Hello, I'm Mark Lohan.
Welcome to the documentary from the BBC World Service.
In BBC OS Conversations,
we bring people together to share their experiences and their views.
This time,
we're talking to Syrians from different walks of life
as they discuss how things are changing
since the Assad regime was overthrown and replaced by a new interim government.
For well over a decade civil war blighted the lives of Syrians as rebel forces battled against former president Bashar al-Assad and his brutal regime.
More than 600,000 people were killed and 12 million others were forced from their homes during this time.
Then in December last year everything changed with astonishing speed.
Assad's dictatorship was overthrown by his opponents.
It was a new start.
But the effects of 13 years of conflict are not easy to shake off.
The impact of war on the economy has been compounded by years of international sanctions imposed on the Assad regime.
But now countries are starting to lift those sanctions.
Most significantly, the United States did so last month.
We wanted to hear how these developments are affecting people in Syria and what their hopes are for the future.
The feeling is indescribable, unbelievable happiness.
The words of one joyful Syrian as the people of Damascus took to the streets to celebrate the news that the US was lifting its sanctions.