2018 Activities Report of the Center for Environmental and Social Development
The Administrative Structure:
Since the beginning of 2018, the Center for Environmental Development (CESD) has sought to restructure its working group and volunteers in the United States. The social scientist Thia Lilian has resigned as director of development and programs. She has joined a civil society organization in California. Dr. Steeve Coupeau joined as the Director of Development.
Legal Status:
CESD was granted a tax exemption on 07/18/2018, which made it a non-profit international organization 501(c)(3) of the US Federal Government. We can now collect and receive donations legally, providing such donations are reported to the US government’s tax department.
The Department of Heritage and Culture:
CESD assisted a group of Syrian refugee members of the Syrian Dinner Club, by providing translations to present their cases before an American audience, in addition to introducing Syrian food and culture. Several videos were produced on the series of events that were organized in homes and at the Folksbier Brauereiof in Brooklyn, New York.
Liquidant Financial Investment Company:
- RashaFood project: A new project was launched that introduces
the American community to Syrian and Middle Eastern cuisine:
- CESD covered activities on Arab communities in New York, and produced videos such as the Eastern Orthodox Christian Baptism:
- Christmas gatherings from the Arab catholic church in Brooklyn:
https://www.cesdworld.org/2018/12/29/merry-christmas-and-happy-new-year-2019/
Economic, Social, Cultural and Political Rights:
CESD Syrian activists met in New York to discuss the proceedings of the Sochi deal, and presented a document on their vision of a political solution in Syria. In January, and in coordination with the Massar Center, we held a video conference with Syrian activists around the world, in which they denounced the path of Astana and Sochi, which discard the demands of Syrians who call for freedom and dignity:
CESD conducted a series of discussions (11 meetings) with a number of Syrian academics and writers. All agreed to launch the Syrian Consultants Committee project, as a platform for finding a solution to the Syrian crisis, and a center for managing and discussing projects related to Syria. Mr. Nahedh al-Atassi coordinated the work and gathered academics who believe in the project’s goal of a secular Syrian state. A website has been produced for the Commission, which is linked to CESD’s series of projects.
CESD activists also participated in the seventh anniversary of the start of the Syrian Revolution. The event was held in Times Square in New York. We released a series of interviews published on Youtube. CESD also produced a series of spirited songs launched by singer Dylan Connor:
We held a meeting with prominent members of the Trump administration, the former mayor of New York, Mr. Rudolph Giuliani, and received a message addressed to the Syrian people on September 22, 2018:
The Iranian Political Situation:
We strongly advocate for the democracy that is sought by the Iranian people, and have made several videos in support of the economic, social and political rights of the Iranians. This includes coverage of a demonstration in Washington in January 2018, and the Iranian opposition conference at the Sheraton New York in September 2018:
Democracy and Peace Support Program:
CESD, through its executive director, has completed a study to discuss the circulated information on the Century Deal project, through which Trump’s administration aims at drawing upon a plan for peace in the Middle East between Palestinians and Israelis. The study was sent to a number of research centers and decision-making groups whose priority is the peace process in the Middle East:
We produced a web video with former Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner’s message to the Middle East and its democratic development projects:
Refugee Support:
CESD has held numerous meetings and dialogues at a number of universities, including NYU, Princeton, and Rutgers, to discuss the situation of asylum faced by Iraqis and Syrians in Europe and the United States. We also attended meetings with a number of international organizations, and produced a series of videos that reflect the reality of refugees:
Supporting Women’s and Children’s Rights:
CESD, along with the support of The Garden of Hope Foundation, held a workshop focused on the quality of life for Syrian women in the war. During the workshop, Arab novelist Dr. Haifa Bitar’s work was discussed, and copies of her book were distributed for all participants of the session, which included over 30 attendees, in addition to literary critics.
Websites:
The Center for Environmental and Social Development launched a website in English under the following name :
This site is linked with all social networking resources, as well as an Arabic page:
We adopted the Madar Al- Yawm site as a media platform to cover news in the Arab region and Syria in particular, as its founder is the board member of CESD, Fayez Sara.
Financials:
CESD received a small grant of $1000 from The Garden of Hope Foundation, and received donations that were collected electronically by PayPal and Facebook ($3,267.01)
The following expenditures were made:
| Materials | Amount |
| Monthly bank fee ($18) | $216 |
| Websites | $165.71 |
| Office Supplies | $360 |
| Business Cards | $87.09 |
| Attorney fees | $900 |
| Printer Supplies | $46.81 |
| Socialite Lighting (Camera Supplies) | $199.99 |
| Total | $1,975.60 |
