Cultural Centre Opens in Mount Zawiya

Educational courses and cultural events are a valuable addition to people’s lives.

Mustapha al-Jalal

(Kafr Nabel – Syria)

A new cultural centre in the Mount Zawiya region of Idlib governorate in northwestern Syria is proving a hit with residents of local villages in the region.

The Ma’an Cultural Centre opened on August 16 in the village of Joseph in the western part of Mount Zawiya.

“The village is relatively calm and safer than others,” said Nour Eddine al-Abdo, the centre’s general coordinator. “The idea began as a collaborative project between several activists in Syria after they noted the deterioration of the cultural sphere, particularly in liberated areas. The goal was to raise the level of cultural engagement and to offer cultural services that include both men and women.”

According to al-Abdo, the centre’s services are on offer to residents of 33 villages in Mount Zawiya. However, a lack of public transportation and the dismal security situation prevents those from more remote areas from visiting the centre.  Armed clashes and roadside robberies are common in the region.

The centre employs nine people and is split over two floors. The ground floor has a library, a reading room, a small lecture hall, and a dining hall. There is a large conference room on the second floor. The centre was set up using personal donations of money, sound and lighting equipment, and furniture.

The centre runs a number of training courses which have proved popular with young people. Among the most popular classes are first aid, nursing, handicrafts, conversational English, French, and Turkish, computers, and accounting. The centre has also run a five-day journalism course in partnership with Mantra magazine, which is published by the media office of the Union of Revolutionary Bureaus in the town of Kafr Nabel. Fourteen young men attended the journalism training.

The centre also aims to raise awareness about child soldiers, the dangers of carrying arms, and hygiene. It also aims to educate people on the role of women in society and provide psychological support for children affected by the conflict. The centre is not affiliated to any political party or organisation.

Those who have used the centre since it opened have praised its services.

“The centre is akin to a lighthouse in the fog or thick cloud where opportunities for reflection have been lost, and a time when the only speaker is the gun and the only sound comes from bullets,” said novelist Abdelaziz al-Moussa, 64. “As long as its goal is reviving humanity and its intellectual contributions, the centre is a wonderful step in the right direction.”

“I hope the centre remains politically neutral and does not reflect the position of any particular party,” he added. “It should be inclusive of all points of view and beliefs and serve the majority of its patrons. It also needs to rid itself of everything that narrows the scope of its activities.”

Legal activist Yasser al-Saleem, 41, also welcomed the opening of the Ma’an Cultural Centre. He noted the challenges that cultural centres in Syria have faced in the past when it comes to organising activities because of the need to get security clearance from the government. Al-Saleem called on the centre’s directors to change the image of previous cultural centres that led people to avoid them and not attend any events.

“Cultural centres must participate in raising the general cultural standards to match those of our intellectuals in [Mount] Zawiya,” he said.

In its first few months the centre has also held a number of cultural events and competitions.

“The centre hosted the Syrian Mobile Film Festival over the course of three days. It also screens weekly documentaries geared towards young people of both genders,” said Mustapha al-Mokhbat, the executive director of the centre.

“It also participated in the regional ‘Novelist’s Beginning’ competition as a collection point for short stories. In addition, it hosted many lectures as well as literary and poetry nights that showcased a number of writers and poets from [Mount] Zawiya.”

Women participate more frequently than men in the centre’s activities. Women make up around 70 per cent of class attendees, library visitors, and participants at lectures and literary nights.

The centre’s library is one of its biggest attractions with more than 5,500 books on topics such as religion, politics, history, philosophy, both Arabic and western literature, geography, medicine, and art.

“The lending library is the centre’s running project,” said the centre’s librarian. “Books are donated to the library and there has been an increase in the number of people borrowing books.”

She added that the centre has trouble with late book returns and sometimes loses books due to a lack of regulations to enforce their return.

As a patron of the centre, Mohammad Qattan, 26, hopes its work will continue regardless of the security conditions. He says that, in a small but significant way, it helps move society forward and expands its intellectual horizons through much-needed events, activities, and services.

Hiba al-Ahmad, 19, enjoys the activities and events held at the centre, particularly the classes on nursing, handicrafts, and informatics. For her, the centre provides a glimmer of hope and, in a region faced with continued conflict, is a place where she can breathe a little more freely.