Photos and brief videos from Sept 7, 2023 evening in Harvard Science Center Plaza and Harvard Yard

Here are moments from the one event I experienced. It forcefully conveyed the effort and impact of Amal’s many visits throughout that first day. Greg Cook’s Wonderland post is a wonderful visual document of those starting events in Boston and Cambridge. The title is Little Amal, Giant Puppet Depicting Refugee Girl, Begins Journey Across U.S. Be sure to link to that! Then for a full overview with important details, past, present, and future of Amal’s walks since 2021, delve into Walk with Amal! (maintained by The Walk Productions and Handspring Puppet Company)

“Little Amal is the 12 foot puppet of a 10 year old Syrian refugee child at the heart of The Walk.  She has become a global symbol of human rights, especially those of refugees.” (quote from Walk with Amal)

“Between 7 September and 5 November 2023, Amal is journeying 6,000 miles across the United States in one of the largest free public festivals ever created.  40 towns and cities from Boston to San Diego and 1,000+ artists and arts organizations will create 100+ free public events to welcome her.” (quote from Walk with Amal)

“Since July 2021, Amal has travelled over 6,000 miles to 97 towns and cities in 15 countries and been welcomed by more than a million people on the street, including hundreds of artists and civil society and faith leaders, as well as by tens of millions online. Her journeys are festivals of art and hope that draw attention to the huge numbers of children fleeing war, violence and persecution, each with their own story. Her urgent message to the world is “Don’t forget about us”. (quote from Walk with Amal)

“Little Amal (meaning “Hope” in Arabic) originated as a giant puppet 9-year-old, lost and trying to find her mother on a 5,000-mile, $3.8 million trip in 2021, beginning in Turkey, 40 miles from the Syrian border, to Greece to Italy to France to England.” (quote from Little Amal, Giant Puppet Depicting Refugee Girl, Begins Journey Across U.S.)

 I’m just learning and absorbing stories about the amazing Amal, but my main goal today is to share the valuable links in red before another day goes by! I want to spread the word to family and friends across the country so they don’t miss a chance between now and early November to be in Amal’s impressive presence.       

“Little Amal was designed and built by South Africa’s Handspring Puppet Company….  Amal, fashioned from cane and carbon fiber, is operated by one person on stilts inside the body, who also controls strings that animate the face, head and eyes, plus two puppeteers following alongside using poles to move the hands.”  (quote from Little Amal, Giant Puppet Depicting Refugee Girl, Begins Journey Across U.S.)