study in order to provide a relevant update, reflecting on changes and continuities in the peacetech landscape. Specifically, the scope has been reduced to focus only on initiatives working inside Syria, or those targeting audiences inside Syria. As a result, a large number of the initiatives explored in the first report were not relevant to this research. This report draws on desk research, evaluation materials from the Digital Steps programme and 10 expert interviews carried out remotely and in person. Interviews were held with participants of the Digital Steps programme, as well as with key stakeholders familiar with the Syrian context, innovation and peacebuilding. Interviews were conducted with individuals inside Syria, in Beirut, and in Turkey.