About the VDSF
The Voices for Displaced Syrians Forum (VDSF) gathers 40+ Syrian civil society organizations operating in Syria and refugee-hosting countries, including Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, and Iraq. Established in 2019, the VDSF advocates for the achievement of durable solutions to protect, respond to, and improve the quality of life of displaced Syrians inside Syria and abroad. Since its establishment in 2019, the Forum has actively engaged with international stakeholders in the Middle East region and elsewhere. The Forum is supported technically and financially by the Durable Solutions Platform (DSP), and hosted by one of the Forum members.
Visivon
Displaced Syrians are empowered and able to obtain their rights and have protection conditions inside and outside Syria.
Mission
Involving displaced Syrians in the making of decisions affecting their lives and advocating for their rights at the policy level inside and outside Syria.
Values
Independence: Syrian CSOs own the forum exclusively through its general assembly and it is their authentic voice.
Shared Responsibility: Stimulating the spirit of volunteer work among the forum's individuals and CSOs to carry out activities for the general good of the displace Syrians.
Complementarity: Forum members complement the work of one another based on their expertise, capacity, mandate and geographical presence.
Foundational Principles
Women's Participation
The Forum is committed to ensuring the effective and equal participation of Syrian women in all its activities, including membership, using designated tools to achieve that.
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Diversity
The Forum recognizes the importance and value of the diversity of Syrian civil society. Therefore, it seeks to ensure all relevant actors of all mandates, life-saving humanitarian relief services for people in need, development, peacebuilding and civil peace, documentation and monitoring of violations, research and studies, legal affairs, awareness-raising and capacity building, human rights, etc. are represented in the forum regardless of where they are based, i.e., inside Syria or in diaspora countries.
Inclusion
This includes the presence and participation of various segments of civil society that provide services to Syrians in an impartial manner, regardless of their ideological or religious orientations within the various geographical regions inside and outside Syria.
Sustainability
The Forum seeks to provide the needed resources to continue working within the agreed upon tasks, regardless of the availability of support from external parties, as long as the need exists.
Governance
The forum relies on the existence of a clear terms of reference that clarify membership conditions, decision-making mechanisms and work methodology.
Efficiency
Ownership
The Forum belongs to its members and must therefore find ways to ensure the continuity of collective action.
Accountability
Existence of procedures and policies that achieve accountability towards the displaced Syrians and members of the Forum. This includes creating and implementing work mechanisms to ensure the participation of the displaced and refugee communities in the design, implementation and evaluation of the performance of the Forum.
Collaboration
Transparency
All procedures and decisions are subject to the principle of transparency, so that all members have the right to be informed and measures are taken to ensure that this is achieved.
Forum Objectives
Organizing effective advocacy for policies and decisions that have a positive impact on the lives of displaced Syrians to ensure their safety and rights.
Promoting the participation of IDP and refugee communities in their decision-making, including mobilizing and empowering them to claim their rights, especially marginalized groups, youth and women.
Coordinating informational management and exchange of experiences on IDP and refugee Syrians issues.
Capacity building of relevant stakeholders on the rights of displaced Syrians and integrated solutions to the challenges facing them.