In spring 2017, young people in Ritsona came to us with a bold proposal: launch a publication that was proudly and unambiguously their own.
It all started with piles of artwork, writing and photographs accumulating in Lighthouse Relief's Youth Engagement Space (YES) - the result of several creative workshops that took place in early 2017.
These workshops provided resources and support to 15-25 year-olds to pursue individual and group projects through which to express their experiences and perspectives in a meaningful way. Some participants were skilled artists and writers that were grateful for the opportunity to refine their craft. Others sought an outlet for creative self-expression and surprised themselves with the quality of work they produced.
Initially, no one imaged the creative output traveling beyond the YE, but gradually the young artists and writers developed a desire to share their work with a wider audience: thus the Ritsona Kingdom Journal was born.
“The young people of Ritsona skillfully maneuvered every stage of the publication’s development — from content creation to graphic design and dissemination in camp.”
With background support from the Lighthouse Relief team, they took ownership of the project from start to finish. It grew into a beloved much-loved opportunity for creative self-expression an important outlet for teens and young adults to share their perspectives on the political and legal issues affecting their lives.
The magazine featured everything from letters to global leaders, essays on displacement, original photography of daily life in Ritsona and many, pieces of thoughtful and powerful artwork.
It is a testament to the tremendous strength and resilience of the magazine’s contributors, who dared to take a stand on issues that will determine their futures.
Participants engage in an art workshop Lighthouse Relief’s Youth Engagement Space, where everyone must agree to respect other’s artwork and ask direct permission before opening someone else's sketchpad or notebook. This promotes a sense of creative integrity and intellectual property.
Select Ritsona Kingdom Journal Contributors:
Hamza Almustafa, 16, from Salamiyah, has been in Ritsona for over a year. Hamza likes fishing and going to the gym, riding horses, playing the ukulele and writing. When he leaves he wants to learn German, go back to school, make new friends and live in a safe, nice house.
Amina Rashid, 18, from Aleppo, has been in Ritsona for over a year and a half. Amina likes taking photos and would like to study medicine. She is going to live in Switzerland as part of the relocation programme.
Farhad Rashid, 21, from Aleppo, has been in Ritsona for over a year and a half. Farhad likes writing and reading books. He is going to Switzerland with his family. When he gets there, he plans to finish his baccalaureate and would eventually like to become a technology engineer.
Malak Othman, 18, from Aleppo, has been in Ritsona for 6 months and in Greece for over a year and a half. Malak likes to keep busy. She wants to study, and be given the opportunity to find her own way, change her mind, and be whomever she decides to be.
RITSONA KINGDOM JOURNAL RAN FROM 2017-2018.
We hope to restart the magazine one day. In the meantime, please enjoy the back issues:
ISSUE V - FEBRUARY 2018
N.B. All opinions expressed in the Ritsona Kingdom Journal belong to the individual contributors and do not necessarily represent the views Lighthouse Relief.
ISSUE III - AUGUST 2017
ISSUE VI - MAY 2018