AFOUS Secretariat
Rue de l'Enseignement, 91
1000 Brussels, Belgium
Tel/fax: +32 2 219 73 09
Bank n°: 068-2226832-30
E-mail: afous@swing.be

My name is Hamsi Boubeker. I was born in 1952 in Bejaïa, Algeria, more exactly in Kabylia, a Berber-speaking region where I have my roots. I am a child of the Algerian war. I was only two when it broke out. It lasted more than seven years. I found Bejaïa, the town where I grew up, marvellous with its melting pot of cultures. It is mainly after the war that I could discover it, thanks to peace.

I have been living and working in Brussels since 1980. I am a singer, a musician, a story-teller and a painter. This town also fascinates me with all the different cultures, languages and people who have come from all the continents to live here.

I founded the association 'Afous' with friends in Brussels at the end of 1995. In the tamazirt language (Berber) 'Afous' means hand. To me, and I think it is worth in every other culture, an open hand symbolizes peace, friendship, solidarity, openness, tolerance, etc.

The operation 'Hands of Hope' turns on all that. Each and everyone will illustrate their handprint, giving free rein to their imagination and creativity. Each handprint will go together with a message of peace and hope and tell its own story.

We, children and adults, contribute to the institution of peace in the world. Isn't peace gained by the respect for others, whatever their origins and cultures?

In the year 2000, we wish that "Hands of Hope" can reach every inch of the earth. Today, the 'Hands of Hope' are handprints of children, men and women from 65 countries in the five continents of the planet (see the list on page 20).
Through lack of space, only one part of these drawings and messages will be displayed during an exhibition in the premises of UNESCO, in Paris, from 29 May till 12 June 2000; the 'world year of culture and peace'. All the participating countries will be represented. On this occasion, a delegation of children of different origins will be present before travelling on to New York where they will go to the UN's headoffices. There, the children will ask for the World Peace Day to be given a fixed date (instead of being the 3rd Tuesday of September as it is now) and that this day be the celebration of multiple events throughout the world, just like any other World Days.

Therefore, dear reader, I ask you to give us a hand. For peace, for a world where no children, no women nor men are excluded; a world where every single person can say : I am a full citizen of the planet Earth.

You will know how to take part in the project when reading the following pages.

Let me thank you in advance for your enthusiastic commitment.

Hamsi Boubeker
 

To date, thousands of children on the five continents have already taken part in the action in sixty-five countries among which almost all the European countries, the two Americas, 12 African countries and 11 countries from Asia and Oceania. The collection of handprints with messages will experience a first apotheosis. The drawings will be displayed from 25 February to 21 March, during a big exhibition in the Town Hall, the house of Arts and other public places of Schaerbeek (Brussels). This event will be a prelude to the exhibition in the premises of the UN headoffices in Paris, from 29 May to 12 June 2000.
 

'Hands of Hope' not only address children but also anonymous or famous adults. Among those, 90 belonging to political, artistic, literary, spiritual, scientific and sports circles gave a positive answer to the call: the Argentinian Adolpho Esquivel; Nobel Peace Prize in 1980, the Palestinian Yasser Arafat; Nobel Peace Prize in 1994, Abbé Pierre, Albert Jacquard; French philosopher and biologist, Professor Schwartzenberg, Boutros-Boutros-Ghali; former Secretary General of the United Nations, Danièle Mitterand; President of France Libertés, Daniel Cohn-Bendit; former student leader of May 68 and current MEP, Jeannie Longo; cycle champion, Georges Moustaki; Greek singer-composer, Barbara Hendricks with her marvellous voice, Salvatore Adamo; the Italian-Belgian singer and many others who will forgive us for not quoting them here. (See the list updated on 30/11/99 on page 21). Each one of them has given us their hand tracing, very often accompanied with a message.

 

Bernard Miyet, Deputy Secretary general of the United Nations:
'It is with heart and conviction that this hand endeavours to guide the one in charge of Peace operations in the United States in view of justice, reconciliation and prosperity for and between all the people….'.

Adolpho Perez Esquivel, Nobel Peace Prize in 1980, Argentina:
'Peace and welfare to all children in the world. You will always find the light and spring will always blossom'.

Yasser Arafat, President of the Palestinian Authority - Nobel Peace Prize in 1994:
'With my best wishes for peace'.

