June 23, 2015

Invisibility and voicelessness are two characteristics that plague refugee populations. The vibrant individual life story is too often obscured once a person has been labeled as a refugee. Questscope is committed to giving a platform to that individual voice and to partnering with organizations who share that same ideal.

About a year and a half ago, Questscope partnered with Me/We Syria. Founded by Mohsin Mohi-Ud Din and funded by the German government, Me/We Syria helps disadvantaged youth narrate their story by producing their own short films. Through workshops, children in Questscope’s mentoring programs have been able to document their stories of positive transformation and hope of changing their world for the better. They learn tools to express their emotions and how communication can break down barriers. 

On June 18th, the Permanent Mission of Germany to the UN and the Permanent Mission of Jordan to the UN co-hosted an event in New York that featured a panel discussion on refugee youth and highlighted the Me/We Syria initiative. Several original films made by youth living in Za'atari Refugee Camp were screened by the audience. Mike Nikonchuk, who has been instrumental in the success of this project, represented Questscope on the panel discussion along with Mohsin Mohi-Ud Din and representatives from the United Nations.     

This initiative was able to deliver refugees' voices directly to the diplomats, media and others who hold the power to enact change. These short films served as a catalyst for a global discussion on the state of refugee youth, and our brothers and sisters in Za'atari should be very proud.       

 

Click here for short interview with Mohsin Mohi-Ud Din from Me/We Syria and Mike Niconchuk from Questscope.

Click here for an example of a film created by a child in one of Questscope's programs.

Click here for a summary of tweets from audience and governments.

Syrian #refugees self-produced messages + films from project #MeWeSyria