Clinton is among the speakers at the fifth annual women in the world summit. En Federal Reserve chair janet yellin speaks. Next firsthand stories of bombings and Chemical Attacks in syria. A pop singer who is leading protests in the ukraine and a conversation with hillary clinton. This was part of the fifth annual women in the world summit from lincoln center, in new york city. This twohour portion of the event starts with remarks from organizer tina brown. [cheers and applause] so when i look around the theater tonight, i am so blown away by what i see because i think some of you are going to remember that five years ago women in the world began with just 300 people, like the greeks and now look how we have grown, just like the global Womens Movement has grown, too. Half the people in the world are now claiming their share of respect and power and dignity and wealth, of education for themselves, their children, their world. And tonight were going to have the honor of hearing from two women, two leaders who contributed so much to the struggles to make that happen, managing director of the i. M. S. Christine lagarde and former secretary of state Hillary Rodham clinton are going to be present. [cheers and applause] theyre going to be present in a unique dialogue between the two of them, the first in a public forum. Christine has been with us for five years. She has asked her daughter to read for her. She is joining us later in the summit. Tomorrow with have a brilliant poet. She has an amazing following among young girls and dissidents and patriots who have made this journey including the ukrainian singer and former m. P. [applause] when protesters gathered in the square under the guns of that government, she memorablely kept singing the National Anthem to calm and hearten protesters. Just sprung from the ordeal of two years in the prisons of putins, russia, putty riot. [cheers and applause] theyre here in the audience, i hope they will stand and well stand with you, pussy riot cheers and applause] its great to be able to tell you that in year five, women in the world is on the move. We have taken the exhillerating energy of the summit to brazil, chicago, l. A. , and london. Were planning san antonio, texas, mexico city, and thanks to all of you, thanks to all of you for making that happen, for being here, for tweeting and spreading the word. Its amazing what has happened. Hanks, too, to my friend and coconspirator who is also here tomorrow night. The participants in this years summit have come tonight from 25 countries, women who are agents of change, women who are innovators, troublemakers, peacemakerers educators women who are compelled by social injustice, medieval madness or transitions or by the glass ceilings that they encounter. What they all have in common is a humbling and infectious optimism. Here in america where we have our own issues, we do sometimes lose perspective. Its not represented by the fact that in todays fractured media environment, so many great reporters and photo journalists and broadcasters are denied the means of what theyre best at doing and long to do and tell stories and tell them with an understanding and a depth and a complexity not possible in just sound bites. Thats why the mission of this convening is to bring us the wider world as seen through the stories of women. Let them tell their stories without mediation. Many of them live daily lives and challenge so we can only glimpse sporadically. Its exhilarating to be able to bring them here in full voice, the glorious stage of lincoln center. Perhaps the connection that we forge with them will persuade us to reexamine our lives in our own world and if were doing as much for human values as they are. If youre moved to support any of the women you see with time, money, or social media, you can. In fact, you must. We have six ipad stations around contributions go directly to them. With the end of each program, were going to send you the link to the organizations. We have them on your cell phone, i know that all of them will welcome your tweeting, your support, your donations, anything you wish to give. My guess is that youre going to want to do that. Im inspired myself every time i meet women who risk their lives and often give their lives. The terror of the 25yearold education campaigner from pakistan who is here in the audience. I dont know where you are, but i know youre there somewhere. She is coming to join us saturday on the stage. She told me recently that her motto in life is dont cry, strategize. Dont cry, strategize, i love that, thank you for giving us the mantra of our fifth summit. She learned this philosophy, she told us from her father when he consoled her after her best friend was murdered in an honor killing. Thats why its fitting that there are excellent men in the audience as well and in the program, not only in the audience, but in the program. David, tom freedman, charlie rose, ken burns, and jon stewart, john is joining us tomorrow as a moderator because he believes what has happened to women since the arab spring is no joke. I want to thank all of the public spirited anchors from every network who are going to join us in the next 2 1 2 days to moderator panel. Thanks to the intrepid tv newswoman cynthia mcfadden. She stepped in at midnight even though she is about to start a demanding new job at nbc news to moderate this evenings panel about syria and speaking of support, thank you big time to our loyal copresenting sponsor toyota. Toyota is with us for the third year running