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

About the Program:

The “Sullam” group is launching the first edition of the Yahya Sharbaji March Project, aiming to create a space for reflection, creativity, and documentation around nonviolent action in Syria, across four main themes:

• Women and nonviolent action

• Nonviolence, media, and drama

• Nonviolence in education and pedagogy

• The history of Syrian nonviolent movements

We invite young Syrians to contribute their work within these themes through:

• Writing articles, studies, or reflective texts

• Translating relevant materials from foreign languages

• Submitting artistic or visual works expressing 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 and edited prior to publication. Please note that published materials reflect the views of their authors. A modest financial honorarium will be provided for contributions published before March 31, 2026.

For those interested, submissions should include:

• A brief description of the project or idea (no more than 200 words)

• Type of contribution: writing, translation, or artistic work

• The thematic area under which the submission falls

• A short bio

Who is Yahya Sharbaji?

Yahya Sharbaji was one of the prominent figures in nonviolent political activism in the city of Daraya, and a member of the “Daraya Youth Group,” which, since the early 2000s, led peaceful cultural initiatives expressing a vision of change without violence.

In May 2003, he was arrested after participating in organizing peaceful social and awareness-raising activities protesting the American invasion of Iraq, and spent approximately two and a half years in prison.

With the outbreak of the Syrian revolution, Yahya was present in every peaceful action, from sit-ins and demonstrations to coordination and documentation efforts. On September 6, 2011, he was arrested along with a group of 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 Syrian regime stating that he had been executed on January 15, 2013, along with a number of Daraya detainees, including Islam Dabbas, Taleb Ziada, Mazen Sharbaji, and others.

We launch this program in his name not as an act of glorification, but as a gesture of fidelity to what Yahya stood for: a deep belief that nonviolence is a possible and necessary political and ethical choice—and in honor of his companions who dreamed of a Syria defined by peace and dignity.