Disclaimer:
Please be aware that the content herein has not been peer reviewed. It consists of personal reflections, insights, and learnings of the contributor(s). It may not be exhaustive, nor does it aim to be authoritative knowledge.
DESCRIPTION: What did you observe, or what did people write or say?
Due to the current crisis that Syria has been suffering from for the ten years and as the sanction were heavily applied on the Syrian government, a new dilemma has occurred with the shortage of several resources of energy such as petroleum and Gasoline. Consequently, Gas stations lack Benzine and people had to wait for days on the line to fill their cars.
During the last three months, Damascus- as most of Syrian governorates-, roads look like nets of line of cars standing along hundreds of meters and remaining for days. Therefore, filling the cars and finding solutions for the current circumstances became the first obsession and main discussion topic of the society.
People started to comply and adapt with the situation and succeeded to show great level of resilience. Waiting for their turns at the Gas station became social gathering and a picnic including food and drinks. One solution that people have came up with to support each other, that the ones who enjoys better financial situation are hiring young men and unemployed men to take their cars and wait on the rues instead of them and pay them in exchange of this service, This way people who suffers from bad financial sutuation and unemployeed men are gaining some money in exchange to their services.
Despite the fact that, this is not an innovative solution that involves investment of available resources or even grasshopper solutions, but from my direct observation and what I am hearing from the community around me. I found that this way of adaptation and sometimes manipulation of the existing reality and harsh difficulties that my community is facing can be called a solution and would be considered as social integration solution approach.
Another creative solution that my community has came up with using their resources f Social networking and facebook, that a group of people from all over the districts of Damascus created website and a page on facebook called “ وين عبيت " Where did you fill” which is a participatory page that inform people about the available , opened and closed Gas stations with full information and guidance on the better stations to head to, 24/7 and to inform people about the time estimated for the waiting duration over each gas station, all needed information in this regard are provided through this site and page. The page news spread everywhere very quickly, until it became a social supporting tool for people who needs to fill their cars. Youngsters knowledge and skills were invested and people have coordinated together in order to support each others.
PHOTO/ ILLUSTRATION: Please provide a photo or an illustration of what you observed.
NEED: What need does this answer?
The need of basic resouces such as fuel and transportation which affexts all other aspoects of the Syrian Habitants' Daily life and even prevent Taxi and bus drivers from their income.
INSIGHTS: What lessons can be learned from this observation?
The lesson to learn is that community has the power to coordinate together and find alternatives and solutions, Social Cohesion awareness and support is essential during and after crisis.
Comments
Log in to add a comment or reply.