~ Customers to help refugee children this Christmas through partnership with International Alert
Customers will be able to help refugee children this Christmas by buying seasonal gifts from The Body Shop as part of its Play for Peace Campaign, in partnership with peace building NGO International Alert. Every gift from The Body Shop’s seasonal gift collections that a customer purchases throughout the Christmas season will help refugee children affected by war in Syria heal through play.
International Alert’s Peace Play project – which is implemented with the organisation Basmeh and Zeitooneh – supports refugee children and uses recreational and creative activities to help these children deal with trauma and to understand their experiences of conflict.
Each gift purchased from The Body Shop’s seasonal gift collections will help support the project for one year in Shatila refugee camp in Beirut, Lebanon, with the therapeutic activities taking place in a safe-haven community centre. Syrian refugee children are living in very difficult conditions, and have little access to treatment for the trauma they experienced during war and displacement. International Alert’s project aims to respond to this situation, and to provide recreational and creative activities to refugee children.
Harriet Lamb, CEO of International Alert said: “Some young Syrians struggle to remember a time before violence and loss, before they had to flee their homes and become refugees. We provide a safe space for them to play, and be children again. This Christmas we are thrilled to be partnering with The Body Shop. Every gift you buy from their seasonal gift collections will help bring a smile to a Syrian child’s face. What a great way to share the spirit of Christmas.”
Jessie Macneil-Brown, Senior Manager Campaigns and Corporate Responsibility, The Body Shop said: “We are proud to be supporting International Alert this Christmas. The Body Shop has always been passionate about tackling global issues and empowering customers to make a difference. This year we have a simple but powerful message; that every refugee child deserves the chance to behave like a child again. Each customer who purchases a gift from our seasonal gift collections this Christmas will help us create positive, powerful change in this community.”
The Body Shop is aiming to donate £250,000 this Christmas period.
About The Body Shop: Founded in 1976 in Brighton, England, by Anita Roddick, The Body Shop is a global beauty brand. The Body Shop seeks to make a positive difference in the world by offering high-quality, naturally-inspired skincare, hair care and make-up produced ethically and sustainably. The Body Shop pioneered the philosophy that business can be a force for good and this ethos is still the brand’s driving force. The Body Shop has more than 3,000 stores in more than 60 countries.
About International Alert: International Alert works with people directly affected by conflict to build lasting peace. They focus on solving the root causes of conflict with people from across divides. From the grassroots to policy level, they work in collaboration turning in-depth research into practical solutions that make a difference on the ground. Alert works in 25 countries and territories, including the Middle East with work in Syria, Lebanon and Tunisia. www.international-alert.org
Photo caption: Syrian refugee children from the Peace Play Project
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