When humanitarian intervention sends in the troops, it’s not usually a laughing
matter. Clowns Without Borders, however, uses pratfalls and hilarity to promote peace in
places where even soldiers fear to tread—such as the refugee camps of Bosnia, Kenya,
Nepal, Kosovo, and Chiapas.
"The kids had never seen anyone like us," said circus director Ghislain
Turcotte. "I don’t think they even really know what a clown is." But once
the red noses come out and the clowns start their somersaults and tricks, Turcotte said,
the kids go crazy. Smiles become common currency. While the costs for other aid groups to
deliver powdered milk and antibiotics are often sky high, Clowns Without
Borders—founded in 1993 by Spanish clown Tortell Poltrona—makes kids laugh for
just 60 cents a visit.
"Laughter is a luxury for people in conflict," said U.S.-based organizer
Moshe Cohen. "We use it as a therapy to relieve psychological stress." Along
with the clowning around, Clowns Without Borders (www.clowns.org) partners with other
humanitarian organizations to bring teachers, artists, students, and doctors to areas of
conflict.
Read other articles by:
Berger, Rose Marie
Hunter, Susannah
|
Subscribe to Sojourners today at a special introductory price and save $10 off the basic rate! Click here for details.
WE WANT TO HEAR from you! Click here to share your views. Or write to "Letters," Sojourners, 3333 14th St. NW, Suite 200, Washington DC 20010; fax (202) 328-8757. Please include your name, address, and daytime phone number. Letters may be edited for space and clarity.
|
|
 |
Read other articles by:
Berger, Rose Marie
Hunter, Susannah
|
