In a Damascus courtyard, Syrian activists brainstormed strategies to ensure their country does not return to authoritarianism, in a scene unimaginable under president Bashar al-Assad's rule.

Since Islamist-led rebels ousted the longtime ruler last month, the Syrian capital's public spaces have been abuzz with previously banned civil society meetings.

Exiled activists have returned to the country for the first time in years, often leading to moving reunions with friends who stayed behind throughout the civil war.

The war began with a peaceful democracy uprising in 2011 that morphed into a brutal conflict after Assad cracked down on protesters, jailing and killing them en masse and forcing survivors to flee the country.

Now, with Assad out, the activists who spearheaded the revolt want to ensure their voices count.

In the arched courtyard of a traditional Damascus home, Syrian activist Sawsan Abou Zainedin recounted meeting the country's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa earlier this month.

"We stressed the essential role that civil society needs to play........

© International Business Times