Why We Speak: Help Spread Refugee Stories

As 3 Generations starts 2015 moving forward, we are reminded of the progress we've made in the years past. In November of 2014, 3 Generations held a screening of Three, our short documentary featuring the stories of those directly affected by the ongoing crisis in Syria. While watching, our audience became acquainted with Yasmine, a young mother struggling to support her children following the death of her husband. They then met Nasr, a former student and aspiring actor turned fighter for the Free Syrian Army. Finally, the audience heard the words of Sultan, a defector of the Assad military, who became crippled following a firefight with a military official of the regime.

Along with personal stories from a representative of the Syrian Youth for Peace, our viewers took a personal look into the struggles of those affected by the conflict in Syria. Through these harrowing accounts and stories, one thing became clear: for Yasmine, Nasr, Sultan and thousands of other Syrians, chaos had become the new normal.

"No one knew anything. Same as any other day, we thought it was the usual attack," recalls Yasmine prior to learning the fate of her husband.

3 Generations works for a world where explosions and gunshots in the distant are not synonymous with normal background noise. With the new year still fresh, we’re kicking off 2015 with a renewed focus on our mission to amplify the words of survivors around the globe. This January, our Executive Director, Jane Wells will be in Florida to present the Mallone Prize, a prize to honor and award the efforts of individuals fighting against sex slavery in the US. In Kigali, Rwanda, our Development and Outreach Coordinator, Hannah Eddy, will be learning more about the Rwandan genocide and updating our audience with reports of her travels.

In 2015, please look forward to our continued progress. With your continued support, together we can help realize a world where only peace is the norm.

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• Hear Their Stories

It's been a year since President Obama's "red-line" statement and the UN and OPCW's (Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons) subsequent joint mission into Syria elicited the surge in Syria related news stories that the millions of suffering and displaced Syrians so desperately needed. A year later however, the narrative has changed considerably. Where last year, newspapers detailed the stories of ordinary Syrians, the majority of whom are moderate Muslims, simply trying to resist Assad and/or get their families out of harm's way, stories today have narrowed their attention to focus on the West's fight against extremist groups, specifically ISIS. Sadly however, Syria's civil war remains ongoing with the numbers of displaced Syrians only growing larger by the day. Without international news outlets focusing on the refugee crisis, who hears their stories?

As a storytelling organization, 3 Generations endeavors to share the stories of individuals who have endured tremendous abuse and suffering. As a nonprofit however, our filmmaking efforts depend on donations from people like you. Help us raise the money we need to produce new video interviews with Syrian refugees by donating to our project today.