Syria has been at war since January 2011. Seven years of agony.
I don't think we can imagine what it is like to live in a country with a stable and growing economy and a long cultural heritage and suddenly have tanks in the streets, gunfights in local neighbourhoods and bombing raids in the city centre. In Australia this is unimaginable. In 2011 this was also unimaginable in Syria.
Assad has been Syria's nineteenth president and has controlled Syria's government since 17th July 2000. It has been a heartbreaking tragedy that peaceful protests against Assad's repressive Government were confronted with quick and ruthless military force. This loss of conscience has been a defining characteristic of the Syrian conflict, full of all the "Monstrous things human beings can do to human beings".
As Assad has fought to regain control of Syria, other nations have opportunistically established fighting forces within Syrian Borders to further their own agenda. Iran, concerned about growing support for democratic reform within their own nation, has supplied and supported Assad with weapons and now supplies him with oil without requiring immediate payment. Kurdish forces have militarized and taken control of large areas of northern Syria from Islamic State. Islamic State Forces have fought to establish Islamic religious rule within the chaos of the civil war. They forgot that Islam is a religion of Peace. Locally, Rebel Forces have not known how to protect their nation and the people they are fighting for. Russia has come in to support Assad and has now given his forces the might he needs to re-establish control over this nation.
I wonder if he will ever be forgiven by the world or by his people.
In the middle of this chaos, there is a small community house in Istanbul, which works with traumatised people who have fled from the war to Turkey. They are Small Projects Istanbul. Together they are working to use beauty and colour and community to bring healing and pride to Syrian families seeking refuge.
The Community House developed a beautiful earring design in an effort to give the women work and healing friendship. The earrings are poignantly named 'Drop Earrings Not Bombs". There are colour and richness in every thread and they reflect the beauty of Syria. A beauty that no bully can take away. These earrings give the women that make them the dignity and compassion that we would hope to receive ourselves if we were in such a situation.
Wearing these beautifully colourful earrings feels like a badge of courage and creativity and womanhood. I am so very proud to stock these beautiful earrings in support for those from this nation that is so full of beauty and desperate hardship. Come "and be part of the family of humanity because when we do what family does best, which is look after each other, we do it right" (Neil Gaiman, Author of 'Stardust')
