George Clooney and Amal meeting with Refugees

Clooneys Speak to Syrian Refugees in Meeting with International Rescue Committee
12 Feb 2016 -  
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For Immediate Release
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Berlin, February 12, 2015 – George and Amal Clooney today joined International Rescue Committee (IRC) President and CEO David Miliband to meet with Syrian refugee families in Berlin. The meeting took place after their discussion with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The group discussed what their life was like in Syria, the reasons they felt they needed to uproot their families, and their futures in Germany.
“It was an honor to meet three Syrian families whose lives have been shattered by war and inspiring to learn that the people of Germany are helping them put their lives back together,” said George Clooney.

“As peace talks hang in the balance, the stories of these families should drive not just humanitarian help, but renewed determination to bring the Syrian war to an end,” added Miliband.

The IRC has been delivering vital aid to those affected by the Syria conflict, which enters its sixth year next month, inside Syria and across the region since 2012. Last year, the IRC provided lifesaving assistance to nearly 900,000 people in northern Syria.

Responding to today’s Syria ceasefire plans, Miliband said: “You don't wait a week for an emergency operation and the people of Syria should not have to wait a week for relief from bombings. The agreement needs detail and urgency to offer hope to the people suffering sieges inside Syria.  Syria has been a war without law as well as a war without end. We wait with eager anticipation to see whether this agreement is a turning point or a false dawn.”

See just one family in official. Refugee shelter people very upset.

Miliband was part of the ceasefire conference a day or two ago so absolutely the right person to address the press

Alisonfan wrote:See just one family in official. Refugee shelter people very upset.

People in the shelter are upset Because George only met one family ?! Are you saying they didn't meet all the three Family ?!

According to the official IRC website they met three families...

Had.e6 wrote:

Alisonfan wrote:See just one family in official. Refugee shelter people very upset.

People in the shelter are upset Because George only met one family ?! Are you saying they didn't meet all the three Family ?!

They did not to go to shelter many many many people in shelter. Family  bring to official.They NO go to shelter after follow plan

I found an article that said they were going to meet with refugees which they apparently did.

Was it stated they would visit a shelter if not then they did what they said they would do.

Ok, do we have any more details as to when/where this was exactly?

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I can't find anything on google all that I see is about the meeting Merkel.

That was on Friday after the meeting with Merkel. 


Google translation:

AFTER A MEETING WITH THE CHANCELLOR visited George Clooney refugee families


Berlin - only to Hollywood star George Clooney met (54) Friday lunch with German Chancellor Angela Merkel (61), then he visited three refugee families in Berlin.
He even wanted to hear how it goes people who have lost everything, and over which he had previously spoken with the Chancellor. "It was an honor to meet three Syrian families whose lives have been destroyed by war," Clooney said after the meeting. The people with whom he was, are accommodated with German families.
"It was inspiring to see that German help them rebuild their lives," Clooney said.
The meeting, to which it his wife Amal (38) had accompanied been organized by the charity International Rescue Committee (IRC), whose president is former British Foreign Secretary David Miliband.
The actor had actually come to Berlin! "Hail, Caesar" introduce his film at the film festival Berlinale. But more than the culture, he devoted himself to politics, especially the refugee crisis.
To Bild he said: "In an interview with Chancellor Merkel, we mainly discussed what we can do as individuals. The work done by Germany and will provide hope in the future is exemplary. "
Despite all the difficulties as in Cologne the volunteers had been able wonderful job and were called refugees welcome, their families have been killed and who had come to Germany in order to survive, Clooney said.

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Alisonfan wrote:

Had.e6 wrote:

Alisonfan wrote:See just one family in official. Refugee shelter people very upset.

People in the shelter are upset Because George only met one family ?! Are you saying they didn't meet all the three Family ?!

They did not to go to shelter many many many people in shelter. Family  bring to official.They NO go to shelter after follow plan

It was the local press who started the "rumor" that George will visit refugees after he met Merkel. Then few hours later, lunch time, the local press reported he will visit a refugee shelter in Wilmersdors which is a good family suburb in Berlin. The press went there but nothing happened and they left. Then in evening the PR agency Limelight based in Berlin who supervised & organised George Berlinale visit, the head of the PR ageny Ms Petra Schwuchow, said that George gave Friday after the visit with Merkel one Interview after another and he had no time to visit refugees therefore it was a fake rumor. And then today at lunchtime the picture got published that he really did. Some say it was straight after Merkels meeting other say it was Friday evening. I assume it was straight after Merkels meeting.

From the beginning it was never planed he would visit a shelter. It was first only reported he would visit refugees. And to be honest if he would have visited a shelter he would have been slammed by people and the press as in a shelter 100 of people live there. And I think it is great he visit refugees like this. Many Germans share they flat and houses with refugees and I think it is great that George noted that 
And no, no refugees in shelters are upset that George didn't come. 