and they have been with us taking women in the world out on the road for the many summits we have been doing for the last three months. I want to thank them for being such great partners. I want to thank mercury too. [applause] id like to thank merck, too, they have increased their commitment to become a copresenting sponsor alongside. Thank you. A warm welcome as well [applause] a warm welcome as well to a new leadership sponsor dove. Theyre joining us for the first time with a compelling program directed at young women on saturday morning. I express the appreciation as well for the sustained commitment of our leadership sponsors, bank of america, the coca coalia company, our sponsors, our digital partners, my be loved alma mater, the daily beast. I would like to Say Something about my cohost because you want to know the meaning of soft power, just now meet the women of renown and dedication and grace who are my cohosts of this years women in the world, please welcome them know, thank you. [applause] the women i am here for is in the congo who works with women who are displaced and abused by the army. The experience of being displaced was an unhealthy experience. It was a huge trauma for me. We were in the bush and we were more than 20 people. At night, we could not sleep. We never were well. We were always scared so i had one song in my mind, lord, do what you want with me. When i was singing that song, i could finally find the calm. The song gave me courage to go back to the town to identify the women who had displaced. This is why i focus on training and income generating activities for these women to encourage them to help them find a happy life. [applause] the women im here for is cynthia, the daughter of salvadorian immigrants now living in boston. Im cynthia and im first. Coming from an immigrant family and the first generation born in the u. S. , i had an early understanding of the challenges that people faced. My parents worked two jobs. My sisters were teen parents and my brother was a drug addict. I had two cultures, two languages, and low income realities that made a lot of opportunities seem distant. Regardless of the situation, i embraced my personal story and made it my motivation to move forward. College was my step towards getting a rewarding career. Its not as serious as people might think. As the first to go to college, i now have the chance to be a role model for my family. Some day my nieces, never ewes and my own children will look t me and follow me path. [applause] the woman i am here for, a gender activist and advocate in nairobi kenya. I came from a polygamist family of 40 children and grew up with hardship. Every society has different challenges, the way i was raised inequality is compounded by a lot of social amenities for education and a preference for boys. I recall my mother saying i want my daughters and other girls to be better than who i am. While my mother did not know how to read or write, she was devoted to enrolling girls in school. She initiated the neighbors in need program and now im her successor. We are supporting girls in education mentoring girls who are refugees and intentionally displaced persons and advocated for policies that change gender inequalities. [applause] the woman im here for is lena, the only Health Worker in the congo village. Since im the only Health Worker in the facility taking care of a large population, i have to plan properly. Im the records officer, the pharmacist, the nurse, and more. Thankfully the Community Supports me by cleaning the facility. Supplies and equipment are few. The increase in maternity and outpatient charges has sometimes forced me to dig into my own pockets to procure essential medications. But i do this because i am part of the community. My work is challenging, but also very rewarding. When i see people get better and have hope, it keeps me going. My passion has been my greatest strength. [applause] the woman im here for is from pakistan. I was 13 years old, an eighth grade student, the youngest among my siblings. I was walking home from school and i went to the store to buy a toy for my niece. A man pressed a handkerchief on my nose. I fainted. I was kidnapped and then gang raped by four men. They said they wanted to declare me an outlaw. Then they warned my brother and father they would kill me. This is what happens in pakistan, men get away with it because theyre powerful. These men set the rules and they think they know how to deal with issues. They dont. My life is destroyed. My education is destroyed. My family is destroyed. I dont care what the judge says. I know i was wronged. I will not step backwards and will always carry on my fight for my rights. [applause] the woman i am here for is from cambodia. Our government does not kill with weapons. They kill with corruption. They sold the land beneath our homes and we were expected to disappear without a sound. I am one of the people near the capital. My home was taken, stolen from me by government agreed in exchange for skyscrapers and shopping malls. To protest is not the cambodian way, especially for a woman, but i cannot tolerate corruption. A generation of young people in cambodia are growing up with broken hearts. This cannot stand. I have been arrested, harassed. They try to intimidate me. I have been detained in prison held for months. It will continue, but so will we. We believe in democracy and we will fight for it. We will be seen, we will be heard. [applause] the woman im here for is stephanie and the many women like her