MISHWAR AMAL - JOURNEYS OF HOPE FOR SYRIAN REFUGEES

That this House congratulates the efforts of Mishwar Amal, Journeys of Hope, which provides relief and support for communities in refugee camps located in the Akkar region of Lebanon, where nearly half the population consists of Syrian refugees; notes that the organisation, founded in May 2016 by Anthony Collins, originally from Glasgow, aims to improve the wellbeing of refugee families by developing their skills through the provision of creative projects, as well as other recreational activities, fostering links between Lebanese, Syrians and Palestinians; further notes that there are 500,000 Palestinians and 1.8 million Syrians living in settlements across Lebanon; commends Mishwar Amal for the integration of sustainable practices into its humanitarian and development efforts in the spirit of the 2015 UN sustainable development goals, strengthening capacities, self-reliance and solidarity among the communities; further notes in particular the work of the Mishwar Music Studio, a programme to create a fruitful and self-sustaining cycle for music development, production and marketing as well as a recycyling project involving skill-building for young women and men which integrates different communities facing similar challenges; further congratulates Mr Collins and the Mishwar Amal team on their efforts in strengthening communities in the face of economic and social hardships; wishes Mishwar Amal continued success in its attempt to improve the lives of refugees; and encourages others to work as hard as the Mishwar Amal team in providing support to those affected by humanitarian crises.