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WHO
- Raefah Makki, Head of campaigns, MENA region, UNHCR
- Rami Shishan, Head of Partnerships and Philanthropy Officer, UNHCR
- Ruban Shanmugarajah, CEO of Babyshop
- Dr. Daniel Bowling, neuroscientist, Spiritune and instructor at Stanford University
- Jamie Pabst, Founder & CEO of Spiritune
‘Frequencies of Peace’ replaces sounds of war with the sounds of a lullaby to bring comfort and hope to children across the Middle East
- Lullaby airing at bedtime in Syria on "Melody FM" and "Arabesque FM" and is available for download on Anghami, the music streaming and entertainment platform, or internationally on Spirtiune.
- Sung in Arabic by artist and songwriter Ghaliaa Chaker and developed with globally renowned neuroscientists, the public are encouraged to listen and share with loved ones and if they can, donate to help children in crisis.
STORY
Developed by a dedicated team of neuroscientists, and music therapists and with singer/songwriter Ghaliaa Chaker, a new lullaby ‘Frequencies of Peace’ is a specially constructed song capable of calming, soothing, and helping children get to sleep while living in devastating situations.
Across the world, there is an estimated 200 million children living in the world’s most lethal war zones across the Middle East. Babies exposed to the sounds and sights of terror and war have been shown to develop PTSD, high rates of depression and anxiety as they grow up. According to UNHCR’s Global trends report 2022, Children account for 30% of the world’s population, but 41% of all forcibly displaced people. Children who live in countries affected by wars and disasters suffer from psychological distress, including anxiety, sadness, fatigue, and sleep disturbances.
This approach to address and support people affected by war, most importantly, babies and children, has been developed by leading omni-channel baby and children’s retailer Babyshop, embodying its ethos, that ‘every child deserves the best start in life’, in partnership with American music therapy platform Spiritune and in support of UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.
Marking the release of the lullaby, people across the world are asked to listen via Anghami in the Middle East or on Spiritune globally, and to share the song with friends and family and on their socials using #LullabyOfHope, and if they can, donate via frequenciesofpeace.com or in Babyshop stores, with proceeds going to help forcibly displaced children.
In a world where millions of children are burdened by the weight of war and its aftermath, the simple power of a lullaby offers a glimmer of hope and solace amidst the chaos.
Raefah Makki, Head of campaigns, MENA region, UNHCR and Rami Shishan, Philanthropy Officer and Head of Partnerships, UNHCR are available for interview to discuss children affected by war.
Ruban Shanmugarajah, CEO of Babyshop on why they have created this campaign and Jamie Pabst, Founder & CEO of Spiritune along with neuroscientist Dr. Daniel Bowling who is available to explain how they used science to create a song that can help children drift off peacefully.
ONG DOWNLOAD AND WEBSITE LINK Listen via Anghami, the leading music and entertainment streaming platform in the MENA region, or via Spiritune. For more information visit: www.frequenciesofpeace.com
INTERVIEWEES
The following are available for live and pre-recorded down the line or studio interviews:
- Raefah Makki, Head of campaigns, MENA region, UNHCR
- Rami Shishan, Head of Partnerships and Philanthropy Officer, UNHCR
- Jamie Pabst, Founder & CEO, Spiritune
- Dr. Daniel Bowling, neuroscientist, Spiritune and instructor at Stanford University
SUGGESTED QUESTIONS
Raefah Makki, Head of campaigns, MENA region
1. How are children affected by war and conflict in the middle east, how many children?
2. What do you hope this campaign will achieve?
3. What is the importance of this Lullaby?
4. How can people be involved in this campaign?
Rami Shishan, Head of Partnerships and Philanthropy Officer
- Why did UNHCR decide to be part of Babyshop’s “Frequencies of Peace” campaign?
- Why is this lullaby important?
- What do you hope this campaign will achieve?
- How can people be involved in this campaign?
Jamie Pabst, Founder & CEO, Spiritune / Dr. Daniel Bowling, neuroscientist, Spiritune and instructor at Stanford University
- Tell us about the science behind Frequencies of Peace
- How does music and neuroscience fit together and why?
- What are the benefits of this specific lullaby on the brain of a child?
- Has there been research or studies that show the effects of certain songs on children?
- Why does music play such a big part in mental wellbeing and development?
- What is so special about this lullaby?
Additional Information:
About Babyshop
Established as Landmark Group's flagship brand in Bahrain in 1973, Babyshop has grown from a trusted provider of babies and children’s products and accessories to a leading advocate for children's well-being and development in MENA. Today, with a strong presence in 13 countries through over 230 brick-and-mortar stores and a thriving e-commerce operation, Babyshop is an influential omni-channel entity ensuring every child, irrespective of their circumstance, gets the best possible start in life. Known for partnering with internationally renowned brands including Juniors, Giggles, Disney, Lee Cooper, Graco, Joie, Babyzen, Cybex, Hauck, Philips Avent, Tommee Tippee, Dr. Brown’s, and Medela, Babyshop continuously works towards enhancing the lives of families worldwide. Babyshop actively involve themselves in initiatives that provide support and bring joy to children and families as needed. Aligning with its mission to foster a more caring and empathetic world, one child at a time, Babyshop's latest initiative, "Frequencies of Peace," is a unique, scientifically backed lullaby designed to bring solace and comfort to children affected by war and trauma in the Middle East, championing their unwavering dedication to making a positive impact in the lives of children and their families all over the world.
About Spiritune
At Spiritune, we take a scientific approach to creating music. By leveraging clinically informed, evidence-based research in music therapy and neuroscience from leading institutions like NYU and Stanford, Spiritune has identified the specific musical characteristics that invoke certain emotions in the brain. Our scientific advisors and composers work together to deliver compositions optimized and adapted around those musical characteristics to help create tracks that work harder for your health.
B-roll and other materials including images will also be made available on Red Robots MediaGRAB: https://we.tl/t-aeu2G3AwIF
7 September 2023
