SEEN

Who We Are

SEEN is an independent organization working to advance social and political justice and equity since 2019, grounded in a critical understanding of the structures that produce violence, exclusion, and inequality—particularly those related to gender, sexuality, and other forms of structural marginalization. The organization draws its name and visual identity from Syrian cultural heritage, where the pillars in its logo symbolize resilience, diversity, and equity, reflecting SEEN’s commitment to building shared spaces rooted in solidarity and human dignity.

SEEN operates within highly complex political and social contexts across Southwest Asia, including Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq, Jordan, Iran, and Palestine. The organization adopts cumulative intervention strategies that prioritize safety, sustainability, and long-term impact. SEEN maintains clear political independence and an explicit ethical stance aligned with social justice and human rights.

Vision

SEEN envisions a society free from violence and discrimination, where diversity is respected, individual and collective rights are protected, and social relations are built on equality, freedom, and dignity. The organization understands justice not as a final state, but as an ongoing process that requires conscious organizing, critical knowledge, and sustained political commitment. SEEN views the realization of this vision as a cumulative journey that demands long-term work, alliances, and continuous accountability.

Mission

SEEN’s mission is to support community actors and strengthen their capacity to organize, express themselves, and create impact by providing safe spaces, knowledge tools, and approaches that respond to local and regional contexts. The organization seeks to contribute to social and legal transformations that lead to more just and equitable societies.

This mission is carried out through programs and initiatives that combine research, capacity building, advocacy, and community political-based work—ensuring that knowledge and analysis translates into tangible impact without isolating issues from their broader political and economic contexts.

Objectives

• To achieve economic, social, and legal equity and justice for all Syrian communities in Syria, and to support this demand in the countries where SEEN operates, beginning with the most marginalized and vulnerable groups.
• To advocate for democratic constitutions and legal frameworks grounded in citizenship, justice, non-discrimination, and human rights as articulated in international treaties and conventions, in Syria and in the contexts where SEEN operates, prioritizing the most marginalized communities.
• To provide community support, sustained social accompaniment, and efforts to counter self-alienation, for Syrian communities in Syria and in countries where SEEN operate, starting with those facing the highest levels of marginalization and vulnerabilit

Principles and Values

SEEN’s work is grounded in intersectional feminism as both an analytical and political framework. The organization recognizes that issues of gender and sexuality are structurally interconnected with class, labor, economy, environment, colonialism, and power.

SEEN rejects all forms of discrimination and exclusion, affirms the right of individuals and communities to self-determination, and values non-hierarchical collective action, mutual accountability, and solidarity across identities and affiliations. The organization adopts the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a foundational reference and minimum standard that must not be compromised, while continually striving toward deeper and more radical social and political transformation.

These values are translated into internal policies, codes of conduct, protection frameworks, and accountability mechanisms applied across all programs and partnerships.