Supporting the Syrian Cause at AUP
Habiba Belguedj remembers the television reports of Syrian refugees fleeing their war-torn country, images that brought back memories of her own family's escape from Algeria to the United States in the 1990s. She wanted to help but wasn't sure where to start. But she had to do something.
Calling on her past experience in humanitarian work, American University of Paris grad student Belguedj decided to start a student organization to help Syrian refugees. She took her idea to Kevin Fore, AUP's Dean of Student Development, and Joelle Gewolb in campus Student Leadership Office. The result was Baytna à Vous, officially established at AUP in September 2015.
Baytna à Vous, which translates from Arabic and French into "My Home for You", provides humanitarian relief for Syrian refugees who arrive in France, especially in the Paris region. BV hosts activities on campus to promote the Syrian cause and raise awareness of the Syrian refugee crisis. "We focus on the humanitarian aspect in everything that we do, making it important to raise awareness on the cause, but in an apolitical manner," says Belguedj.
BV collaborates with Souria Houria, a Paris-based NGO supporting Syrian refugees. The two organizations host a workshop for refugee children at AUP every second Saturday. Workshop activities include singing, hip hop dancing, drawing, art therapy, and theater. "The children are so happy to find others their own age and from their country, and we love helping them integrate," says Lamis Zolhof, an Souria Houria staff member.
Left to Right: Annie Tannous (art teacher), Mohammd Jabur (BV Syria), Lamis Zolhoff (Souria Houria), Habiba Belguedj (BV Syria), Hala Al Abdalla (Souria Houria), Nasha Rizk (choral instructor). Image credit: Tara Jamali.
Parents sometimes accompany their children to the workshops, where they can speak with other Syrians in their native language and share common cultural connections. Some have been in France since the civil war started in 2011, while others are more recent arrivals in France. Some families have been in Paris since Hafez el-Assad's regime which closed Syria off from the rest of the world.
"It's different circumstances, it's all very diverse, which goes to show the reality of Syria, it's a big and diverse country," says Belguedj. "We don't discriminate in any way as to which Syrian refugees we work for, we've taken all the kids whether they've come a month ago or three years ago or grown up here."
In addition to its humanitarian work raising funds and providing food and clothing for recent arrivals, BV also hosts French language classes for refugees. The children have an easier time absorbing a new language but it's not so easy for their parents, who benefit from linguistic training from French-Lebanese tutors who come to the campus from time to time.
While Souria Houria has an active partnership with BV on the humanitarian front, it also provides space for discussions on Syrian politics. "We want to help Syrian people with democracy and laicity, we are here to help their voice get heard in French society," says Zolhof, who believes the Syrians' wishes and aspirations are no different from those of others. They want freedom, democracy, the right to exist, and for their country to belong to them.
Alongside organizing discussions with members of French civil society about the refugee crisis, Souria Houria holds venues for Syrians in Paris to have conversations about their country's politics. The goal is for them to get used to debating politics and discussing social issues without being aggressive, and to accept the idea of the other while being open and democratic. "It's basic humanitarian values," says Zolhof. "We try to start changing ourselves, which will lead to changing the country."
A BV Syria volunteer assists Syrian children with arts and crafts. Image credit: Tara Jamali.
While the French government handles Syrian refugee cases in a more timely manner compared to those of other refugees, France does not take in as many Syrian refugees as some other European countries. Germany, for example, estimates to have taken in over 300,000 Syrian refugees in 2016 alone, yetFrance has only taken in 10,000 since 2011.
Souria Houria also organizes concerts in Paris for Syrian singers and bands. And every December, SH arranges for work from Syrian artists to be displayed at the Paris Christmas Markets.
SH is proud of its partnership with BV. According to Zolhof, it makes the Syrians happy to see non-Syrians helping them out, giving them the motivation to rebuild their lives and prepare for a brighter future. "When we see people like Habiba and others at BV, it gives us energy to continue our fight for freedom," she says.
As a Masters student in International Relations, Belguedj believes BV activities contribute to her academic success while providing a solid base for her future career. Her MA thesis is on the psychological integration of child refugees. She works closely with the artists and therapists who produce creative ways to support Syrian children through the workshops.
While BV started with only 2 students — Belguedj as its founder and Dana Doroush who graduated from AUP last year — today it has more than thirty AUP student volunteers. They do everything from coordinating and volunteering at events to teaching English and French and playing with the refugee children.
Dolls made by Syrian children during a Saturday workshop at AUP. Image credit: Tara Jamali.
Mohammad Jabur, an International Business major at AUP, has worked with BV for over a year. Coming from Syria and having witnessed firsthand the ravages of civil war, nothing satisfies him more than knowing he can impact the lives of the refugee children in a positive way. "I want to help them forget the past and give them something they can be happy about," he says.
Patrcia Molinos from Barcelona is another AUP student volunteering with BV. The Syrian refugee crisis is often brought up in the International Affairs degree she is taking. Some friends remind her of all the things she could be doing on a Saturday afternoon instead of spending a whole afternoon with refugees, but she says there is nothing else she'd rather do.
"It's very rewarding to be involved with BV," she says. "The situation is really bad for them — the youngest ones don't really know what's going on, but the 12 or 14 year olds come here and smile and play and try to act like everything's okay. They've been through really tough situations. So I wouldn't change it for anything."
