Rafif Jouejati

"Day 6 of the Geneva talks: On the agenda today are the subjects of violence and terrorism. The SOC delegation needs to stand firm in pointing the finger squarely at the regime for being the primary sponsor of terrorism in Syria. Assad's state terrorism includes barrel bombs, SCUD missiles, forced starvation, and detention and torture. I believe the SOC also needs to continue to condemn acts of terrorism perpetrated by non-regime groups. Violence and terrorism in Syria affect everybody, and perpetrators must be held accountable.

The media frenzy has died down a bit and the SOC has the huge task of preparing for the next round of talks, scheduled to begin 10 days from Friday after the last session. Since the Assad delegation has accepted the Geneva I Communique (first by attending, but also in word yesterday), the hard work really starts now. So does the transition.

Overall, the negotiating team has done a magnificent job of staying calm and cool while confronting the executioner. They have stayed on message, for the most part. Importantly, they have even been on time smile emoticon

I believe the long hours have paid off. The Opposition has come out strong, and has received huge public support from various revolutionary groups in Syria. But we cannot rely only on this particular success or become complacent. We all need to do more to help the Opposition, no matter where in the world we happen to be. Our help can be in the form of demonstrations, more messages of support, constructive feedback, etc.

We cannot be afraid of hard work or any inconvenience associated with what promises to be a long and difficult process. Consider this: Every time we feel tired we need to think of the prisoners who are not allowed to sleep, and the children whose sleep is interrupted by the sounds of artillery fire. Every time we get hungry we need to think of those who are starving to death while under the threat of SCUD missile attacks. And every time we complain about the bitter cold we need to think about the refugees and IDPs who do not have the option of seeking shelter. We do this because we believe in a Free Syria for all Syrians. We do this to honor our dead. And we do this because our people are ready to transition from one dictator to one nation for all citizens.

Long live Free Syria, long live our people."