[NPO Piece of Syria] Creating a future for Syria, which is likely to be forgotten. A challenge to create peace through educational support! NPO Piece
of Syria has started crowdfunding with a goal of 10 million yen. *NPO Piece of Syria*
Press release: September 13, 2024
A future for Syria, which is on the verge of being forgotten. A challenge to create peace through educational support! NPO Piece of Syria has started crowdfunding with a goal of 10 million yen. Click here for details on crowdfunding and support.
https://readyfor.jp/projects/syria2024/
* ■Background of crowdfunding*
The situation in Syria is currently so serious that the United Nations has called it “the biggest humanitarian crisis since the start of the war” (*). One of the reasons is lack of funds. As the civil war continues to drag on, the world’s interest in Syria is waning. As a result, international aid has declined, with only 40% of the humanitarian funding needed by the UN in 2023. The Secretary-General for Syria of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has warned that “Syria is at risk of being forgotten.”
(OHCHR, July 2024)
In particular, support for education requires a long-term perspective and is therefore often excluded from emergency support. For example, in northern Syria, which suffered severe earthquake damage in addition to the war, reconstruction of school buildings has not progressed and two out of three children still cannot attend school. In addition, there are concerns about the loss of culture. Not only are ruins being destroyed, but intangible heritage and oral culture that has been passed down from generation to generation during the prolonged evacuation period is also beginning to be lost.
* ■ Future activities of Piece of Syria *
Since the beginning of our activities, our organization has
consistently communicated how “Syria before the war” was a wealthy and highly educated country. This is based on the original experience of founder Nakano, who was active in Syria as a Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteer from 2008 to 2010.
Because we know what Syria is like, what we are aiming for is “a future in which aid is no longer needed and we can all visit a peaceful Syria.” Until now, Piece of
The two main activities that Syria has carried out are:
* -Kindergarten management in Syria-*
Along with basic education, we have provided psychosocial care to help children enjoy group life. The purpose is to reduce the dropout rate in school life after elementary school.
* -Operation of supplementary school for refugees in Turkey-* We provide supplementary lessons and activities for Syrian children who were born and raised in Turkey and do not know the language or culture of their home country.
In addition to the above activities, there are two new activities that we are planning to proceed with:
* -Protection of Syria’s intangible culture-*
We work together with Syrian archaeologists, Syrian artists, and Japanese experts to protect intangible heritage and music.
* -Creation of digital teaching materials and peace education to learn Syrian traditional culture-*
We aim to turn intangible heritage into digital teaching materials and disseminate them to the Syrian people who are scattered around the world.
* ■ Continuing education and culture to build a peaceful future nation* Our aim is not only to solve the problems in front of us. Our aim is to give children a sense of hope through education, and to lay the foundation for building a peaceful future nation through the protection and inheritance of culture.
War not only destroys human lives and daily life, but also destroys cultural heritage. The loss of cultural heritage means a loss of attachment to the region and a place of emotional support during reconstruction. I think everyone who lives in Japan, which is prone to many disasters, understands that preserving traditions such as festivals will provide great strength and courage during recovery.
Furthermore, even within Syria, there is a Syrian culture that is shared by both sides, even though they are at odds in the civil war. Working together in conservation efforts can restart dialogue between people living in areas under conflicting powers and lead to hope, a starting point for building a common future.
“Piece of
The great thing about Syria is that they listen to the voices of the Syrian people and work together to create activities, rather than providing one-sided support,” said a Syrian staff member who manages the education project. As the needs of Syria change day by day during the war and aid to Syria is decreasing worldwide, when I talk to Syrian people, I feel that Piece
I feel that expectations for the activities of Syria are increasing.
We want to make our activities so that when the Syrian people look back on our activities a few years from now, they can say, “This was a piece of Syria’s history.” Please take part in our activities by making this donation!
* ■ Kickoff event from 8pm on the day*
A kickoff event will be held on September 13th.
Piece of
The staff who work behind the scenes and CEO Nakano will talk about the results of the activities that Syria has achieved with the donations raised from everyone, and their thoughts on the future they want to create from now on, and their enthusiasm for the new challenge!
“For children to continue learning – What we can do now for a peaceful future” [Date and time] September 13th (Friday) 20:00-21:00 Exchange meeting with staff
[How to participate] https://kickoff2024.peatix.com/ (Please apply from Peatix!) In addition, we will hold events to convey the latest Syrian situation, basic knowledge and culture of Syria.
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▼[PEACE DAY] Pass on the culture lost due to the war to the next generation! Creating a peaceful future through Syrian music and dialogue
-Guest- Isbel Sabourin (Representative of Heritage for Peace) Mr. Hussein Hajj (Syrian musician)
[Date and time] September 21st (Sat) 20:00-21:00 Social gathering [Application/Details] https://peaceday2024.peatix.com/
▼First time in Syria ~ Commentary on Syria by a person who lived in Syria before the war ~
[Date and time] September 26th (Thursday) 20:30-21:00
October 5th (Sat) 20:00-20:30
[Application/Details] https://syriatour.peatix.com
▼Syria now and the future of the Middle East – The reality and hope of earthquake recovery that has been forgotten and is not progressing – -Guest-Professor Hiroyuki Aoyama (Representative of Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Shiri)
[Date and time] September 27th (Friday) 20:00-21:30
[Application/Details] https://syria2024now-aoyama.peatix.com
▼ Talking about the present and future of support for Syria – What can we do as international support decreases? ~
-Guest- Mr. Hiroshi Takabayashi (Director, UN-HABITAT Syria Office) [Date and time] October 4th (Friday) 20:00-21:00
[Application/Details] https://syria2024-un.peatix.com/
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■ Regarding inquiries (coverage) regarding this matter
NPO Piece of Syria
Person in charge: Akihiro Shima
TEL: 090-5169-9014
Mail: shima●piece-of-syria.org (please change ● to @ and send * ■ About Piece of Syria *
*
It was established as a voluntary organization in 2016 by Takayuki Nakano, who was active in Syria as a Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteer from 2008 to 2010. With the vision of “making Syria a country people want to visit again,” we collaborate with Syrian NGOs in Turkey to provide educational support to internally displaced persons in Syria and Syrian refugees in Turkey. Became an NPO in 2021. In Japan, lectures and photo exhibitions related to peace are being held at educational institutions and regions across the country, as well as online, while conveying the story of Syria’s past and present. *
* In 2023, Representative Nakano was selected as one of Newsweek Japan’s “100 Japanese People Respected by the World”. *
Web: http://piece-of-syria.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/piece.of.syria/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/piece.of.syria/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/piece_of_syria
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/PieceofSyria
Donation: https://piece-of-syria.org/whatyoudo/donation.html