Clowns Without Borders and the Humanitarian Summit in our Hearts
Click to read the article in Turkish
The World Humanitarian Summit organized last week in İstanbul has sparked various discussions and criticism.
Especially organizations such as Human Rights Association and Human Rights Foundation of Turkey not being invited to the summit, andTurkey, as the host of the summit, not signing declaration to remind the participating states and armed groups in clash have been targets of criticism. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) announcing that they have stepped back from the summit arguing that “the summit was far from supporting the obligations of the states to abide and apply the law required by the international agreements concerning humanitarian aid and refugees which they have signed, was one of many reactions.
While all these happened, the “humanitarian aid in our hearts” has been realized in Esenler, Tarlabaşı, Sultanbeyli in İstanbul.
Clowns Without Borders Organization has met with hundreds of children and children refugees from Syria and Iraq in particular during four days in the event organized by NGOs such as
Esenler Municipality, Tarlabaşı Community Center, Support to Life Foundation, Human Resource Development Foundation and Goethe Institute.
Brenner: The real communication is from heart to heart
The team which has met with children between May 24-27 is from the German section of the Clowns Without Borders.
Miriam Brenner, a member of the organization has conveyed her impressions upon the gathering in İstanbul as “Every time I meet refugee children, I witness that not only children but also adults need love and to be seen. Being together with them provides an unbelievable energy. Hands, eyes looking at you and the ones who want to be seen by you...While one observes these, he/she also witnesses all their emotions like hope, sadness, fear and excitement”.
Brenner who has been a professional clown for 10 years, has joined the Clowns Without Borders in 2009 and had conducted a series of activities for war victim children and adults in Syria and Turkey before. Pointing out to the needs of the refugees and migrants to be cherished, loved and to have fun besides their basic needs like food, accommodation and safety, Brenner says;
“In all these gatherings, we witness that the real communication is the one from heart to heart and the refugees need it so much”.
“Laughing is the best medicine”
Clowns Without Borders is a group composed of clowns, acrobatic and performing artists staging performances free of charge on a voluntary basis.
The idea to from the group which took the road saying “Laughing is the best medicine” and aims at making people in catastrophe areas affected by disasters such as has came up in 1993 in Spain.
The German sector of the group has realized out a series of projects in Romania, Ukraine, Sri Lanka, Georgia, India, Nepal, Kenya, Turkey, Syria, Iran, Jordan, Israel, Albania and Germany since their establishment in 2007.
The Turkey branch of the group continuing their activities in various states of the world with participation of hundreds of people from approximately 12 different countries, is in foundation phase. (GK/HK/DG)