ACTION FOR SAMA 2024 HIGHLIGHTS
Take a look through some of our key moments during 2024…
JANUARY
WASHINGTON ROUNDTABLE
AFS hosted a roundtable on the protection of healthcare workers in conflict featuring voices from civil society, first responders, legal + more.
BERLIN ROUNDTABLE
We took our healthcare project work to Berlin, gathering further discussion points to build out our future work in this area.
FOR SAMA AT LSTHM
Hamza hosted a For Sama screening and discussion at LSTHM, forming part of the 'Conflict and Health' module in the 'Tropical Medicine + Hygiene' program.
FEBRUARY
EARTHQUAKE ANNIVERSARY
AFS hosted a screening of Waad’s film, Death Without Mercy, and a vigil to mark the 1 year anniversary of the Syria / Turkey earthquake.
UKRAINE SOLIDARITY PROJECT
Dr Hamza al-Kateab joined Ukrainian frontline medics outside parliament as part of Ukraine Solidarity project’s UK-wide campaign.
FOR SAMA AT IMPERIAL COLLEGE
For Sama was screened at Imperial College London as part of the BSc in Biomedical Science and the BSc Global Health course.
MARCH
EUROPEAN HUMANITARIAN FORUM
Dr. Hamza Al-Kateab attended as speaker on a panel session entitled "Protecting Civilians in Conflict and Recovery”,
BRUSSELS SCREENING
Handicap International facilitated a For Sama screening with Hamza as a special guest to coincide with the European Humanitarian Forum.
YOUTH CONFERENCE TALK
Waad was invited as a speaker at a London girls school’s Youth Conference, ‘Disrupting discrimination: the power of storytelling’.
APRIL
EWIPA CONFERENCE, OSLO
AFS participated in EWIPA’s conference to review implementation on a Political Declaration alongside a Protection Forum with civil society.
FOR SAMA SCREENING, OSLO
Ahead of the EWIPA conference there was a special screening of For Sama featuring a Q&A with Waad and Hamza al-Kateab moderated by PAX for Peace.
AFS NEW BRAND LAUNCH
Reintroducing Action For Sama, where passion meets purpose, with the launch of our look with a new look and feel, plus mission and messaging.
MAY
UN SIDE EVENT
Hamza spoke at a UN side event on “Protecting Civilians from Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas’ among various UN reps, OCHA and the ICRC
AFS JOINS INEW NETWORK
Action For Sama joined INEW - an international network of NGOs that calls for action to prevent the use of explosive weapons in populated areas.
AFS JOINS CAMDEN COLLECTIVE
AFS finds a new London space to work from at charity, Camden Collective, among a community of creatives and companies who are making change.
JUNE
MUSEUM OF THE HOME EVENT
We Dare To Dream was screened at Museum of the Home in partnership with IOM for Refugee Week featuring a post film Q&A.
HEALTH IN CONFLICT CONFERENCE
Hamza delivered the Keynote speech at the Second Annual Conference: Health in Conflict and Displacement co-organised with THET.
WAAD + HAMZA KEYNOTE SPEECH
Hamza and Waad were the keynote talk at the Royal London Hospital Orthopaedic & Trauma Society’s Annual Academic Meeting.
JULY
TRT INNER VIEW INTERVIEW
Imrad Garda interviews Waad on TRT world about the making of For Sama, her life in the UK, We Dare To Dream documentary and more.
SYRIANS IN TURKEY SERIES
AFS launched a short social media series looking at the situation for Syrians in Turkey covering the historical and current context.
OLYMPIC GAMES CAMPAIGN
AFS supported The Syria Campaign’s campaign, demanding Syrian war criminal Omar Aroub is banned from attending the Paris Olympic Games.
AUGUST
FILMFEST LIECHTENSTEIN
Waad and Hamza attended FilmFest Liechtenstein where For Sama and We Dare To Dream were featured with post-film discussions.
UNITED24 MEDIA ARTICLE
Hamza talks to United24 about the systematic targeting of hospitals and medical workers and how Russia’s war crimes in Syria are repeated in Ukraine.
INTL. DAY OF THE DISAPPEARED
AFS featured a post on social media following a report by SNHR staring 113,218 people in Syria are still forcibly disappeared.
SEPTEMBER
RECKONING PROJECT
Hamza attends high-level launch of The Reckoning Project’s report on Russia’s documented violations of international law in Chechnya, Syria, and Ukraine.
WE DARE TO DREAM: LA
Women For Women International organised a special screening of We Dare To Dream in Los Angeles, hosted by actress Lake Bell.
NEW YORK GALA
Waad was invited to speak at Upwardly Global’s annual gala in Tribeca, speaking about her filmmaking and experience of forced displacement.
TROUBLE CLUB TALK
Waad joined The Trouble Club for ‘A Night For Peace’ for an in-conversation about her life as she filmed For Sama and Death Without Mercy.
OCTOBER
EU DISINFO LAB
Hazma joined the EU DisinfoLab conference in Riga, speaking in the opening session with Liz Wahl and hosting a For Sama screening.
IIIM CONSULTATIONS
Hamza attended IIIM’s Victim/Survivor consultations on unlawful attacks against civilian sites in Syria. For Sama was also screened for staff.
DWM US RELEASE
Waad’s new documentary, Death Without Mercy, premieres at New York’s IFVS Center featuring special Q&As with Waad and protagonist Fuad Sayedissa.
POPCHANGE RETREAT
Action For Sama was grateful to be a part of the PopChange retreat by Counterpoint Arts on climate and migration narratives through tv and film.
NOVEMBER
EWIPA WORKSHOPS
Hamza attended Humanity + Inclusion’s workshop on strengthening healthcare access in contexts where explosive weapons are widely used.
FOR SAMA, BRUSSELS
Humanity + Inclusion and Brussels Diplomatic Academy (VUB) organised a For Sama screening in Brussels, featuring a Q&A with Hamza.
SAVE THE CHILDREN AWARDS
Waad was on the judging panel for the inaugural Save the Children Global Media awards celebrating excellence in journalism for child rights.
DECEMBER
DWM SCREENINGS
AFS supported numerous UK screenings of Death Without Mercy including a sell-out screening at the Barbican with Cate Blanchett.
MEDIA: FALL OF ASSAD
During and beyond the fall of Assad, Waad and Hamza shared their thoughts and feelings on the situation with various media outlets.
FOR SAMA EVENT
In collaboration with Counterpoint Arts and Choose Love, AFS hosted a special celebratory screening of For Sama at Rich Mix, London.
WAAD UN SPEECH
Waad addressed the United Nations Security Council in the first meeting on the political and humanitarian situation in Syria since the fall of Assad.