Syria: They screened films about Gandhi in the mosque.
Lately, there has been a debate among Syrians about when the revolution began. Did it start with the "Days of Rage" Facebook page? Or the February 17 protest in Al Hariqa neighbourhood of Damascus? The March 15 protest in the capital for the release of political prisoners? The imprisonment and torture of teenagers in Deraa? All of these events were factors that sparked an uprising that is now one year old. But some seeds of dissent were sown years before.
In 2003, in the Damascus suburb of Daraya, Yehya Shurbaji and a group of university friends who called themselves "The Youth of Daraya" initiated a campaign to fight corruption. They walked into shops and gave out posters illustrating three cases of everyday corrupt acts: paying bribes, running red lights and not waiting in line. They spoke gently to people, explaining how each of us - as Syrian citizens - was responsible for seemingly innocent or even culturally tolerated actions that corrupt society.
The Youth of Daraya believed in social activism, and were inspired by historic examples of non-violent movements. They started a mobile library and distributed books to the community. They cleaned the streets. They screened films about Gandhi in the mosque. People in Daraya at first resisted the young men, but slowly began to embrace their optimistic message. And Daraya began to change.
http://www.thenational.ae/featured-content/home/middle-national-conversation/syrias-non-violent-activists-were-the-first-to-be-targeted
