"So in listening to this, whomever wants Syria to be unified, maybe the solution is to listen to this petition, to consider it, and to work really, genuinely, on reaching a peaceful solution to the Syrian crisis." - Firas AlchoufiIn this special episode, international lawyer, arbitrator and humanitarian Firas Alchoufi joins us to bring awareness to the humanitarian crisis that is impacting his home province of Suwayda, in the southern part of Syria. The recent regime change in that country has brought about a targeted campaign that aims to irradicate the Druze people, whose presence in the Levant dates back over 1,000 years. Brutal atrocities are not only being documented but seemingly celebrated on social media.Firas is a leading voice bringing a petition before the United Nations, asking it to supervise a referendum in Suwayda, where the questions would be:1) Suwayda to stay within unified Syria without any change,2) Suwayda to seek a form of self-governing autonomy, or3) Suwayda to declare its full independence. Lawyers have been the catalyst for change when change has been the vehicle for justice. And justice isn't just in the courtroom. It's also a commitment for doing what's right as a human being.We are deeply appreciative of this platform that allows us to shed light on this humanitarian crisis, and it was a privilege having Firas join us. To learn more:People of Suwayda collect signatures demanding the right to self-determinationSyria: Sweida Counters Roadmap with Self-Determination Petition CampaignBin Sevan Advocates & Legal ConsultantsCourtroom Stories & Tactics | RVA Trial Lawyers Available on Spotify, Apple, YouTube, and at RVATrialLawyers.com Based out of Richmond, Virginia, Courtroom Stories & Tactics by RVA Trial Lawyers exists for lawyers who try cases to juries on behalf of people. Through our podcast, we hope to learn from them, support them, connect them, inspire them, and preserve their work for future trial lawyers. If you are willing, we would greatly appreciate it if you left us a 5-Star Google Review by clicking here. Your review will help people find us. Also, if you would like to subscribe to the RVA Trial Lawyers Newsletter, you can do so here. Thank you! Sharif Gray and Nael Abouzaki

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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