Like every conflict in world history, Syrian children are the main victims of the political armed- conflict that is taking place since 2011. Being victims is not only because they are vulnerable to war, displacement and siege, but also for being used by all political sides; victimizing images of children in media, to accuse the other of crimes against humanity, is itself a crime.
Hundreds of thousands of Syrian children today, both in conflict zones inside Syria and in refugee-camps in neighboring countries, are exposed to all kinds of violence. They are being taught and trained to be “fighters of the future” if not fighters of today.
With loss of schools and basic care, the surrounding environment of polarized politics, weapon-culture, displacement and rage, is pushing a whole generation of kids and teenagers away from their childhood, towards violence.
According to my experience and after working for the last two years with Syrian children; Art – in conflict zones and refugee camps, becomes a method of treatment.
Atmospheres of painting groups, workshops of drawing and photography give the kids safe spaces to widen up their horizons, to replace their environment with vocabularies of colors, dance and performance, allowing them – even for a short while, to overcome an unbearable reality and to see, that a better future is possible.
