PLAY FOR PEACE

OUR CAMPAIGN TO HELP CHILDREN AFFECTED BY WAR TO HEAL THROUGH PLAY.

Our mission for Christmas 2017 and Ramadan 2018 was to send love, joy and compassion to some of the most vulnerable people in the world. We teamed up with peacebuilding organisation International Alert to support The Peace Play Project, helping vulnerable children affected by war to heal, play and be children again.

THE PEACE PLAY PROJECT

The Peace Play Project provided organised, therapeutic play sessions to help traumatised children to heal and express difficult emotions. Sessions are determined by the moods of the children, and can involve anything from games and drama to music and art. The sessions also involve playback theatre as a way of encouraging children to work through the trauma they’ve faced.

These play sessions, which were set up by five Syrians affected by war, use theatre and arts-based therapy to help children deal with trauma and understand their experiences in Syria. Through play, these children can explore and express difficult emotions, make sense of their experiences and learn how to interact more positively with their peers as well as adults in their lives. The activities will take place in safe-haven community centres, away from the weight and pressures they face day to day.

INTERNATIONAL ALERT

International Alert works with people directly affected by conflict to build lasting peace. They focus on solving the root causes of conflict with people from across divides. From the grassroots to policy level, they work in collaboration turning in-depth research into practical solutions to make a difference on the ground.

“Some young Syrians struggle to remember a time for before violence and loss, before they had to flee their homes and become refugees. We provide a safe space for them to play and finally be children again.”

Harriet Lamb

FORMER CEO OF INTERNATIONAL ALERT

CASE STUDY: GHARAM’S STORY

Gharam and her family are from Aleppo. Her favourite colours are red and yellow and she dreams of becoming a doctor. When asked about The Peace Play Project, she said, “I love it, A LOT.” This is the only place for her to play safely and make friends. Gharam gets very excited for every session.

CASE STUDY: LEENA’S STORY

Leena’s family fled Syria with only the clothes they were wearing. She has been in the camp for five years now. It’s crowded and the streets are too dangerous to play outside. The Peace Play Project is the only time Leena gets to play with other children outside of her family and become the outgoing little girl she is.