Imagine you are staying in your home and every night you hear the neighbour child being beaten. The child cries and can’t defend it self. It is unbearable to listen to. You have to do something. Maybe you can call the police or some organization that help children who are being beaten or sexual abused. In most countries you will find a number you can call, and they can help. You call the police, but can’t help you. You try to find another number, but there is none.
In Lebanon it is like this. If you try the police, they will tell you that they don’t have the authority of stopping the person who abuses the child. It is no law that say this is wrong. It is no law that protect the child.
Rima wants to change this story. On Thursday she invited friends for brainstorming on this issue. This is so important to do something about. So far it doesn’t look like any organization or NGO work on this issue in Lebanon. Rima will need all the help she can get.
If any know something about how to approach this issue, what steps need to be taken for changing law or awareness on this, please let me know.
I have learned so much about the situation for Palestinian refugees in Lebanon this week. On Tuesday we went to the UNESCO Palace - Beirut and watched Stories from Palestinian Artists. It was the final event of the project Mustaqbal: New perspective for the Palestinian youth from Beddawi and Burj el Semali.
Three movies were shown:
1.Smile, you are in south Lebanon, by Dalia Al-Kury
2.The Coffee Smell, by Fadi Dabaja
3.Neither here, nor there, by Hicham Kayed
All three of them taught me something new, but it was movie number 3 that gave me a wakeup call. It was about young boys living in the refugee camp in Beirut. They had lived all their life in this camp, with no hopes for the future. They were not able to get a job in Lebanon, no money for education, no daily activity other than playing cards. They were looking for a future, and their only hope as far as they could see was to immigrate. Some of them had tried this already, but been sent back beaten and neglected.
One had made it to Germany and was still living there. When he was in the refugee camp, his only wish was to get away. Now his only wish was to go back to his family. He lived in Berlin illegally, had a low paid job, no network, feeling lonely, feeling depressed….
This documentary also had a scene from a refugereception in Berlin. They lived like in prison, maybe worse because they didn’t know for how many years they had to stay inside this house. They were not allowed to walk out.
The situations for a lot of the Palestinians are really Neither here, nor there. I wonder how the situation is like for the refugees in Norwegian refugee receptions? Wonder what the stories would be like? Maybe that should be my next project, Stories from the inside. If the stories comes out, the norwegians might not be so scared of welcoming refugees to their neighbourhood?
This week it has been a conference on Arab Feminisms. I got the chance to go there today. The topic today was "War, Occupation and Arab Feminism". The Panel talked about:
The disappearing Act of palestinian Women
The Iraqi Feminist Movement: From Resistance to Acceptance
Palestinian Women
War and Conflict
Afghan Women Resistance and Struggle in Afghanistan and Diasporic Communities.
Elaheh Rostamy-Povey says that women are suffering more then men in war. There are several reasons for that. They are being left alone with the responsibility for their homes and children. They are being raped and humiliated. If they become physical disable, their loosing status in society.
This morning I woke up by a big bang. I didn`t realize what it was. My first thought was if it was a war starting or a car bomb? But no… I had to laugh of myself .. it was just a lightning. I guess the history of this country makes me a bit paranoia.
I am staying in my friend’s house. She is lending me her room. She has been laying in this bed, listening to real bombs and shooting her whole life. It is like this country doesn`t know how it is like to live without a war. I look at the wall from my bed. She has decorated it with flowers and bright colors. She has also put up some words on the wall – The sun will shine tomorrow. Is show me hopes for the future and joy in life.
When I look around me in this city, I see people who are feeling free. Today is the day when the sun is shining. Rimas mother tells me that they only know this day, that’s why we should make the best out of it. My hope for this country that this freedom they feel today, will last forever!
My first time in Beirut. I say first time because there will be a second and third and…. I am totally in love with this city. This trip started one and a half year ago when I got to know Rima at Stiftelsen Arkivet. She was an FK participant in Red Cross and I worked at The foundation neveragain.no.
I could tell by her energy and her love for people around her that she is a girl that will make a difference in people lives.
When she left Norway I promised to vitit her in Lebanon. I didn’t know if I really was going to. Foreign affairs in Norway recommand norwegians not to go here for vacation. Rima told me it was safe, and from my perspecive it was difficult to know if I should go. I wouldn’t call it a holiday. I was more like going for a inspiration trip. In my work I do a lot of workshops on digital storytelling. Now I am looking for another way of telling stories by photos. This is a paradise for getting inspiration. Many groups are using photos and video to reflect on war and peace with children. I have so much to learn from them. So I decided to go to visit my friend in Beirut.
Now I am here. I can tell by the buildings that it has been a lot of shooting and bombing. In the area I am staying, it is nice and quit, lovely view and harmony.
This really is Paris of The Middle East.
