0:00:12.334,0:00:16.334
"This makes me feel skilled and useful

0:00:16.359,0:00:19.000
instead of making me feel useless."

0:00:19.440,0:00:23.479
I'm sharing a quote from a refugee[br]who found back her confidence,

0:00:23.480,0:00:27.260
and I'd like to share with you[br]what makes her say that.

0:00:28.110,0:00:30.709
Refugee situations all over the globe

0:00:30.710,0:00:33.378
are growing in number,[br]size, and permanence.

0:00:34.388,0:00:37.349
Being out of school is often the reality

0:00:37.350,0:00:41.029
for those who've been forced[br]to leave their homes,

0:00:41.030,0:00:42.510
who are on the move.

0:00:43.790,0:00:48.390
Crises and conflicts[br]make a major barrier for learning.

0:00:49.470,0:00:55.578
The right to learn[br]is most at risk during emergencies,

0:00:55.579,0:00:58.918
and that's exactly[br]when it's needed the most.

0:00:58.919,0:01:00.429
When a disaster hits,

0:01:00.430,0:01:04.800
let's say a human-caused conflict[br]or a natural catastrophe,

0:01:06.580,0:01:10.529
the relief efforts are very quick[br]at providing and mobilizing

0:01:11.209,0:01:14.899
sanitation, nutrition, shelter, food,

0:01:14.900,0:01:17.599
clean drinking water, health care.

0:01:17.600,0:01:20.588
But what about learning?[br]What about education?

0:01:20.589,0:01:23.100
How about recreational activities?

0:01:24.500,0:01:27.270
Can those wait for better times?

0:01:29.490,0:01:33.800
When you ask kids and teenagers[br]who're living in crisis and conflicts,

0:01:35.010,0:01:38.300
one of their biggest hopes[br]is to go to school.

0:01:39.220,0:01:40.759
When you miss school,

0:01:40.760,0:01:45.530
you're in the danger[br]of psychosocial trauma

0:01:46.130,0:01:49.019
you're in the danger[br]of psychosocial damage,

0:01:49.020,0:01:50.289
being trafficked,

0:01:50.290,0:01:52.379
being forced to work in armed groups,

0:01:52.380,0:01:54.430
or getting married early;

0:01:55.800,0:01:58.310
and if worse, losing hope.

0:01:59.560,0:02:03.149
Providing access to education in crisis

0:02:03.150,0:02:05.428
is not a political priority.

0:02:05.429,0:02:08.898
Education funding gets less than 2%

0:02:08.899,0:02:11.548
of all humanitarian funding.

0:02:11.549,0:02:15.248
However, there's a growing recognition

0:02:15.249,0:02:17.449
that we need to fix this.

0:02:17.450,0:02:19.400
We have to fix this.

0:02:20.440,0:02:21.589
And at the same time,

0:02:21.590,0:02:26.310
we're starting to understand[br]the value of playful and joyful learning.

0:02:28.620,0:02:31.268
When Mohammad first came to the camp,

0:02:31.269,0:02:34.259
he thought he'd be[br]just staying for a few days.

0:02:34.260,0:02:35.930
Over three years later,

0:02:36.480,0:02:40.539
he's still living in what's known[br]as the biggest refugee camp

0:02:40.542,0:02:43.248
in the Middle East: Za'atri.

0:02:43.249,0:02:45.409
But he's found hope

0:02:45.410,0:02:48.149
thanks to an unexpected source of joy:

0:02:48.150,0:02:49.929
the circus school.

0:02:49.930,0:02:54.059
A group of professionals from Finland[br]opened the school

0:02:54.060,0:02:57.470
around the same time[br]when Mohammad arrived at the camp.

0:02:58.090,0:02:59.718
He joined the classes

0:02:59.719,0:03:03.328
and quickly wanted[br]to become a trainer himself.

0:03:03.329,0:03:04.959
In the early days,

0:03:04.960,0:03:07.629
the school was not so well accepted.

0:03:07.630,0:03:10.790
Some said, "What a waste of time."

0:03:11.980,0:03:14.349
But a lot has changed.

0:03:14.350,0:03:19.069
Now people living in the camp[br]have taken ownership of the trainings,

0:03:19.070,0:03:23.239
and their dream is[br]one day to return back home

0:03:23.240,0:03:26.460
and establish the first[br]national circus of Syria.

0:03:27.480,0:03:31.888
While Mohammad's students in his classes[br]are passionately learning

0:03:31.889,0:03:34.890
new techniques, movements, tricks,

0:03:35.440,0:03:38.210
they also take away much more than that.

0:03:39.480,0:03:43.790
It's a model for spreading joy,[br]confidence, and smiles.

0:03:45.220,0:03:49.260
For some, it's the first laugh[br]since they've left Syria.