in the United States serving unjust mandatory minimum sentences. At the age of 23. Stephanie received a 30year prison sentence for a nonviolent drugrelated crime. She was a firsttime offender. Looking back, i know i did something wrong. I met a man named john who promised me cash if i helped him set up his new business. His business was selling crack cocaine. I helped him for a little offense a month. In return for money that i used to pay bills and buy groceries. After six weeks, i cut off all ties and moved myself and my kids away to start a new life. We were living in boston when i was indicted on drug charges. I prayed i would not serve time because of my clean record and limited involvement. I could not have been more wrong. I spent the last two decades behind bars before i was granted my freedom. As difficult as my time in prison has been on me, its been harder on my children. My heart breaks that i have not been there for them. Finding work when you have a record is tough, but im determined to work hard, to be a good mother and to have a good life. [applause] the woman i am here for is esther from uganda. She is a midwife. I am always here monday to monday. Delivers are unexpected and i have to rush wherever and whenever i am needed. There are days i have to run long distances to meet mothers who cannot make to the health center, only to find that she is already delivered. Once i found a woman giving birth next to a swamp because she couldnt walk any further. It was a terrifying sight and no woman should ever have to go through that. I am privileged to see life join this earth every other day, although my heart breaks to watch mothers go through such agonizing pain. Not so much the agony of giving birth, but the agony of giving birth under very harsh conditions. Our work can be very challenging yet we cope. [applause] is e woman im here for as first female boxer invited to compete in the olympic games. A man with a long beard came to the Olympics Office and said to the coach, you must not train girls. They even called my father to threaten his life, asking him why he had allowed his daughter to do boxing. However, my father is happy that i practice boxing. A School Classmate who sits next to me jokes that he doesnt want to sit next to me because he is scared i might punch him. I must make progress in sports and not marry soon. Afghan girls should tell the people of the world that we can progress. We can advance as well. I will proudly fight for women and afghanistan. [applause] i was at school when it was bombed. Some of the children were killed, we all ran away. I was running fast on an endless road. With my siblings, we were running back home seeking protection in my mothers arms. When we saw the bombing of the school, we thought they bombed all schools all over the world. Finally i was home. The bombing stopped for a while. Mom served lunch. I ate, drank a glass of water, then went into my room with my notebook and pen. I wanted to do my homework. All of a sudden the bombings resumed. I dropped both my pen and minot book and i hid under the table. I thought it might protect me. I left home, i left my school bag, my notebook, my pencils. I didnt finish my homework. Little by little home is fading away as well as the performance grant yates and the lemon pomegranates and the lemon trees, the tree in the garden, our neighbors house, my grandfathers house, my friends house, all fading away. God, what happened to my country . Exile at day, my started. In young girl has a name, of course, but revealing her identity might place her and er family in danger. However, there is a video link with her in lebanon, so shell be able to share this evening with us and to witness her words expressed to an International Audience a half a world away. So i would like to say this to matter. Words words matter. Youre the girl that im here for tonight and this is your poem. When i take my pencil and notebook, what shall i write about . Shall i write about my school, i house, or my land of which was deprived. My school, when will i visit you again, take my bags and run to you . My school is no longer there, now destruction is everywhere. No more students, no more ringing bells, my school has turned into stones scattered here and there. Shall i write about my house that i know longer see or i know longer be . Shall a write about flowers which now smell of destruction. Syria, my beloved country, when will i ever return back to you . I had so many dreams, none of them will come true. All i want is to live in my country in freedom, syria, my beloved country, i love you. Good evening, im cynthia mcfadden. Its such a pleasure to be here with you. With two extraordinarily courageous women we are going to tell you what they have seen. Th their own eyes and felt as eyewitnesses to really a horrific humanitarian crisis, so, ladies, thank you very much for being with us today. Thank you both. Later were going to have david, the president and c. E. O. Of the International Rescue committee who is going to talk to me about some of the dire circumstances of the nine million refugees and internally displaced people. First we want to hear from two women who have experienced it, what is happening in syria today. Last august, your hometown was one of the places that was attacked with chemical weapons. Yes. Take us back to that day and what you saw and what you witnessed. That day we were playing, me and my cousin, playing some kind of activities for the kids. We were working with them. E heard on the internet