16-09-2026 | di COOPI

Haiti. Art gives voice to young displaced people on World Humanitarian Day

On the occasion of World Humanitarian Day celebrations, COOPI – Cooperazione Internazionale promoted the initiative "L'Humanitaire à travers mes yeux" ("Humanitarianism Through My Eyes") in Haiti. Through this project, art was transformed into a tool for active listening, psychosocial support, and empowerment for children, adolescents, and young adults living in displaced persons' sites across the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince, in a context marked by deep social crises and the tragedy of forced displacement.

A creative and educational journey between displacement sites and UNESCO

The initiative brought together 45 participants aged 8 to 25 from three displaced persons' sites: DGPNH, Cité Bob, and Club International. Guided by consultant artists from COOPI, assistant trainers from the host communities, and a psychosocial support specialist from Fondation Toya, the young participants reflected on a fundamental question: "What does humanitarian action mean to you?"

The journey was structured into several practical and inclusive phases:

1.     Awareness-raising and community participation: Prior to the art workshops, COOPI and Fondation Toya organized three days of awareness-raising activities that reached over 300 community members. Discussions focused on child protection, prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA), humanitarian principles, and psychosocial support.

2.     Drawing workshops: The 45 young participants translated their experiences, daily lives, and hopes for the future into visual form.

3.     Painting workshop at UNESCO: Among the artworks created, 21 were selected to continue into an intensive three-day workshop at the UNESCO premises in Haiti, where participants learned basic painting techniques and color theory.

The goal was not to organize a simple drawing contest, but rather to establish a true safe space for dialogue, democratic participation, and psychosocial well-being.

From beneficiaries to storytellers

At the closing event held on August 29, 2026, at the Brazilian Cultural Center in Pétion-Ville, the 21 selected artworks were exhibited before representatives of institutions, local communities, humanitarian partners, and the cultural sector. During the ceremony, which included the presentation of certificates, the young artists and camp committees took the floor to share their personal testimonies.

As Flavio Signori, COOPI’s Head of Mission in Haiti, explained:

The paintings and drawings created do not only speak about art: they speak about home, school, family, safety, and the desire to return to a dignified life. For a few days, these young people shifted from being beneficiaries to becoming active agents who tell their stories, create, and look toward the future.

A network of solidarity and a model for replication

The initiative was made possible thanks to strong synergy between international and local stakeholders. Alongside COOPI, OCHA, UNESCO, Fondation Toya, UNAIDS, and the governments of Canada and the United Kingdom collaborated on the project.

This experience demonstrates that, even in the most complex emergencies, a humanitarian approach can combine response to material needs with the promotion of the talents, aspirations, and dignity of affected populations.

Learn more and watch the videos of the initiative:

 L'Humanitaire à travers mes yeux – Il racconto del progetto

Dai campi di sfollati all'UNESCO: i laboratori d'arte ad Haiti