Thank you Nicky for clarifying it's nice to get the facts from someone in the country.
I knew I read they would meet refugees.

Nicky80 wrote:Some say it was straight after Merkels meeting other say it was Friday evening. I assume it was straight after Merkels meeting.

George has changed his shirt between the meeting with Ms Merkel and the meeting the refugees, but Amal and David Miliband are in the same clothes. I'd guess the meeting happened the same day.

Yes for sure the same day. So maybe then it was in the evening then :-) That would explain why the PR agency made a statement in the evening this was not true as George really did do all the interviews during the day. But the PR agency of course does not know what he does in the evening in his free time . Funny.

Thanks Nicky for your insight.  And thanks Had.e6 and Nicky for your posts.

What's also interesting about these meetings is that Amal is fluent in Arabic which must be really helpful in these situations


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Now Amal helps a Syrian refugee through her civil war trauma: Desperate mother opens her heart to the Clooneys (and David Miliband) and reveals how she escaped conflict with her 11-year-old daughter

She had spent the morning discussing the world's migration crisis with the one of the most powerful women in the world.
But Amal Clooney made sure she heard all sides of the story as she later sat down for coffee withSyrian refugees Mona and her daughter, 11-year-old Joudi.
The human rights lawyer, who was joined by her husband George Clooney and International Rescue Committee president David Miliband, looked sombre as she listened to the mother, who explained why she left the war-torn country.  
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Listening: Amal Clooney made sure she heard all sides of the story while discussing the refugee crisis with the German Chancellor as she also sat down for coffee with Syrian refugees Mona and her daughter, 11-year-old Joudi
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Revealing: The mother discussed what her life was like in Syria, the reasons she felt she needed to uproot her family and about her future in Germany

The Clooneys, who were in the capital to attend the Berlinale film festival, had used their privileged access to discuss 'refugee policies'.
The mother, who was one of three Syrian families the couple met, also told them the reasons she felt she needed to uproot her family and move to Germany.

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Clooney said: 'It was an honour to meet three Syrian families whose lives have been shattered by war and inspiring to learn that the people of Germany are helping them put their lives back together.

.........and of course, Amal and her mother and sister fled to Britain during the war in Lebanon.......................

Yes, in a way Amal is a kind of refugee herself.  Different siuation as her family had plenty of money to move to the UK, but still, the move wasn't by choice.

Thanks to frenchies

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Sorry do not have a laptop to share the whole page.

Lovely photos!

Thanks DoubleZoe for the link. Great pictures. Especially love the one with George and the sweet little girl.

And The selfi Pic ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️.

Thank you DoubleZoe. Lovely lovely pix...........hope they get loads of coverage

Nice pictures thank you.

Your're very welcome

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[size=36]Mahmoud and his family meet Amal and George Clooney

by TimoFebruary 13, 2016

Yesterday, Amal Clooney and George Clooney met with one of the Syrian families that I had photographed as part of “Humans of Lageso“. You can read Mahmoud and his family’s story here: Mahmoud and his family
I am impressed by the Clooney’s genuine engagement with the refugee crisis and admire that they use their position as influencers to speak up for those in need.
But yesterday’s meeting was also a personal wake-up call for me. You don’t have to be Amal or George Clooney to do good in the world as we all can use our skills and our passions to change the world for the better.
Everybody is able to do something. Don’t let daily life get in the way. Get in touch with people who are already active in a field that interests you and ask them what you can do to help. Go to demonstrations. Organize meet-ups. Join already existing groups. Help somebody when you see them struggling.
It is so easy and so rewarding to help. Be like the Clooneys – do something!
Photos: © Timo Stammberger
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Aaaawww look the one of Amal with that woman   

It was recorded so maybe we get a vid of it?

hathaross wrote:Aaaawww look the one of Amal with that woman   

It was recorded so maybe we get a vid of it?

Yes please Video

Courtesy of the IRC

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am I the only one having a problem with having the kid sit at Amal's feet?  as if she's the savior of the refugees?????

Great find, Donnamarie. And really moving. Thank you

........the little girl is actually sitting by her mother too, and it would help that Amal is where she is because she can translate for them if necessary.

Where would you have preferred, Pigpen?

on a chair.

Well, maybe that's where she preferred to sit.......

And maybe she thinks her mother is her saviour...........

Coverage on ABC News an hour ago......

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sorry and sad for the little girl and the big one . memories does not kill people it just tortures them .

Thanks so much for the video!
It's true, we just hear numbers - more than one millikn refugees in Germany for example - and forget that there are people, families, lives and fates behind these numbers...

Well, the story and video are everywhere now........and was released today because it is the fifth anniversary of the Syrian war.......