that a chemical attack and then after an hour, we heard that a similar attack hit my town. E are hearing the missiles and the bombing, but we didnt know that this bombing this night is different from any other nights before. Its carrying gases and gases. So after half an hour, we start feeling dizzy. We start our noses, our eyes were running so we did recognize that this is Something Different in the air and that we rushed to the other rooms and we wake up all of the family members and the kids. We try to help them, to put some kind of scarves on their noses. Then we decided your throat is burning, eyes burning at this point . Yes. Our noses were running. Well and we ee find some difficulties breathing. We didnt imagine that it would be worse and we decided to go to the hospital to help there ecause we used to be nurses at that hospital, so we rushed to the hospital and tried to help. On our way, it takes usually five minutes to get there, but because of the heavy bombing and shelling, it took us 20 minutes. I remember when we arrived in that neighborhood, i saw dozens of corpses on the streets of women and men and children. I just remember myself screaming and yelling out and saying oh, god, oh, god, i was so shocked. I didnt imagine to see that view. Hen i get closer, i saw people in a very scary way, frightening way, i was afraid of them. Then i saw one of the doctors at the door of the hospital, he says, me and my cousin, go to the hospital and try to help. Down stairs, the hospital is like a basement, 300 square meters basement and it was full of people, injured people, dead people, people who were crying, screaming and shouting, trying to wake up their relatives. It was very scary, very, very scary situation and horrible. And you and your brother were there over a period of time. Yeah. Just being in contact with the people was making you sick as well . Yeah, we didnt know that we dont have to be in contact with those people. All we have to do and we were able to do is just take off their clothes and wash their bodies with water and put vinegar on their mouths and noses and for some severe cases, we had small amount of shots, thats all that we have. We didnt recognize that this contact will affect us. Could you smell anything at this point . Yes. A different smell in the air but we dont have a lot of time to think about it. We were told that we will die that day because of not only the Chemical Attacks, but also the shelling, so there were injured people coming from the Chemical Attacks and from the gases and people were injured from the shelling. Shelling as well . Yeah. You actually lost your sight for a period of time . Yeah, i couldnt see. I was blinded for a week after that day. In the er the corpses house next to the hospital because there is no place any more in the hospital to, for hem, so and after that, that house was shelled also. So those dead people died twice that day, yeah. I want to talk to you in a moment about the children because, of course, in any conflict, children suffer so terribly, women, but the town had been under siege before this chemical attack. For a year. For a year. Yeah, for a year. What were the conditions prior to the chemical attack . The most horrible conditions you can imagine, no services, no food. To no power. No power. Every day, the situation became worse and worse. The kids and the children were the most affected. We felt like their childhood was stolen from them. We tried to do something to them, me, my cousin, some of the girls from the town, they try to help us. We do some kind of entertaining things, we do we tried to the happiness of their lives. We organized a party like holiday. At the end of ramadan . Yes. We organized a very, very beautiful party. Week was very, it was a before the chemical attack. Just a week. Some of those kids that were at the party died that day. That day, 2,300 died, 900 were women and 700 were children. Say that again. In one night, 2,300 people died that were killed. 900 were women, 700 were children. You were already politically motivated before all of this. Tell us about what happened to your father. At the end of 2011 he was detained for helping injured people. For helping injured people. Yeah. Not for political activism, not trying to overthrow the regime, for trying to help people. Yeah. He is just a simple man. Brother to d my take our right. He said he raised you to be a rebel . Yeah. His ways told me about how killed people in the 1980s, so he told me those things and he told me that one day we have to liberate our country before the revolution started. Do you know where your father is today . No. We just know that he is in jail. We hear rumors about him, but we dont know if its Accurate Information about him. Like so many people that have disappeared . Yes. Thank you, i know i cant imagine how hard it is to have to relive this, but we benefit so much from understanding your testimony and your witness of it. