The Syrian conflict has created one of the worst humanitarian crises of modern times. It is estimated that more than half of the country’s pre-war population have been killed or forced to flee their homes. Due to the whereabouts of Syrian and Turkish borders, many refugees have fled to Turkey. Turkey currently has the largest population of Syrian refugees, with an estimated 4 million Syrian refugees currently living there. Statistics show that one in every twenty people living in Turkey are registered refugees. Millions of people have left their homes, livelihoods, and even their families. Most did not have the choice to leave, their options were either leaving their countries or staying and threatening their lives.
The Syrian civil war began in 2011 and since then, the Syrian refugee crisis has been an ongoing problem. The civil war was influenced by the Arab Spring, which was a series of anti-government protests and uprisings throughout the middle east. The current president of Syria, Bashar al-Assad, met the protests with harsh security measures and military operations. From there, the violence escalated and the country soon found themselves engulfed in a full-scale civil war. As a result of this war, an estimated 6 million people have fled the country, and approximately 500,000 people have died or gone missing.
The Tribe Projects is a small group of volunteers living in Izmir, Turkey, supporting the Syrian refugees living there. According to the United Nations, the vast majority of refugees live below the poverty line. The Tribe Projects are committed to empowering and bettering the lives of the Syrian Refugees living in Turkey. This organization helps Syrian refugees by working to improve their living conditions, providing children with the education and skills they need to reach their future dreams, and enhancing livelihoods by providing refugees with small projects as an opportunity to earn a dignified living. The Tribe Projects’ efforted have resulted in 300 families gaining access to proper sanitation facilities, physiotherapy treatment for 25 children with spinal damage, and an average of 40 bags of firewood distributed to families in the winter. Overall, 550 refugee families are benefiting from their support.
As a project for the course Playing and Hearing Music 3 (MUSI 2793, instructed by Jeff Torbert, at Acadia University), the Acadia music students are putting on a fundraising concert for the Tribe Projects. To fundraise for the concert, the class is hosting a few events, including a coffee house at Charts Cafe on Thursday, March 14, at 6:00 pm, and we invite you all to attend. As well, you can keep up with the class’ preparation for the concert, and get information for all upcoming events on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (@playinghearing3 on Facebook and Twitter, and @playingandhearing3 on Instagram).
The final concert, Unity for Change, will take place on Wednesday, March 27, 2019, at Acadia University’s Festival Theatre Building, at 7:00 pm. We hope to see you there!
