Climbing for Peace – Why SAMA Matters Now More Than Ever
A window into another world
Never before have so many people around the world been forcibly displaced, according to the UNHCR. The media is flooded with images of war, violence, and crisis – especially when it comes to the Middle East. SAMA, the film we created together with Mammut, sheds light on a different kind of reality – one that’s rarely portrayed. Set in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, where our project is based, the film opens a window into a world of connection, movement, and humanity.
ClimbAID was founded in 2016 – shaped by the Syrian refugee crisis and driven by the belief that climbing holds not only therapeutic potential, but also the power to build strong social bonds. Since 2017, our work in the Bekaa Valley has created a space where people can come together through climbing – regardless of background, legal status, or societal norms.
A place where young people who had lost their social environment and educational outlook found stability again. And, not least, a place where traditional gender roles begin to shift – like when a young woman powers through an overhang and feels a strength she’s never known before.
"Climbing is my escape from an environment where society, family, and people try to control me. I become someone who’s in control of myself, the rock and the holds."
"I have no words for what climbing means to me. But I can say this: it’s the only thing that brings me comfort. It saves me from everything."
Scientific proof of ClimbAID’s positive impact
A scientific study conducted in 2022, focusing on our YouCLIMB program – a blend of bouldering therapy, experiential learning, and mindfulness – also shows just how effective this initiative is.
The results are clear: YouCLIMB strengthens mental well-being and reduces psychological stress among participants – even in an environment marked by emotional strain and deep uncertainty. Scenes from YouCLIMB also appear in the film.
Climbing as a mindset
What still moves me today is how much meaning can lie in seemingly small moments:
When someone rediscovers their own self-confidence – hold by hold.
When trust in the community – and in oneself – grows with every move.
When social roles begin to blur and the person behind them steps into the light, with their personality, their charm, their wit, their will.
When suddenly joy takes over, and the line between “us” and “them” (if only for a moment) disappears.
These are moments of lightness we get to experience — despite the weight that comes with the topic of displacement and forced migration.
“We’re a family. We all climb together for peace.”
This experience shapes not only our work in Lebanon but also our projects in Switzerland, where people with and without refugee backgrounds come together every week to climb, learn from one another, and grow.
SAMA demonstrates the humanity behind numbers and headlines, allowing us to experience how climbing connects people across borders.
Learn more about ClimbAID and their work with displaced youth
