February 2020 Inside this issue: - Syria Solidarity Week - Ten reasons to watch “For SOS Monthly Sama” The official monthly newsletter of Students Organize for Syria - Update on Idlib

Tenweekly reasons schedule to watch the Oscar-nominated documentary “For Sama” inSyria numbers Solidarity Week Toolkit is out! · Plan + organize · Host events · Submit pictures/videos Week Ideas · Educational Event - panel, crash course, tabling · Social Media Contest - Tiktok challenge · Fundraising Event - bake sale, medical supply drive · Social Event - cultural night, film screening, trivia night Waad, Hamza and Sama look at graffiti protesting the the situation in Aleppo in Dec. 2016. FRONTLINE/”For Sama”

Jan. 30, 2020 For Sama was cited before the Uni- Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs), not only to the perseverance of the Patrice Taddonio, FRONTLINE ted Nations Security Council in tes- the British equivalent of the Oscars Syrian people, but to the possibility that timony about attacks on medical fa- — making it the most-nominated the country might still be brought back Like many new parents, Waad al-Ka- cilities and personnel in Syria. Much documentary in BAFTA history. from the edge of oblivion.” teab often had a camera in hand of the documentary is set inside the during the first year of her baby’s walls of the makeshift hospital in 6. It contains stunning scenes in 9. It will change your perspective. life — documenting the coos, the East Aleppo where al-Kateab’s phy- which joy and attempts at normal- “Unselfconsciously, For Sama prompts smiles, the milestones. sician husband, Hamza, helped care cy are juxtaposed with unimagina- audience members to ask themselves: for hundreds of wounded civilians ble violence. How long would you defy tyranny if your But the young mother was also each day — and where the young world was coming down around you?” using her camera to document family lived for months, even as the 7. Celebrities from Cate Blanchett wrote The New York Times. People who something else: the regular, targeted hospital was regularly targeted. “As to Emilia Clarke have praised the have watched For Sama have taken to bombing of the hospital in Ale- the Syrian government’s bombings film. Twitter to share their reactions, with ppo, Syria where they lived. Men, of schools and hospitals continue, users calling it “the most powerful film women and children bloodied and For Sama provides a coherent ac- 8. It’s harrowing – but also hopeful. I’ve ever seen,” and noting that “after the killed in attacks on the homes and count of a humanitarian crisis from Through al-Kateab’s lens, we watch screening, it is difficult to just walk out streets outside. And ultimately, an the perspective of the wounded and as the hope of Syrians protesting of the cinema and continue your normal entire city reduced to rubble under displaced,” said The New York Times. against Assad became horror at the happy and safe life.” bombardment by President Bashar government’s response. In scene al-Assad’s government and allied 3. It has a coveted 99 percent fresh after scene, we see the fallout from 10. It’s available to watch for free. forces. rating on Rotten Tomatoes. acts of unthinkable violence against In the U.S., For Sama is streaming in civilians. Yet we also see glimp- FRONTLINE’s documentary archive, on Here’s 10 reasons why it’s a must- 4. It has a similarly impressive track ses of enduring humanity: A new pbs.org, on the PBS Video App, and on watch: record on the film festival circuit. baby surviving against seemingly demand. insurmountable odds. Children 1. It’s a rare film showing the fema- 5. It earned a record-setting num- laughing and playing in the shell of Excerpt taken from: pbs.org/ le experience of war. ber of nominations at the British a bombed-out bus. Doctors risking wgbh/frontline/article/10-rea- equivalent of the Oscars. their lives to care for the woun- sons-to-watch-the-oscar-nomina- 2. It has put a spotlight on the bom- Recently, For Sama was honored ded. “The regime is trying to kill ted-documentary-for-sama/ bing of hospitals in Syria. with four nominations by the British our hope,” al-Kateab said. “I really More on Syria Overweekly 800,000 schedule Syrians, mostly women and children, flee Russian-backed offensive: U.N. Solidarity Month

March 15: Remembrance Day SOS chapters should remind people that we will continue Internally displaced children stand on snow near tents at a makeshift camp in Azaz, Syria. to advocate for Syrians and Feb. 13, 2020. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi supporting them in creating a brighter future Feb. 13, 2020 Russian jets and Syrian artillery have The latest offensive has brought Suleiman Al-Khalidi, Reuters pounded towns and villages since the military campaign closer to Social Media early December in a renewed as- heavily populated northern Idlib Theme: “Planting the seeds for More than 800,000 Syrians, most- sault backed by pro-Iranian militias along the border, where nearly 3 a brighter future” ly women and children, have fled and aimed at clearing the opposi- million people are trapped, accor- their homes during a Russian-bac- tion. ding to the United Nations. Hashtags: ked Syrian military campaign to #SyriaSolidarityWeek2020 clear the opposition in northwest “Residents are fleeing by the thou- Families fleeing air strikes and ad- #DareToDream Syria since Dec. 1, a senior U.N. sands in open trucks or by foot; vancing troops in Idlib province spokesperson said on Thursday. often at night to escape detection are sleeping rough in streets and Fundraiser despite the bitter cold tempera- olive groves, and burning toxic Syrian Orphans Organization The exodus is expected to continue, tures,” Swanson, the U.N. regional bundles of rubbish to stay warm is a nonprofit, non-political with thousands of people on the spokesman for Syria, told Reuters. in the biting winter weather, aid organization established in move as whole towns and commu- workers say. 2012 to bring education and nities flee to the safety of areas near U.N. officials say the region is on the humanitarian aid to those the Turkish border, David Swanson brink of a humanitarian catastro- Article taken from: https:// most affected by the ongoing told Reuters. phe. Those on the run in Idlib and www.reuters.com/article/ civil war in Syria. adjoining Aleppo province are joi- us-syria-security-displaced/over- “Tragically, the number of people ning close to 400,000 people who 800000-syrians-mostly-women- Each chapter is to raise $1,000 displaced – the vast majority of fled earlier bouts of fighting to the and-children-flee-russian-backed- during the week to sponsor 6 them women and children – has safety of camps near the Turkish offensive-u-n-idUSKBN2072ID orphans for one month. now surpassed 800,000,” Swanson border. said.

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Student Director Northeastern/Southern Regional Communications Coordinator Rajaa Shoukfeh Coordinator Venus Eltaki Students Organize National Outreach Manager Menat Bahnasy Policy and Education for Syria National Mohamed Aqeel Fazal Midwestern/Western Regional Coordinator Board Operations Manager Coordinator Grethel Aguila Amar Shabeeb Mariam ElSafty Outreach Coordinator Sumaya Daghestani