New York City welcomes Little Amal, the refugee puppet
New York City hotspots have a new, larger-than-average visitor this week: Little Amal, the 12-foot-tall puppet representing a 10-year-old Syrian refugee, who has made her way around the world to bring attention to displaced children.
Walk With Amal, or The Walk, is an international art and advocacy project by the Handspring Puppet Company, founded in 1981 in Cape Town, South Africa. Amal's worldwide pilgrimage began at the Syrian-Turkish border in July 2021. Since then, she has traveled more than 5,000 miles across 12 countries, representing the journeys of children fleeing violence, war, and other forms of persecution, and has launched The Amal Fund to raise money for childhood education and humanitarian needs.
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Amal's latest New York City leg crosses paths with international leaders and activists who have convened in the city for the United Nations annual General Assembly, which runs from Sept. 13 to Sept. 27. She also made an appearance at the Goalkeepers Global Goals Awards, a ceremony honoring notable women leaders put on by the United Nations and Gates Foundation. Next to her stood education activist Malala Yousafzi, climate activist Vanessa Nakate, journalist Zahra Joya, and health advocate Dr. Radhika Batra.
Observers are encouraged to listen to the "Voice of Brooklyn" project as Amal makes her way through the boroughs, available on the Bloomberg Connects app (a digital arts and culture guide). The five audio stories guide listeners along the paths of local Brooklynites, many immigrants themselves.
You can follow along with Amal's journey on Twitter — check out her bio to see where she'll be next.