Adopt a Revolution is an

initiative In political science, an initiative (also known as a popular initiative or citizens' initiative) is a means by which a petition signed by a certain number of registered voters can force a government to choose either to enact a law or hold a ...

that allows individuals and

civil society Civil society can be understood as the "third sector" of society, distinct from government and business, and including the family and the private sphere.Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

to "

adopt Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting of another, usually a child, from that person's biological or legal parent or parents. Legal adoptions permanently transfer all rights and responsibilities, along with filiation, from ...

" a Syrian

activist group Activism (or Advocacy) consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived greater good. Forms of activism range fro ...

of their choice and help it to survive and succeed in the Syrian uprising (2011–present).

Donations A donation is a gift for charity, humanitarian aid, or to benefit a cause. A donation may take various forms, including money, alms, services, or goods such as clothing, toys, food, or vehicles. A donation may satisfy medical needs such as b ...

are used by the

Local Coordination Committees The Local Coordination Committees of Syria ( ar, لجان التنسيق المحلية في سوريا: ''LCCSyria'' or ''LCCs'') are a network of local groups that organise and report on protests as part of the Syrian uprising. In June 2011, t ...

(LCC), a network of groups that have organized the

protest A protest (also called a demonstration, remonstration or remonstrance) is a public expression of objection, disapproval or dissent towards an idea or action, typically a political one. Protests can be thought of as acts of cooper ...

s, documented the

uprising Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a refusal of obedience or order. It refers to the open resistance against the orders of an established authority. A rebellion originates from a sentiment of indignation and disapproval of a situation and ...

and disseminated that information and visuals around the world. These committees funnel medical supplies, food and telecommunication equipment such as satellite

modem A modulator-demodulator or modem is a computer hardware device that converts data from a digital format into a format suitable for an analog transmission medium such as telephone or radio. A modem transmits data by modulating one or more c ...

s to activists inside Syria to keep their cause alive as the military of President

Bashar al-Assad Bashar Hafez al-Assad, ', Levantine pronunciation: ; (, born 11 September 1965) is a Syrian politician who is the 19th president of Syria, since 17 July 2000. In addition, he is the commander-in-chief of the Syrian Armed Forces and the ...

pounds their cities with artillery. Since the program launched in late 2011, the website shows two dozen LCCs in Syria have reached their funding goals. The website lists the name of the committee, information about the town and its situation, and the detailed financial need. Activists say what is crucial is funding for Internet and phone communication because communications

infrastructure Infrastructure is the set of facilities and systems that serve a country, city, or other area, and encompasses the services and facilities necessary for its economy, households and firms to function. Infrastructure is composed of public and priv ...

has been destroyed in towns coming under intensified shelling such as

Homs ar, حمصي, Himsi , population_urban = , population_density_urban_km2 = , population_density_urban_sq_mi = , population_blank1_title = Ethnicities , population_blank1 = , population_blank2_t ...

. International media have been barred from entering Syria, so the outside world is dependent on the LCCs for information from the country. "Media coverage is highly important, and it is one of the only weapons activists have," said Elias Perabo, one of the founders. "The main task is people documenting and getting footage out of the country to get a glimpse of what is happening on the ground and to show the world what the brutality is like. We are trying to

smuggle Smuggling is the illegal transportation of objects, substances, information or people, such as out of a house or buildings, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations. There are various ...

in stuff like cameras before the army comes steaming into a city, so people can film and document." Adopt a Revolution says it does not accept government money and works through the LCCs, the

Syrian Revolution General Commission Syrian Revolution General Commission (SRGC) ( ar, الهيئة العامة للثورة السورية) is a Syrian coalition of 40 Syrian opposition groups to unite their efforts during the Syrian civil war that was announced on 19 August 2011 ...

, a coalition of 40 opposition groups and the Assembly of the Syrian

Kurd ug:كۇردلار Kurds ( ku, کورد ,Kurd, italic=yes, rtl=yes) or Kurdish people are an Iranian ethnic group native to the mountainous region of Kurdistan in Western Asia, which spans southeastern Turkey, northwestern Iran, northern Ira ...

ish Youths Abroad.Louise Osborne (2/28/2012
“Syrian activists appeal to West to be adopted”
''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...

''.Electron Libre (01/03/2012
“Syrian activists appeal to West to be adopted”
,

France 24 France 24 ( in French) is a French state-owned international news television network based in Paris. Its channels broadcast in French, English, Arabic, and Spanish and are aimed at the overseas market. Based in the Paris suburb of Issy-les-Mo ...

. Since Adopt a Revolution cannot make direct

electronic funds transfer Electronic funds transfer (EFT) is the electronic transfer of money from one bank account to another, either within a single financial institution or across multiple institutions, via computer-based systems, without the direct intervention of b ...

s to the committees, supporters smuggle the money into the country in small amounts of cash. Committees sometimes get $900 a month, sometimes $1200. Apart from one

courier A courier is a person or organisation that delivers a message, package or letter from one place or person to another place or person. Typically, a courier provides their courier service on a commercial contract basis; however, some couriers are ...

, who was killed en route, everything appears to be going fairly smoothly. The committees send back reports, as their "

foster parents Foster care is a system in which a minor has been placed into a ward, group home ( residential child care community, treatment center, etc.), or private home of a state-certified caregiver, referred to as a "foster parent" or with a family ...

" want to know what is happening with their money.Wiebke Hollersen (03/16/2012
“Syrian in Berlin Channels Aid to Embattled Countrymen”
''

Der Spiegel ''Der Spiegel'' (, lit. ''"The Mirror"'') is a German weekly news magazine published in Hamburg. With a weekly circulation of 695,100 copies, it was the largest such publication in Europe in 2011. It was founded in 1947 by John Seymour Chaloner ...

''.

References

External links

* {{Syrian civil war Development charities based in Germany Organizations of the Syrian civil war Organisations based in Leipzig