Boutros-Boutros-Ghali, former Secretary General of the United Nations, presently Secretary General of the French-speaking communities:
'Peace - Development - Democracy'.

Abbé Pierre
'Peace is there for the weak and the oppressed'.

Daniel Cohn-Bendit, MEP:
'Long live dirty hands'.

Salvatore Adamo, variety show singer:
'May this hand be among the million hands in the chain that leads to peace. Inch'allah'.

Danielle Mitterand, President of France Libertés:
'A hand watchful of the aspirations of a heart and a mind dictating the friendship and love gestures which humankind needs.'

Picture: Bernard Miyet, Deputy Secretary General of the UN giving his handprint to Hamsi Boubeker (Romans - France) 1999
 
 

A group of children of various origins will go the headoffices of UNESCO and the United Nations, in Paris and New York respectively. A request will be submitted to the latter so that the "World Peace Day" is celebrated at a fixed date everywhere around the world and officially recognised.
 

A copy of the hands of hope and their messages of peace will cover the walls of several public places in Brussels and throughout the world. The Lemonnier metro station in Brussels will be decorated with hands (work of Hamsi Boubeker) on a surface of 600 square meters. The Brussels Public Transport Company (STIB) already has buses decorated with handprints which were drawn by a group of children from the 12 areas of Brussels. Other projects are underway, even in prisons.
 

In 2001, the hands of hope drawings will be part of a worldwide exchange among all the people who participated. Millions of people throughout the world will be sharing fundamental values.
 
 

 

Still in 2001, the World Peace Day will be the occasion for everyone to display the drawings on their home windows and on shop windows, thus showing their attachment to peace and solidarity.
Big events will be organised. Through their initiatives, all friends of 'Hands of Hope' will contribute to opening windows onto a better world.
 

Workshops for children:
Before starting to draw, there is an exchange, a dialogue, a discovery, an initiation to the problematic of peace and to the respect for the other. The drawing and the message are the results of a reflection, a questioning and the realisation of a personal and generous vision of a better world. Parents and friends are invited to the exhibitions. In turn, they participate, create, meet each other and talk.

Information sessions are being organised for the surveillance and administrative personnel of prisons.

Workshops for prisoners:
Through thoughts and drawings one can escape and find peace again. Prisoners and their children are drawing together in the visiting room. Prisoners illustrate their child's hands or vice-versa. Just look how the hardest faces get emotional and you'll understand the importance and quality of the communication at that very moment.

Workshops for handicapped people
Sadly enough, sometimes or rather often handicapped people are marginalized . Their emotional intelligence is very big and they spontaneously adhere to the project. Their creativity is absolutely prodigious and they appear as marvellous partners for the 'Hands of Hope'.
 

  

Awareness-raising to the fundamental questions of tolerance, non-violence, respect for the other who is so much different and so much the same.
Awakening or prompting of creativity through drawing, painting, collage, photography, sculpture, etc.
Strengthening of the communication and expression skills of an independent thought.
Teaching staff and parents are getting closer, opportunities (exhibitions, workshops, theatre, dance, etc.) are created to meet parents coming from different social backgrounds and having different cultures and nationalities.

Betterment of the dialogue inside the family, particularly among generations inside and outside the family circle.

Fight against the isolation and marginalization of social categories such as elderly people, handicapped people and prisoners.

Creation of an international dynamics which we hope will resemble the famous 'butterfly effect' in meteorology, as an original expression of the will for peace.
 
 
 

 

Overview:
Each hand has a story to tell…
Belgium, Schaerbeek Town Hall, January 1997
While illustrating their handprints for peace, elderly people show their opposition to war and the atrocities thereof.

France (Strasbourg), July 1996
The artist, Hamsi B. with Daniel Cohn-Bendit, MEP, sponsoring the exhibition in the European Parliament in Strasbourg. During this event, hundreds of handprints were collected with peace messages of young people from all the European Union countries, India and the United States.

Handicapped people
Belgium (Brussels) Workshop 'Les Platanes' - January 1997

The Netherlands (Assen) House of the Parliamentarians- May 1999
Mr. Relus ter Beek, Commissioner of the Queen symbolically hands in the thousands of drawings made in the region of Drenthe to Hamsi B.

