rich 1.0 Syria and the new world war Are we witnessing the beginnings of a new global war? With conflicts stretching from Afghanistan and Pakistan to Ukraine, and across the Middle East and Africa, it can feel like the world is spiraling into chaos. In this episode, Host Nick Dearden speaks to guests Elif Sarican, a writer and contributing editor at The Amargi, and Mazen Gharibah, an academic with the Conflict and Civicness Research Group at LSE and member of the UN’s Syrian Constitutional Committee, to unpack the complexity behind today’s interconnected conflicts by looking at Syria as an epicentre of geopolitical tensions. But beyond the headlines of violence and instability, they also explore the overlooked stories of resilience, solidarity, and hope emerging from communities on the ground. This episode was recorded 8 April 2026. In This Episode Roots of the current crises, including the legacy of the Arab Spring Syria’s fragmented political and military landscape Challenges facing Kurdish and other communities in Syria today How Rojava broke the script of what is possible in the region Bashar al-Assad and the country’s ongoing political transition under Ahmed al-Sharaa ABOUT THE PODCAST COUNTER•POWER is brought to you by Stop Trump Coalition, Another Europe Is Possible and Global Justice Now, three organisations at the centre of the new global resistance. This podcast isn’t just about chatting and conversation — it’s about turning ideas into action and building real community power. That’s why we have a simple pledge to you, our audience. On every single episode we’ll leave you with something you can do to catalyse change. Whether it’s the latest big ideas or the movements you need to check out, you’ll find them on COUNTER•POWER. But we need your help to launch this project. The funds will cover high-quality production – including sound and visuals – as well as consistent editorial quality, all of which are essential to creating the kind of impactful podcast we’re aiming for. Any donation – big or small – can help us get there. Thank you for your support. DONATE HERE (https://act.globaljustice.org.uk/node/4683) Follow Us Instagram @anothereuropeispossible (https://www.instagram.com/anothereuropeispossible/) @globaljusticenow  (https://www.instagram.com/globaljusticenow/) @ukstoptrump (https://www.instagram.com/ukstoptrump/) TikTok @global.justice.now (https://www.tiktok.com/@global.justice.now) @uk.stop.trump.coa (https://www.tiktok.com/@uk.stop.trump.coa) Twitter / X @Another_Europe (https://x.com/Another_Europe) @GlobalJusticeUK (https://x.com/GlobalJusticeUK) @UKStopTrump (https://x.com/UKStopTrump) Music(cc): Intro R&B instrumental loop, Mcgrogo (Freesound.org) COUNTER•POWER https://audioboom.com/channels/4960214-counter-power Audioboom https://audioboom.com 480 95 https://audioboom.com/i/43629859/600x600/c 600 600 <iframe width="100%" height="95" src="https://embeds.audioboom.com/posts/8899350/embed?v=202301" style="background-color: transparent; display: block; padding: 0; width: 100%" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="allowtransparency" scrolling="no" title="Audioboom player" allow="autoplay" sandbox="allow-downloads allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe>