Project: "Yahya Sharbaji March"

Open Call for Contributions in Writing, Translation, and Artistic Works

 

About the Program
The Sullam Group is launching the first edition of the "Yahya Sharbaji March" project, aiming to provide a space for reflection, creativity, and documentation on nonviolent work in Syria. The program focuses on four main themes:

• Women and nonviolence
• Nonviolence, media, and drama
• Nonviolence, education, and upbringing
• History of Syrian nonviolent movements

We invite Syrian youth to contribute projects within these themes through:

• Writing articles, studies, or reflective texts
• Translating relevant materials from foreign languages
• Submitting artistic or visual works that express the concepts of nonviolence and civil peace

Submission and Publication Process
We welcome all ideas that align with the spirit of our program and the principles of nonviolence. Submissions will be reviewed before publication, and published materials reflect the views of their authors. A symbolic financial reward will be provided for works published before March 31, 2026.

Submission Guidelines
Please include:

• A brief description of your project or idea (under 200 words)
• Type of contribution: writing, translation, or artwork
• Theme under which the idea falls
• A short bio about yourself

Who is Yahya Sharbaji?
Yahya Sharbaji was a prominent figure in nonviolent political activism in Daraya and a member of the Daraya Youth Group, which, since the early 2000s, carried out peaceful cultural initiatives reflecting a dream for change without violence.

In May 2003, he was arrested for organizing peaceful social and awareness activities opposing the U.S. invasion of Iraq and spent nearly two and a half years in prison.

During the Syrian revolution, Yahya actively participated in all peaceful actions—from sit-ins and demonstrations to coordination and documentation. On September 6, 2011, he was arrested along with other peaceful activists, including his brother Ma’an Sharbaji and activist Ghiath Matar.

His fate remained unknown until 2018, when his family received a death certificate from the regime, stating that he had been executed on January 15, 2013, along with several detainees from Daraya, including Islam Dabbas, Taleb Ziada, and Mazen Sharbaji.

This program is launched in his name—not as glorification, but as a tribute to his deep belief that nonviolence is a possible and necessary political and ethical choice, and in honor of his companions who dreamed of a Syria governed by peace and dignity.