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for this chance. [applause] can i tell them youre worried about your english . No need to worry about the english. You committed just fine, my friend. You spent your Early Childhood in the United States, but have been back to your country many, many times to syria. You were there for two years during the height of the until now, you could say. Tell me about the day you experienced the barrel bombing. It was early in january of 2013. I was doing door to door distribution in a Little Village which is in the northern suburbs of hamel. There was absolutely nothing going on that seemed a little bit peculiar. They were kids riding on their bikes, a little vegetable cart and then all of a sudden the helicopter comes and you hear nekacit which g, means its descending. That means its going to start to throw. Then you look around you and all of a sudden you see mothers carrying children, one with one arm and one with another arm and looking for a hole to jump in like a rat. Six barrels fell on us that day. It was, im sure that the people who know about what is going on in syria have heard the words scary, horrific, disaster rouse, it was a combination. You didnt know where the barrels were going to fall so you didnt know where you could hide. You didnt know if you could stay alive or not. Luckily for me, sadly for them, it fell about half a kilometer away from us and it brought down two buildings. As we headed towards those buildings, we wanted to see who was still alive so we can try to pull them out of from under the ruins and were all running and there is a 3yearold child i really didnt think this is dead. I didnt know the back of his head was open. From the front, it was fine. Everything that i have read about in history, i have seen it being practiced in syria as we speak. Every four minutes, a syrian person is detained. Every 10 minutes, a syrian person is missing. Every 13 minutes, a syrian person is wounded. And he have 15 minutes, a syrian human being is getting killed. Two people will die in syria while were having this conversation . Yes, maam. One of the other things about the barrel bombs that day was many peoples lips turned blue. You dont know what was in the barrel bombs . When you look at the white smoke, you look at the peoples faces and everybodys lips were blue including mine. For many months after that, everybody was coughing. Im still coughing. Im still coughing a very strange cough. We dont know what they put in hese barrel bombs. Lets talk about daily life in syria right now to the the best you can paint a picture for me 80 of the country has been demolished on the ground, 80 , which means as you were pointing out, no water, no food. City, no no subsidy sell. No school. No school for the kids, right . Thats the most horrible thing, not having school, that eans a hole generation is in danger. The generations just to see blood and all of these terrible things and forget about learning, forget about improving their lives. Thats very harmful. Thats the future is not going to be that bright for syria if the situation can stay like that. Those kids will know syria. They are out of school and away om education and all these needy things for us, that means the future of syria is not going to be as bright as we dreamed of. You were telling me earlier that its a sunny days that you dread. Those are the days the planes can fly. The cloudy days you think there is a break in the shelling. Yes. If i may just add one thing. Currently the percentage of illiteracy in syria is over 20 . Children over 6 years old have not gone to school for three years in a row. There are two reasons for that. The first reason is when they actually go to school, the schools get shelled and targeted. We have seen many horrific events of schools being targeted while the kids are in school. It happened in two places. There are u. N. Charges that children are being targeted in syria specifically. Youre a witness to that . A lot of kids who died in my town were killed by snipers and those snipers are knowing that those, they are killing kids. They are killing children. Thats very horrifying because feel like they are, you know, theyre punishing theyre punishing the parents. So tell me what youre trying to do to make a difference. Well, we always Say Something in syria that the revolution is not just a rifle. Its also giving a lending hand to a person in need. Its also a song, a prayer, a drop of tear, a flame of hope. I do whatever i want to do because, well, let me rephrase that. I am who i am because of the country that i grew up in. I grew up here. I learned in the United States that youre supposed to help someone when theyre in need. Three years ago i went to syria and im going back. Are you frightened . Im petrified. Im petrified. [applause] five kilometers as you head from turkey inside syria, five kilometers, youre no longer safe and you dont know when your moment might come. We are ok on the ground, but were never ok in the air. The helicopters, the meg 27s, the missiles, the artillery, we get shelled in the northern states of syria, we get shelled at least seven to eight times on a daily basis. And if i picture a city for you, its a little city of at least 20,000 people in population. Its a ghost city now. There is absolutely no sign of life. You go inside the city and youre looking at the streets and the buildings and the walls are down and you see the beds where people were still sleeping and you can see the bloodstains still on the bed heets. They are dead. In many ways women have been at the heart of this. Omen have, men have suffered greatly, but in the world, when men are suffering, the women are suffering worse and the children worse still . Children and women are in every part of the revolution. It takes part as a mother, as a nurse, as an admin straightor, as an activist and everything she participated and as for the role that the man play in the revolution, she was motivating him. She was behind that. She was behind the whole revolution, this is my opinion. Im so proud to be a syrian woman. [applause] i have to say