Dr. Rouba Mhaissen is a Syrian-Lebanese economist, activist, community mobilizer and development practitioner who works on development issues in the MENA region, particularly forced migration and the Syrian refugee crisis. She is the founder and director of Sawa for Development and Aid, a nonprofit organization that supports Syrian refugees in Lebanon, and Sawa Foundation UK, which supports forced migrants in Europe and the Middle East. She is the recipient of numerous awards, scholarships and grants recognizing her work, including the FCO Marsh Award for Peacemaking and Peacekeeping (2016), and the Forbes 30Under30 list for Policy and Law (2017)․ https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/contributor/rouba-mhaissen/rss en Civil Society Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs Mon, 02 Oct 2017 15:06:04 +0000 Rouba Mhaissen https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2017/10/02/to-rebuild-syria-civil-society-must-thrive https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2017/10/02/to-rebuild-syria-civil-society-must-thrive Sidelining Syrian civil society groups in plans for rebuilding the country may lay the groundwork for future violence and unrest, writes activist and development practitioner Rouba Mhaissen.