About the Podcast:

In this episode of the Syria: Alternative Dialogues podcast, Rabie Nasser hosts Ansar Jasim (researcher in food sovereignty and environmental justice) and Moayad Sheikh Hassan (engineer specialized in renewable energy and climate justice) for a conversation on the impact of neoliberal policies on the environment in Syria and the wider region.

The discussion explores how privatization and the retreat of the state undermine environmental sustainability, and why geographic and social justice are essential for any fair environmental policy.

Main Topics:

• The concepts of “Green Colonialism” and “Ecocide” in the context of conflict and war.
•  Privatization of water and energy as a threat to geographic and social justice.
• Case studies of environmental degradation: primitive oil refining, urban pollution, forest fires, and agricultural biodiversity loss.
• Critique of neoliberal reconstruction policies and their environmental consequences.
• Is environmental discourse elitist?
• The role of solidarity and grassroots engagement in advancing food sovereignty.
• Risks of post-war foreign capital and corporate control over natural resources.
• Community-based alternatives: ecological farming, seed libraries, cooperatives, and solidarity economy projects.
• Renewable energy prospects in Syria.
• Linking environmental justice to transitional justice in building a new Syria.

 About the Guests:

Ansar Jasim
A researcher and activist focusing on food sovereignty, environmental justice, and political economy. Her fieldwork in Syria and Iraq highlights the connections between discriminatory economic policies and environmental deterioration. She documents the environmental impact of conflict and advocates for the environmental rights of local communities.

Moayad Sheikh Hassan
An engineer specializing in renewable energy and energy efficiency, and a board member of a French association promoting climate justice in the Global South. He works on energy transition projects that align technology with community needs, with a strong focus on enabling vulnerable populations to access sustainable and equitable resources.

Hosted by:  Rabie Nasser – Syrian Center for Policy Research
Produced and Coordinated by: Reem Takriti

This episode is part of a special series on neoliberal policies in Syria and the region, produced by the Syrian Center for Policy Research in collaboration with the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.

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