Syrian American joins the revolution by computer from suburban Chicago

Syrian American joins the revolution by computer from suburban Chicago
Syrian American joins the revolution by computer from suburban Chicago

Syrian American joins the revolution by computer from suburban Chicago

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Peace talks continued for the fourth day in Switzerland but so far no agreement has been reached on how to open up humanitarian corridors or how to move forward on a political solution to the country’s ongoing civil war. One Syrian American based in Chicago is organizing a protest for this upcoming weekend, hoping to draw further attention to the country’s humanitarian crisis. In 2011, Alaa Basatneh, a college student, decided she needed to stop spending her weekends at Starbucks and start helping young Syrian activists. So she took to her computer and found herself helping to coordinate protests inside Syria and even warning villages about impending attacks by the Syrian military. She joins us to talk about her work and the ongoing peace talks in Switzerland. (PHOTO: Syrian army soldiers loyal to Bashar Assad, seen in the background, standing in front of dead bodies at Bayda village, in the mountains outside the coastal city of Banias, Syria. AP Photo/The Syrian Revolution against Bashar Assad, File)