Cultural expression and artistic education are vital components of psychosocial recovery. For displaced youth, creative outlets offer a sense of identity, emotional healing, and a structured path to personal growth. Serving as a pilot project, LAFAM launched an integrated cultural learning program in Shariya Camp in Iraq, establishing a 4-step framework centered on local capacity building, community infrastructure, media training, and international cultural exchange.
This structured framework unfolded across four key phases:
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Step 1: Local Capacity Building & “Train-the-Trainer” Mentorship
To ensure long-term sustainability, LAFAM prioritized training local educators. In partnership with Fondation France Libertés, LAFAM organized a week-long “train-the-trainer” course in Erbil for camp caretakers and teachers recruited directly from the resident community. This professional development empowered local staff with trauma-informed teaching methodologies while offering them valuable professional exposure outside the camp.
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Step 2: Creative Infrastructure & Multidisciplinary Learning
LAFAM established dedicated learning spaces—including a primary school serving 480 children—offering specialized courses in singing, music, dance, painting, theater, and English. Designed to address complex trauma, these programs provided a safe environment for youth to flourish under the guidance of trained camp counselors.
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Step 3: Media Vocational Training & Community Expression
In partnership with the Babylon Media Group, LAFAM laid the groundwork for a youth-led radio station inside Shariya Camp. Run by displaced young adults, this initiative provides practical media vocational training while serving as a community platform for health education, cultural programming, and local news.
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Step 4: International Performance & Global Advocacy
The cultural pilot culminated in an extraordinary cross-cultural exchange. After showcasing their skills during local events like International Children’s Day and International Refugee Day, a troupe of 14 orphaned children (seven girls and seven boys) traveled from the Duhok region to Paris, France. On March 8, 2019, to mark International Women’s Day, the youth performed at the Centre Dunois (Paris 13th arrondissement) before an audience of diplomats, journalists, parliamentarians, and civil society leaders—demonstrating the transformative power of art, resilience, and youth empowerment on a global stage.
A Blueprint for Psychosocial Healing & Integration
By combining educator training, creative education, vocational media skills, and international performance opportunities, LAFAM’s cultural framework proves that artistic expression is an essential pillar of lifelong learning, restoring dignity and opening doors for displaced youth to reinsert into broader society.