if the two of you are good examples, syrian women are strong and they are relentless and they will make a difference in all of this. Will you go back . Yeah, for sure. On m planning to stay now the border between syria and turkey. Were planning to go into the northern part of syria and try to do some kind of program for the kids, psychological programs, educational programs. I know you both are despairing for your country and were going to talk to david in a minute about International Response and the humanitarian crisis that exists, but do you believe that syria can rise again, can come back . Well, we have already won. I can give you self examples on how we won. For example, the syrian women can now participate in all different aspects of the public World Without having to be belonging to a particular party. They can be free. They can be democratic. They can be independent and liberal. The evolution, the social evolution that i have witnessed in my training seminars when i was traveling from one village to another, we would be getting shelled by missiles and the trainees would say please continue. Please continue. It was remarkable. We want to die educated, you told me. Thats what they said. If were going to die, we want to die educated. Please continue. [applause] end. Work has no there is no give up. Well continue. You will continue to fight. Yeah. You have inspired me and i know you have inspired this audience. Ladies, thank you so much for sharing your story. [applause] amazing. Im going to move over this way and well talk to david. Thank you so much. [applause] so, well, its dire. Its dire but not hopeless or you wouldnt be here. Thats our job in the i. R. C. And the other humanitarian organizations to try to emulate the kind of extraordinary courage, resilience that you have heard tonight and its truly an honor to be here and humbling to be on the same platform as the women that you have heard from tonight, but the testimony you have heard from them is the hesitate that our staff here see every day running cross Border Operations into syria or operating in the four neighboring countries where were active. So, david, it has been called the worst humanitarian crisis of the 21st century. Put it in some context for me. First of all, do you agree, and secondly, let me understand its the worst humanitarian crisis. Its the defining humanitarian crisis and the tragedy is, its the defining failure of a humanitarian response as well. Thats what we need to address. People talk about this, the kind of rwanda of the 21st century. I can see why. Were coming up on the 20th century of the appalling genocide in rwanda. There is a different historical parallel. In 1979 when the soviet Union Invaded afghanistan, basically half of the population were displaced into neighboring cubs. That is what is happening today, the 9 million figure that you used tonight, thats out of a population of 21 million. 3 million into the neighbors countries, 6 million displaced in their own country. You have heard extraordinary testimony about what is going on inside syria. I dont think people appreciate what is happening in the neighbors. In lebanon, its a country of 4. 5 Million People. It has 850,000 refugees. That is like the whole of britain, the whole of britain shall i have your mic, thank you . Someone can do something about my mic. Can you hear him . Yeah. The scale of the refugee burden in lebanon is like the whole of britain coming to mark in the space of three months and three years. Its an extraordinary toll on very fragile societies. Thats why i think its important to see its not just as a syrian civil war, its a regional conflagration of major and defining proportions. The crisis is obviously not getting better. Its getting worse. The u. N. We have more mics. Everyone can have a mic. Need to keep it up by your chin, please, thank you. Television is easier. Got to tell you, it is. First of all, all of those people out there, you can see the camera and secondly you dont have to worry about this. Anyway, to the point, the u. N. Humanitarian has given a report in syria declaring that the situation has only gotten worse in the five weeks since the Security Council passed a resolution which i might note actually had the russians signing on and yet still there is isnt passage inside the country to deliver humanitarian aid. If the Security Council resolution isnt working, what will . Well, for three years, we have been arguing for a humanitarian resolution of the United Nations. We finally got one. If there is one thing worse than not having a resolution, its having a resolution that isnt then followed. It makes a mockery not just of the United Nations as an institution, it makes a mockery of the countries that have voted for it. Its significant what she has said. Were arguing very simply that every permanent member of the Security Council and other countries in the region with an interest need to appoint humanitarian envoys of a very serious nature that can give daily attention to this. With all of the crises in the world, the attention of john kerry and other Foreign Ministers is dragged elsewhere. This is a crisis that has tardy and episodic attention on the humanitarian side. It needs sustained attention. That kind of initiative drawing on u. N. Ambassadors or other former skects of state or senior politicians to play a daily role in exposing the brutality and forging the local ceasefires, to allow organizations like ours to deliver aid. In the last three years, the i. O. C. Has managed to help 500,000 