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.