The Netherlands (Assen) Assen Museum - April 1999
Children illustrating their handprints, during the opening of the 'Hands of Hope' exhibition.

Switzerland (Geneva), International Conference Centre - Big gathering of French-Speaking youth - 20 March 1999. 'Hope Fresco', created by more than 127 young people from the 44 French-speaking countries, in the presence of Mr. Boutros-Boutros Ghali, Secretary General of the French-speaking community.
 
 
 

Hands are flying to other horizons… France (Romans), Place du Champ de Mars, 8 May 1999.
In the presence of the mayor and of local representatives, release of balloons with two big hands made up by children of Romans, carrying messages of peace and tolerance.
Christmas trees in the street illuminated by the hands of hope.
Belgium (Brussels), Boulevard du Jubilé - December 1995.
The young people of Molenbeek's Maritime area and elderly people drew hands with messages and hung them on the Christmas trees

European Parliament, Strasbourg
Collection of 'Hands of Hope' handprints.
Group of Scottish scouts.

Peace, I write down your name
World workshops

Peace in all colours
Artists of several countries are drawing peace.

Prisoners hold out their hands to their children.
Belgium (Huy), Prison of Huy, November 1997, in collaboration with the Moral assistance to the Prisoners. Here, the prisoner's hand is illustrated by his child and the one of his child is illustrated by his father's. A similar operation has also taken place in the penitentiary of Marnef and in the prison of Nivelles.

Young people from various countries leave their handprint with a message for peace and tolerance, Geneva, March 1999.
I

 

Egypt (Luxor), primary school, April 1999.
Yugoslavia (Sarajevo), December 1996, in collaboration with "Ecoliers du Monde".
Algeria (Bejaïa), cultural association, August 1996.
Honduras, 'Copan School', 1998.
Senegal (Dakar), 'Le petit poucet' school, 1999.
Togo, primary public school, 1998.
Romania (Castau), children of the village, July 1997.
Duchy of Luxemburg (Ech-sur-Alzette), in a shopping street, collection of passengers' handprints .
Iraq (Bagdad), orphanage of Bagdad, 1998.
Germany (Erfurt), Primary school, October 1998.
The bus of Hope
Project carried out by Hamsi B., in collaboration with children of the 12 areas of Brussels Capital, within the context of the day 'Let's give a place to children', 17 October 1998.
 

 

 Afghanistan   Albania   Angola   Armenia   Australia   Azerbaidjan   Belgium   Bangladesh   Bolivia   Bosnia  Brazil
Burundi   Canada   Chechnia  China   Colombia   Congo   Croatia   Cuba   Denmark   Egypt   England   Finland   France
Germany   Grand-duchy of Luxemburg   Greece   Guatemala    Honduras  Iraq  Iran  Israel   Italy   Ivory Coast
Japan   Kazakstan   Kosovo   Lebanon   Lybia   Madagascar   Mali   Morocco   Nepal   Netherlands   Nicaragua
Pakistan   Palestine   Peru   Portugal  Romania   Russia   Ruanda   Saoudi Arabia   Senegal   Serbia   Slovakia  Somalia
Sweden   Switzerland   Syria   Togo   Tunisia   Turkey   Uruguay   United States   Vietnam  Yugoslavia  Western Sahara
 
 
 

Individually or collectively
Outline your hand(s)
Let your imagination illustrate one part or the whole paper. All techniques are allowed.
Write down your message(s) in your mother tongue.
In the upper right side, please don't forget to write the name, age and country of origin of the author(s).
Put the drawing(s) in an enveloppe with your address on it and send it to the address here below :
 
 

Or to :
 
 

AFOUS a.s.b.l
Rue de l'Enseignement 91
B- 1000 Brussels Belgium

If you want to contact us:
Tel/fax: +32 2 219 73 09
E-mail: afous@swing.be
 

If you, adults, think the actions of Afous agree with your convictions, you may help us prepare the voyage and the windows of hope giving your donations to  :

Account n° 068- 2226832-30
Afous asbl Bruxelles

The operation 'Hands of Hope' is supported by :

The French Community Commission
The French-speaking Community
The Ministry of Employment of Brussels-Capital
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The Ministry of the Wallonia-Brussels Community
Association 'Communications' (Romans, France)
The F.I.P.I
La Régie des Bâtiments
OXFAM-Solidarité
Creation-Layout: José Mangano