syrians with medical aid and 500,000 syrians with nonmedical items to help get through the winter. You heard tonight, she actually received one of the aid packages that we sent in there. So it is possible to get across border. Its very hard to get across conflict lines. Thats what you need daily engagement to ensure that despite a civil war, you can deliver aid to those in need. So what kind of pressure can you bring . Do you think the observers from the very countries, is that the next step . I wouldnt describe them so much as observers. They are ago tailtors. Troublemakers . Agitators with attitude and with correct and authority, the authority of their governments and the truth is attention wanders. The wandering attention is betraying generations of people in syria and the neighboring countries. Just given the focus of this conference, 80 of the refugees are women and children. Just be absolutely clear about that. Every crisis, who bear the greatest brunt . Its women and children. So, for example, were running 18 centers in the neighboring countries. What do the women who come to those centers report to us . What they report to us is much heightened levels of sexual violence, massively increased levels of Domestic Violence and shockingly in 20 of the caseload in early jordan, forced early marriage is part of their family experience. Very young girls being forced into marriage for reasons of security or simply to get money into the household. That is the kind of trauma that is being suffered every day by women and very young girls in syria and in the neighboring countries. So in terms of the syrians who have been able to leave the country, the amassing of these but in lebanon primarily, in the region, what its really interesting that you use the image of the camp because the iconic image of a refugee is someone in a refugee camp. 85 of the refugees in the syria crisis are not in camps. In lebanon, they have experience with Palestinian Refugee camps. They vowed never to build another camp. In lebanon, 850,000 people, refugees in that country are in urban areas. So 1,000 lebanese towns and cities have doubled their population because of the refugee flow. This is people sometimes with savings, remember, this is a middle class country, syria, is dissolving before their eyes. Theyre renting, theyre borrowing, theyre begging or squatting. Go to any town or village in lebanon, youll meet syrian refugees. The old model of delivering services in refugee camps doesnt work. We want to provide communitybased education to help the kids and we have curriculum to help them do that. There is a partial humanitarian response outside the country which desperately needed added resource and effort. The country you have 2. 5 Million People besieged and cut off from aid virtually completely. What does it say about the rest of us that people are living in these circumstances. The well, i think that, i hesitate to say this but the let me give you an example. For our organization, we raise more money from the public in the space of four or five weeks of the philippines crisis than we have raised in three years of the syria crisis. What disasters are more appealing to people, apparently . I dont believe the people have lost their spirit of generosity. What i think has happened is they lost the sense that they can make a difference. So a bleak picture. The message i want to say is that actually there is more capacity in the n. G. O. S, not just the i. O. C. , but other incredibly brave n. G. O. s to do much, much more. There is a test being posed to all of us. There is a test to governments, whether theyre willing to step up to do the relatively easy things which are about supporting humanitarian aid and hard things of stopping the war. There is a taste for the neighboring countries who are under huge burden. There is a test for n. G. O. S about whether or not we can amend our practice and change the way we work so that were operating in urban areas with the kind of efficacy and efficiency that people have a right to demand but also there is a test for all of us, the public, because, look, postiraq, post afghanistan, post the financial crisis, you can see why the temptation is to turn away from abroad. My very strong message is that we cant afford to turn away and the people, the poor people that you have heard from, at least has been born witness to tonight cant afford to turn away. 80 of humanitarian aid still comes from western countries. 80 . 80, yes. So in addition to sending our dollars, is this a situation that can be affected by political pressure here at home, do you believe, or do you think that there is no, that thats just not going to work. You got to believe that. Look, i spent 15 years in politics and left politics six months ago to join the humanitarian movement. Clearly i believe even read about that over here. I believe in the power of politics. Its important to see the two ends of the telescope. What i say to people, the humanitarian sector, we can stop the dying, but it takes politics to stop the killing. You need to operate on both sides. The fear always in the humanitarian movement is we dont want to be politicized and thats absolutely right. We deliver aid impartially and independently to those in need. The message is a different one. Dont politicize the humanitarian movement, bring humanity to politics. That is the voice that needs to be heard in the corridors of power. That seems like the Perfect Place to end. David, thank you so much. Fantastic. [applause] language]n foreign