Beauty in the Beastliness of War

January 31, 2017.

Magic. Refugee camp. Poetry. Youth. A library.

What?! A library for refugees in a refugee camp? Poetry and writing workshops in that library? What's going on here? Backstory coming up.

Amjad's life crashed in the early days of the Syrian conflict. Violence. Hatred. Deep emotional wounds in a 20-something young man. Escape to a refugee camp. "I didn't know what a refugee was. I was a university student, not a refugee – whatever that was."

"When I came to the camp I felt that my spirit was being broken – just like so many youth around me....MORE

2016: A Year in Review

December 29, 2016.

When I am asked if I ever despair about the future of Syria, I am reminded of Gandalf's advice to Frodo in the Lord of the Rings: 'You can only despair if you already know the end of the story."

I don’t know the end of the story. Nobody does. But I know Syrians. They are amazing. I know the commitment of our Questscope community. And I know what could happen through these amazing people. So, hope, yes. Despair, no.

2016 was a challenging year. As the Syria crisis expanded in its destruction of lives, we extended our ability to reach into unnoticed places of hurt and pain...MORE

Humanitarian Crisis Update for Aleppo

December 21, 2016.

100,000 people on the move away from places they have been bombed and shelled. A city of four million shattered, ruined, devastated – in the mid of winter.

Roy Moussalli and his team are there with them. Yesterday, they started receiving 2,500 sick, wounded and/or disabled displaced persons in an area near Homs, Syria. These individuals have just been rescued from a three-year siege of their two villages in an area around Aleppo. For three years, the only food they could get was parachuted in to them. No medical...MORE

Face2Face with David Peck

November 23, 2016.

David Peck is an author and social change consultant known for his commitment to social justice and international development.

He recently spoke with Questscope Founder Curt Rhodes about Syrians as newcomers to Canada, mentorship, giving back, and Syrians helping Syrians. You can hear more on David's podcast, Face2Face. Tune in to hear more. 

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Nadin's Journey

September 29, 2016.

Nadin left her hometown of Dera’a, Syria with her husband Mohanad in 2013 and became a refugee in Jordan. The day they left was the hardest of their lives, but it was no longer possible to stay. Half of their friends and family had died and the others had been arrested.

"I arrived bringing only my soul and my childhood memories," Nadin said describing her first moments arriving in the Za'atari Refugee Camp. "When I first saw the tents, I felt like my life had stopped."

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Peace Trip in Homs

August 29, 2016.

My name is Hatim Hamroush. My beautiful wife and I live in Homs, Syria with our three wonderful children. I lost the use of both of my legs some years ago and now move with a wheelchair, but I have never let my disability stop me. Instead it taught me strength and reminds me of all that I'm capable of overcoming.

I want to spread hope among people. I try to be the hand that reaches out to others who have also experienced pain and loss in order to help them stand. I show them that if I can overcome obstacles – anyone can.

In April, my friend invited me to join a cycling event...MORE

Manal's Story

August 29, 2016.

Every week, Manal* gets together with eight other girls in a classroom. She didn't know any of them before, and now they're some of her closest friends. They are all refugees from the war-hell in Syria.

They all crossed the border into Jordan when the war broke out. One of the first things they tried was to enroll in school. But it was too late. They had been out for so many years that they couldn't catch up. Pretty bleak, after surviving hell.

Her family was so destitute that they thought they were forced to sell her to be married. At least...MORE

George in Pireaus, Athens

August 3, 2016.

Thousands of refugees in the Athens port of Piraeus. Harrowing journey across the sea, first disembarking on the Greek island of Lesvos. Not everyone who left their shores made it to Greece. From Lesvos, transportation to the mainland, to Piraeus - the port for tourist cruise ships in normal times. Thousands: mothers with babies, families with small children, young people who left families and friends behind.

Giorgos (George) was motivated to go to the port to see if he could help. He is a sculptor who also repairs air conditioners in the depressed Greek economy - and himself the...MORE

New Youth-Led Classes

July 28, 2016.

The students who attend our alternative education centers come from backgrounds of poverty and trauma, but they do not want to be defined by what life has dealt them. They're searching for a full life, and we designed ourselves to adapt to their changing needs as they reach for their goals.

We teach core skills like reading and math, but we also focus on developing their ability to navigate the uncertain futures they all face. What we've been hearing lately is that they want more opportunities to build hands-on vocational skills, so we've spent the past few months working...MORE

A Wedding in Za'atari

June 28, 2016.

I could see the clouds of dust before I could see people.

We rounded the corner and there stood a long line of men, gathered in a crescent-shaped dance line. They began to move in tandem, stomping and kicking, first with small steps and then bigger movements, dancing up a dust storm. A group of women sat to the side and watched the festivities, chatting and taking pictures and passing around juice to the guests. They were celebrating the wedding of Amjad, a volunteer in Questscope's youth center in Za'atari Refugee Camp.

Weddings look a bit different here in...MORE

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