Amid the numerous crises Syria faces today—political, military, social, and educational—the European region of South Tyrol offers an inspiring model for how ethnic and linguistic diversity can be managed to achieve future stability and prosperity. South Tyrol, located in northern Italy, is a successful case of turning linguistic identity struggles into a tool for fostering peaceful coexistence. This model holds significant lessons for Syria, where similar policies could be adopted to stabilize the country after years of conflict and war.

South Tyrol was originally part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire but became part of Italy after World War I under the Treaty of Saint-Germain in 1919. Despite efforts to "Italianize" the region and impose the Italian language, the German-speaking population maintained its cultural and linguistic identity. In the 1960s, South Tyrol gained extensive autonomy, and multilingualism became an integral part of the region’s political and educational framework.

Today, German, Italian, and Ladin are recognized as official languages in South Tyrol, and all three are used in government institutions, schools, and politics. This balanced policy has helped create an environment of stability and prosperity, where all citizens feel that their linguistic and cultural rights are respected. This approach has made multilingualism a bridge for communication and understanding between different communities, rather than a source of division and conflict.

South Tyrol's experience with multilingualism and educational diversity offers a vital tool for achieving future stability in Syria. The country suffers from linguistic and cultural fragmentation that mirrors the political and military divisions. In areas controlled by the Autonomous Administration in northeastern Syria, curricula are taught in Kurdish, while the Syrian regime continues to impose its own curriculum in areas under its control. In northwestern Syria, Turkish-backed curricula are used, further deepening the disparities between regions and exacerbating divisions.

This educational chaos strengthens local identities at the expense of a unifying national identity. Instead of using education to foster understanding and communication between Syria’s diverse communities, education has become a means of imposing power and entrenching divisions. This situation perpetuates instability, as each group feels isolated and threatened in its identity and culture.

South Tyrol's model demonstrates that multilingualism does not have to lead to chaos or division; it can instead be the foundation for mutual understanding and coexistence. Recognizing local languages in government institutions and schools, as South Tyrol has done, helps foster a sense of belonging among all ethnic and linguistic groups. For Syria, this approach could be part of the solution for rebuilding trust between its diverse communities and using language and education as tools for reconciliation.

For example, local languages such as Kurdish, Syriac, and Armenian could be recognized alongside Arabic in schools and official institutions. This recognition of linguistic diversity would help strengthen the cultural and national identities of each group while simultaneously contributing to the building of a shared national identity founded on respect for diversity and mutual understanding.

In South Tyrol, educational pluralism is a fundamental pillar for maintaining stability. Every student has the right to be educated in their mother tongue, while also learning the other languages to foster understanding between different groups. Syria could implement a similar model that ensures the right to education in local languages while promoting understanding among the country’s various ethnic groups. A balanced educational system that acknowledges linguistic diversity would be a critical step toward long-term stability, where everyone feels that their cultural and linguistic rights are respected.

South Tyrol’s experience has shown that social and political stability can be achieved by recognizing linguistic and cultural diversity in education and governance. In Syria, the lack of such recognition and the continued fragmentation of curricula, driven by the power dynamics of different groups and the dictatorial regime, only deepens divisions and perpetuates instability. Syrian stakeholders must focus on education as a tool for building trust between communities rather than a means for imposing political ideologies.

Syria needs to reform its educational system to reflect its cultural and linguistic diversity. Official recognition of local languages and their application in schools and government institutions could be the beginning of a comprehensive national reconciliation—much like how South Tyrol’s recognition of multilingualism has contributed to peaceful coexistence. If Syria embraces this model, it could move towards a more stable and united future, where diversity is celebrated rather than suppressed.

South Tyrol’s experience offers a living example of how multilingualism can be a tool for peaceful coexistence and stability rather than a source of conflict. In Syria, where ethnic and political-military divisions run deep, this model can serve as an inspiration for building an educational and political system that acknowledges and fosters diversity.

The recognition of linguistic diversity in Syria is not just a matter of rights but a necessity for stability and the construction of a cohesive society. Syria must realize that education is the foundation of any stable future, and recognizing languages and cultural identities is the key to building that future. Just as South Tyrol has proven that peaceful coexistence is possible even after a long history of conflict, Syria can learn from this experience in its quest for peace and national reconciliation.

This article comes in the context of a study tour organized by the European Center for Kurdish Studies in cooperation with Eurac Research under the title "Political Participation in South Tyrol: Inspirations for the Syrian Peace Process." The tour aims to explore South Tyrol’s unique experience and draw lessons that can be applied to the Syrian crisis, which demands innovative solutions to manage ethnic and sectarian diversity and guarantee the rights of all components of Syrian society.

 

Shiyar Khaleal