I hope you had the time to watch the documentary “Dance or Die” and
all the other great videos (dance performances and interviews) that I shared
about Ahmad Joudeh’s life journey in my previous two blog posts (Part 1) and
(Part 2).
If you have seen what I saw, you definitely agree that this beautiful soul is one of a kind. Ahmad Joudeh’s life story is not a Hollywood Fiction
film. It is the reality of a young and innocent boy born in a refugee camp and
living stateless for decades in Syria.
A little boy with a big dream made it from a refugee camp and a war zone to the international stage of the Eurovision Song Contest! From a stateless refugee boy to a proud Dutch. With his strong belief, passion, devotion, discipline, and love for dance, he made the impossible possible! Ahmad Joudeh is a global star and inspiration for everyone!
According to UNHCR in the previous three years, one million
children were born as Refugees. Many of these babies are born in refugee camps
across the globe and the world is witnessing this cruel, heartbreaking and
inhuman condition for decades.
When COVID-19 changed the world in 2020, my first thought and prayers
were with the refugees stuck in the horrible refugee camps. I asked myself what
happens to them now. Who is going to take care of their misery?
At the same time, I was annoyed by peoples ongoing whining around
me. All of a sudden, people were worried about their children’s education and
future. Unemployment, no income, insecurity,
fear, anxiety, depression, and mental illness became the new normality for
everyone. And I mean every single human being, regardless of birthplace,
nationality, passport, skin colour, gender, and religion. Everyone is in the
same challenging and difficult situation!
And my reaction was: "Good, now everyone knows how millions of innocent victims of war and refugees suffer for ages. Now they know how it feels like to be helpless and powerless about your own life decisions and choices. Now they know how it is to live day by day, night by night, worrying and not knowing what the next day will bring. Now they see how unhealthy the lack of perspective and uncertainty feels. Now they know how loneliness and social isolation troubles the mind, heart, and soul. Stop complaining about the Lockdowns. At least you have a warm and safe home with a roof over your head. What about the refugees serving in tents with no privacy and only limited access to basic rights such as education, health care, employment, and freedom of movement? Your worries and uncertainties are food, alcohol, and toilet paper. The refugees are struggling with hunger and the most inhuman, unhygienic, and unsanitary conditions for years."
Maybe now after 1,5 years living with a global pandemic, a few people will have a better understanding, compassion, and empathy with refugees!
Watch my One-hour Zoom interview with this incredibly strong, confident, talented, amazingly beautiful soul. Ahmad Joudeh is not only a refugee camp survivor, war survivor, dancer, and choreograph, he is now a published writer with a mission! He has my full respect, admiration, and love and I wish him all the happiness and success in the world!
Ahmad Joudeh's honest, eye-opening, educational, and inspiring memoir “Dance or Die” is a reminder for everyone out there who lives a privileged life in every imaginable aspect but doesn't appreciate it in every possible way! Stop making excuses and do something meaningful with your life!
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