The Mail has it - and a piece on Angelina Jolie also released today. She has just come back from a refugee camp in Lebanon and is due to go to a town in north east Syria soon.

Cannot believe that these two couples haven't met. They must have done, but I think their individual actions will get the topic more press coverage overall...........

The reason that the IRC released it today is because the Syrian war has been going on of for five years as of today.

So understandably  there will be a lot of similar coverage...........

Was struck by the little girl. Her anguish hearing stories about the violence in her country. And now without a home. Displaced. It's the children that I really feel for. They don't understand. No security or stability in their lives. Too young to be able to process what is happening. And too young to have to grow up so quickly.

Also struck by George's comment "Being here and talking with you is important to remind them of who we are and who we have always been, which is you."

party animal - not! wrote:

Cannot believe that these two couples haven't met. They must have done, but I think their individual actions will get the topic more press coverage overall...........

Yes it's everywhere . 
 And about the two couples I don't understand why but does Brad and Angelina lately show up with any one from hollywood ?! It looks like they boycotted everyone .  They didn't attend the wedding and there is a big chance they weren't invited to the wedding , I know that George and Brad friendship wasn't always about showing up together so much but

I doubt that they haven't met , I just don't think the meeting has been made public. George and Brad are not best friends they are more co workers who see each other every now and then. George said they only had 105 guests at the wedding so no I don't think Brad was invited.

That little girl sat on the floor kids do that all the time. She probably had no clue who Amal was and there for didn't think anything of Amal.

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Why nobody is talking about these things? Dont get me wrong its a terrible situation and of course it needs a good solution (IMO) dont think there is any good one. I absolutely understand what is happening but I guess nobody is going to change political direction as they let too many migrants, refugees into the country. It would be much more dangerous for Germany to start leaking out all these information and change political views.

DoubleZoe,
the article you posted is really shocking. I already wrote that I tried to get official numbers of how many women were raped / assaulted / robbed in Cologne. As far as I found out it was mostly about touching womens breasts or butts - which can't be tolerated. If you read some news reports it sounds as if thousands of women had been raped - which isn't true. Of course I can't say if all the reports are true, and I also know that there's a wide range of opinions between what was described in the article as 'The German politicians don't want it to be reported so it's not' and 'The press and journalists are lying to us' on the one hand and 'Refugees are not more criminal than Germans'.

I wrote a few times that I haven't made any negative experiences with refugees in my area. My husband helps a young Syrian and knows quite a few of them and also a lot of the volunteers who help them. None of them ever talked anything negative. In the town my husband works  they have two accommodations for hundreds of refugees, and the only crimes which were reported were fare dodging and a few thefts - mostly food and cigarettes as they don't get any cigarettes and get hardly any cash to buy them. They had one row - initialized by the security. In my town the police reported that a young woman said that two 'arabic-looking men' tried to assault her sexually and to steal the money she had just gotten from the ATM. The police then looked at the videos because ithe ATM was video controlled. The woman admitted a few days later that she had thought of this story because of personal problems. The police director of the nearest city here with one of the biggest refugee camps in Germany evaluated the crime reports in all German cities with a large number of refugees and made the conclusion that refugees don't commit more crimes tgan Germans - which some people here didn't like so they accused him to lie...

One thing I do know is that quite a few newspapers named in the article are very conservative and anti-refugees (if you can say so). It also very much sounds like 'facts' the new German party 'Alternative for Germany' talk about whose politicians constantly accuse the press for lying. 
I tried to find out about the Gatestone Institute which publushed this: 
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So I guess everybody has to make up his / her own mind...

I see. Thanks for the answer carolthathaway!

Oh gosh George what have you said???

The Irish were economic migrants NOT refugees.... Sweet Jesus don't let the Irish press or worse radio get hold of this....

Holding my breath....and saying a little prayer.....



We are remembering the Easter Rising this year 1916..... WE NEVER RAN FOR OUR LIVES. We are The Fighting Irish.....

WE RAN FOR MONEY, WE RAN FOR WORK. we build skyscrapers and roads, we make parachute's and dresses, we teach Latin and cure illness, we invented the hypodermic needle, radiotherapy the portable defibrillator and much in between. We sent nurses to war zones, Priests and Nuns educated and cared for millions around the world unpaid and never to see their families again...we exported Lawyers and Labourers, Doctors and Grave Diggers ALL for economic reasons, NOT REFUGEES.....

Per capita, even during our financial crash, we spent more on third world aid than any other country......

Yes we are the fighting Irish, the economic migrant.....BUT WE WERE NEVER REFUGEES!

And a Happy St Patrick's Day To You All for tomorrow.....


PS. This proves he is Irish. We are storytellers, exaggerator's and great empathisers.....says it all, and anyway who am I the pot that called the kettle or the cat who dared to look at a King .....