In the arched courtyard of a traditional Damascus home, Syrian activists brainstorm strategies to ensure their country does not return to authoritarianism, in a scene unimaginable under president Bashar al-Assad's rule. Members of a coalition of dozens of non-governmental groups called "Madaniya" discuss their efforts in meetings, as the founder of the coalition Ayman Asfari says "the best accountability and oversight for any political authority in any country in the world is an active civil society. Today, we have a good space for civil society to play its role which was not available in the past." IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES