What happens when ordinary people try to build a democracy from scratch in the middle of a civil war — and what happens when it falls apart?
In this episode, our host Kelly McFarland sits down with journalist and author Anand Gopal, a three-time Pulitzer finalist, to discuss his new book Days of Love and Rage: A Story of Ordinary People Forging a Revolution. The book follows six individuals in the northern Syrian city of Manbij, where residents overthrew the Assad regime in 2012 and launched a remarkable 18-month experiment in participatory democracy, before inequality, economic crisis, and the rise of ISIS tore it apart.
In this conversation:
- Lessons from comparing Syria’s struggle to the French Revolution
- How 50 protesters grew into a citywide movement that toppled a dictatorship
- The assemblies, newspapers, and civic organizations that emerged from 40 years of authoritarian silence
- Why economic inequality — not just tyranny — proved to be democracy’s greatest threat
- How ISIS recruited ordinary, secular Syrians through populist rhetoric, not just ideology
- The role of women in the revolution and the double battle against both the regime and patriarchal norms
- What Syria’s story tells us about radicalization, democratic fragility, and the long arc of revolution
Listen to the episode
Guest speaker
Anand Gopal is a journalist and author who has covered Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria for over a decade. His new book Days of Love and Rage is based on eight years of reporting and nearly 2,000 interviews. It was published on March 3rd.
The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity.
Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Mislav Majcan. Recorded on March 9, 2026.
Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world.
Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
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