The Stabilization through Media Partnerships (STMP) project is a response from IREX to address the challenging situation in northwestern Syria.

The project works to ensure that local communities have access to reliable information on security, health, COVID-19, stabilization, political processes, and local services in the region.

As COVID-19 cases increase in Idlib (in northwestern Syria), the international community has the challenge of implementing projects in a context of war and with a health care system that has been almost completely destroyed during the conflict.

Concerns about the social, political, and economic impact of the pandemic in Idlib are of paramount importance for its inhabitants and internally displaced people in the northwestern region.

The project will:

• Work to strengthen Syrian democratic culture through civic education in support of any upcoming political process, in accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2254
• Support stabilization efforts in Syria through programming on health and humanitarian communication and the creation of a coordination mechanism between local media partners and civil society organizations to create content and improve responses to local needs

The project has two main components:

• Stabilization communication, including health communication and increasing awareness about COVID-19, preventive measures, and availability of health care providers
• Civic education, including programming on civic education, rights, and the upcoming political process

Photo courtesy of Enab Baladi.

To implement this project, IREX has partnered with four independent media outlets:

• Radio Fresh
• Al Kul FM
• Watan FM
• Enab Baladi (English | Arabic)

Here are a few examples of content that the project's media partners have produced to inform the population and internally displaced people about COVID-19 and civic education.

Fresh FM

• Niktat Wasil (Connection Point): A weekly interactive radio program. Listen to episodes of Niktat Wasil.
• Eid B Eid (Hand in Hand): A weekly interactive radio program that focuses on issues related to internally displaced people in northwestern Syria. Listen to episodes of Eid B Eid.
• Ana Hona (I Am Here): A biweekly program about Syrian professionals who follow their dreams despite difficulties. Listen to episodes of Ana Hona.
• Public service announcements: Fresh FM broadcasts 14 new PSAs each month. Listen to examples about other coronaviruses and about how asymptomatic people can infect others without their knowledge.
• Daily infographics: Go to an example of an infographic on Facebook.
• Daily coronavirus newscast: Listen to a coronavirus newscast example on SoundCloud.

Radio Al Kul

• Hakeem (Doctor): A weekly health-related news program that covers COVID-19. Go to episodes of Hakeem.
• Hiwar Madani (Civil Dialogue): A weekly program that raises awareness about democracy, citizenship, constitutional rights, and other issues. Go to episodes of Hiwar Madani.
   
  
   

• Imra’a Souria (Syrian Woman): A weekly radio program that focuses on women’s rights and empowerment. Go to episodes of Imra'a Souria.

• Explainer videos: A series of short animated videos on civil rights and responsibilities.
   

  
   
• Three-minute videos: A series of short, animated videos on civic, political, social, and public-health topics. Go to the three-minute videos.
• People's Voice: A program that focuses on showcasing locals’ opinions on matters of stabilization in their country. Go to episodes of People's Voice.
   
   

Enab Baladi

• Corona in the North weekly TV program: A show dedicated to raising awareness about COVID-19 in northern Syria. Go to episodes of Corona in the North.
   
  
   
• Open Box program: A biweekly program that speaks to Syrian women in northwestern Syria, especially Idlib. Go to episodes of Open Box.
   
   
• Monthly in-depth report on the health sector: Go to a written report on the health sector in English or in Arabic.  

• Monthly multimedia report on COVID-19 and the economy in Idlib Province: Go to a written report on COVID-19 in English or in Arabic.  

Watan FM

• Animated videos: Watan FM produces two animated videos per week, a video on COVID-19 and a video on civic education.
   

   

• Our Health radio program: Discusses public health and stabilization information for Idlib residents, internally displaced people, and refugees in northwestern Syria twice a week. Go to examples of Our Health on Watan.fm and Our Health on SoundCloud.
• Our Future radio program: A weekly, 40-minute show that discusses the democratization and stabilization efforts in Idlib and the northwestern region of Syria. Go to examples of Our Future on Watan.fm and Our Future on SoundCloud.
• Podcast Watan: A podcast about civic education and stabilization in the southwestern region of Syria. Go to episodes of Podcast Watan.