Community Outreach

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Stand #WithSyria on Third Anniversary of Conflict

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As balloons surround the little boy and whisk him away across the skyline, the enraptured audience of young Syrian children breaks into cheers and applause.  And so ends the FilmAid screening of the Palm d'Or-winning film, Le Ballon Rouge ("The Red Balloon") bringing much needed joy to children displaced by the ongoing tragedy in Syria nearly 60 years after its production.

I am writing to you from Za'atari refugee camp in Jordan on the third anniversary of the conflict in Syria.  A conflict that has seen nearly half the country's population forced to flee from their homes and that has claimed over 100,000 lives.  Today, FilmAid joined a global coalition of over 100 NGOs and charities that are coming together to mark this anniversary with a call for solidarity and hope.

Candle-lit vigils and the release of red balloons, inspired by street artist Banksy's reworking of his iconic "girl with a red balloon" image are taking place around the world, from Trafalgar Square in London, to the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC, Moscow and Paris. Close to Syria’s border, in Za'atari refugee camp, children displaced by the conflict also participated in the #WithSyria campaign by releasing balloons and watching the film.

As you can imagine, it was an incredibly moving event and I'm very proud that FilmAid could be involved. This was our first activity in support of Syrian refugees, however, I hope it is not the last. Over the coming weeks and months we will be looking at how we can provide information and empowerment to the millions that have been displaced by the ongoing conflict.

Please support FilmAid as we stand #WithSyria at this crucial moment. Post on Facebook or Tweet a message of support. Visit WithSyria.com to learn more.

I'd like to thank Films Distribution for their help to make the screening possible as well as the other coalition partners, including Save the Children, Oxfam, Norwegian Refugee Council, Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, Arab Network for NGO Development and the Permanent Peace Movement.

-- Simon Goff, Executive Director

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Reconnecting Families Through Film

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FilmAid and Refugees United have partnered to develop educational video materials to strengthen the ongoing effort to reconnect individuals and families who have been separated by war, conflict and other catastrophes. The films will promote and demonstrate Refugees United’s mobile application, which is the newest addition to the most successful system ever in reconnecting refugees and displaced persons across the globe.

A 20-minute drama video will be scripted and shot by FilmAid’s filmmaker students in Kakuma Refugees Camp, and the final product will be translated into Sudanese, Somalia and Congolese languages before being screened across the camp. FilmAid’s commitment to the participatory video approach ensures that the refugees in Kakuma are empowered in informing their own community in the most effective context.

This new initiative sees the RefUnite platform go mobile in order to provide better access for refugees in the camps, and across the world, to reconnect with their loved ones. Our partnership is crucial in directly helping families reconnect with missing loved ones through a safe and secure search tool that allows for full anonymity without incurring any costs.

Once completed, the film will be screened during FilmAid’s daytime and evening screening programs in Kakuma. Through 30 evening screenings the project will reach over 12,000 people, and daytime screenings include the opportunity for in-depth discussions and question and answer sessions about the search tool and the operations of Refugees United.

FilmAid supports and works closely with other humanitarian agencies in an effort to improve the lives of refugees living across the world. For this reason, we are very excited about our partnership with Refugees United as we now work together toward reaching their goal of reconnecting one million families displaced by war, conflict and catastrophe by 2015.

Please visit our YouTube channel to see the short films we have previously produced. 

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Emmanuel Jal takes Peace Campaign to Kakuma

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Emmanuel Jal visited Kakuma Refugee Camp in partnership with FilmAid International on September 28, during his international We Want Peace Tour. Former Sudan war child and refugee, now hip-hop star and activist, Emmanuel’s visit held special resonance for the international star and his audience. In Kakuma, Jal recorded “Yei,” a song about overcoming struggles and getting through the difficult situations.  Created by Silverstone and Jal, the performance featured talented refugee music artists from Kakuma and will be launched internationally with FilmAid International in November. Jal also recorded a music video of one of his hit singles in the beautiful scenery of Kakuma with the help of FilmAid’s student filmmakers. “I am extremely amazed by the great talent in the camp ranging from filmmaking and singing to dancing, and I loved being able to collaborate with them and inspire them through my own experiences,” said Jal.

As part of his We Want Peace Tour, the soft-spoken peace ambassador had an opportunity to speak with the South Sudanese communities at the camp, promoting peace and the importance of entrepreneurism, which he feels is lacking among young people in the community. Jal also engaged the elders in a panel discussion on ways to finding lasting peace in Sudan and the possibility of repatriation for the Sudanese community in Kakuma. As an advocate of women’s rights, Jal pledged funds to the education of women and girls in the Sudan.

On Saturday September 28, Emmanuel Jal and traditional and contemporary dance groups and musical artists treated audiences of many different nationalities in Kakuma to electric performances. The crowds stood through the entire performance, enjoying hit after hit from Jal singing alongside his sister, Nyaruach and his other backup singer Nyamal. Nyaruach and Nyamal traveled from Dadaab refugee camp to be a part of the concert.

As a witness to the atrocities of Sudan’s second civil war and having been a child soldier himself, Emmanuel now uses music to tell his story and advocate for peace. The We Want Peace campaign aims to “raise awareness on the fundamental principles of justice, equality, unification and conflict prevention.” Following his time in Kakuma, Jal took the We Want Peace Tour to Johannesburg, where he performed and spoke at the One Young World Summit in alongside Kofi Annan, Richard Branson, Yunes Mohamed and Bob Geldof. Later this month he will travel to Zambia for a community and school tour in Lusaka.

At FilmAid we are often fortunate to meet individuals who have incredible and unbelievable stories. Occasionally we get to work with someone who has truly seen the darkest parts of humanity only to emerge empowered and motivated to advocate for social justice and human rights. These inspiring individuals are everywhere and all deserve to have their stories told and their voices heard. We are glad to support Emmanuel Jal’s We Want Peace Tour in Kenya.