0:03:50.510,0:03:53.520
One of the elders[br]in the community said it well,

0:03:54.730,0:03:58.709
"Food and shelter will keep you alive,

0:03:58.710,0:04:02.429
but won't give you the power[br]to fight for your life."

0:04:02.430,0:04:05.339
So, laughter is a serious business.

0:04:05.340,0:04:08.780
Acrobatics, funny tricks, and games

0:04:09.710,0:04:12.539
let you enter the world

0:04:12.540,0:04:16.060
that's outside of the everyday challenges.

0:04:19.579,0:04:25.710
These young boys are not at risk[br]of being socially excluded.

0:04:26.640,0:04:28.890
They are excluded.

0:04:29.760,0:04:33.260
Some of them feel[br]that the world has betrayed them.

0:04:34.270,0:04:36.520
However, at the same time,

0:04:38.120,0:04:44.250
their goal is that this team will one day[br]be famous for its international shows.

0:04:45.370,0:04:47.869
What's even better,

0:04:47.870,0:04:51.140
the girls and young women[br]are extremely active.

0:04:51.670,0:04:55.269
For cultural reasons,[br]the boys and girls train separately.

0:04:55.270,0:04:57.659
When training, you get to meet friends,

0:04:57.660,0:05:00.589
you get to make lots of new friends,

0:05:00.590,0:05:04.380
you get to jump, tumble, joke around.

0:05:05.020,0:05:10.119
The girls are learning[br]never to underestimate their abilities.

0:05:11.240,0:05:14.159
That's a good boost of self-confidence.

0:05:14.160,0:05:17.449
Many mothers are very supportive.

0:05:17.450,0:05:19.460
One of the mothers said,

0:05:21.230,0:05:25.880
"For my daughter, a psychologist[br]might not have had the same effect,

0:05:26.480,0:05:27.940
but the school has."

0:05:28.890,0:05:32.689
Fatima, one of the female trainers[br]on the left, says,

0:05:32.690,0:05:35.249
"There's much more joy to life now."

0:05:35.250,0:05:40.429
The school has given jobs[br]to those who otherwise wouldn't have any.

0:05:40.430,0:05:42.649
It's a remarkable thing to have a job,

0:05:42.650,0:05:46.780
to be employed in a refugee camp.

0:05:48.730,0:05:53.319
The girls make wonderful idols[br]for the younger ones,

0:05:53.320,0:05:55.869
and they faced a few difficulties

0:05:55.870,0:06:00.049
convincing the more conservative[br]members of the community

0:06:00.050,0:06:05.810
that it's OK for girls[br]to do backflips and make headstands.

0:06:06.940,0:06:09.149
When the camp opened, there were tensions

0:06:09.150,0:06:12.209
with masses of young men[br]coming out of the war.

0:06:12.210,0:06:14.010
It can be unstable.

0:06:14.720,0:06:19.129
It's a simple issue of boredom.

0:06:19.130,0:06:23.240
When you don't have anything to do,[br]you have all this unused energy.

0:06:23.930,0:06:26.089
Activities, like the circus,

0:06:26.090,0:06:29.120
are good at redirecting[br]that excess energy.

0:06:31.890,0:06:34.590
These young people have been through war,

0:06:36.470,0:06:41.130
suffering trauma or post-traumatic stress.

0:06:43.090,0:06:44.890
Many have lost their family.

0:06:47.490,0:06:49.800
But they're learning to trust again

0:06:50.520,0:06:53.540
because trust is needed[br]in the crowded camp.

0:06:54.300,0:06:55.419
From the outside,

0:06:55.420,0:06:58.009
this looks like any of the other tents,

0:06:58.010,0:07:03.250
but this particular tent brings hope[br]to those who are waiting to go home.

0:07:04.540,0:07:06.029
And what's new?

0:07:06.030,0:07:09.469
Recently, the circus school[br]got bigger and better facilities

0:07:09.470,0:07:11.799
with air conditioning and higher ceilings,

0:07:11.800,0:07:16.420
so now you can make higher tricks[br]and train for longer hours.

0:07:17.050,0:07:21.220
Making this happen[br]doesn't require a lot of investments,

0:07:21.560,0:07:25.700
but it's an effective way to build[br]a more sustainable tomorrow.

0:07:26.270,0:07:27.629
Yes, we know;

0:07:27.630,0:07:30.569
when there's crisis or during emergencies,

0:07:30.570,0:07:34.089
it's vital to take care[br]of the basic needs,

0:07:34.090,0:07:36.559
but the circus school also shows us

0:07:36.560,0:07:40.230
that opportunities to play are needed.

0:07:41.830,0:07:46.059
In other words, joy cannot wait.

0:07:46.060,0:07:47.860
(Applause)