A workshop discussing the current conflict in Syria has been televised live on CNN.

As Syria’s civil war enters its fourth year, the prospects for peace remain elusive for the near future and Syria’s humanitarian crisis continues to deepen. This high profile event brought together an influential group of policy makers to discuss the challenges posed by the Syrian civil war.

Royal Holloway’s Dr Akil Awan from the Department of History and Professor Ben O’Loughlin from the Department of Politics and International Relations co-hosted the event in conjunction with The Carter Center - a human rights NGO established by former United States President Jimmy Carter. The workshop was also supported by The British Council, The United States Institute of Peace and Georgia State University.

The workshop focussed on devising solutions to end sectarian conflict, encourage political reconciliation, and re-build Syria’s nation. After three days of intense debate, the participants proposed a number of projects to be taken forward by the Carter Center, Royal Holloway and Georgia State University.

At the end of each day the workshop was opened to the public in a live CNN broadcast where participants in the workshop answered questions from a live audience.