Little Amal, the refugee puppet, makes her way through New York City

2025-04-28 04:55:41admin

New York City hotspots have a new, larger-than-average visitor this week: Little Amal, the 12-foot-tall puppet representing a 10-year-old Syrian refugee, who has made her way around the world to bring attention to displaced children.

Walk With Amal, or The Walk, is an international art and advocacy collaboration between The Walk Productions and St. Ann’s Warehouse, with help from the famed Handspring Puppet Company, founded in 1981 in Cape Town, South Africa. Amal's worldwide pilgrimage began at the Syrian-Turkish border in July 2021. Since then, she has traveled more than 5,000 miles across 12 countries, representing the journeys of children fleeing violence, war, and other forms of persecution, and has launched The Amal Fund to raise money for childhood education and humanitarian needs.

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Amal's latest New York City leg crosses paths with international leaders and activists who have convened in the city for the United Nations annual General Assembly, which runs from Sept. 13 to Sept. 27. She also made an appearance at the Goalkeepers Global Goals Awards, a ceremony honoring notable women leaders put on by the United Nations and Gates Foundation. Next to her stood education activist Malala Yousafzi, climate activist Vanessa Nakate, journalist Zahra Joya, and health advocate Dr. Radhika Batra.

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Observers of Little Amal Walks NYC are encouraged to listen to the "Voice of Brooklyn" project as Amal makes her way through the boroughs, available on the Bloomberg Connects app (a digital arts and culture guide). The five audio stories guide listeners along the paths of local Brooklynites, many immigrants themselves.

You can follow along with Amal's journey on Twitter — check out her bio to see where she'll be next.

Amal stands on the Brooklyn Bridge, framed by the stone arches and wires with a bright blue sky behind her.

Credit: Respective Collective Amal leans over the ticket kiosk at Grand Central Station as a crowd takes pictures.

Credit: Respective Collective Amal stands face-to-face with a fossilized dinosaur skeleton in the main hall of the American Museum of Natural History.

Amal stands face-to-face with a fossilized dinosaur skeleton in the main hall of the American Museum of Natural History.

Credit: Respective Collective Amal stands in the middle of a crowd of parishioners at St. Patrick's Cathedral.

Credit: Ed Jones / AFP via Getty Images Amal stands with her arms outstretched in Times Square.

Credit: Arturo Holmes / Getty Images Amal leans against a building. A New York City police officer stands in the foreground with arms clasped in front of him.

Amal leans against a building. A New York City police officer stands in the foreground with arms clasped in front of him.

Credit: Spencer Platt / Getty Images Amal leans over one of the stone lions that rests outside of the New York Public Library.

Credit: Lokman Vural Elibol / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Amal leans over a bride and groom. One of her hands is on the bride's back.

Credit: Michael M. Santiago / Getty Images Amal walks through a crowd during the night time, as individuals hold up many paper lanterns that glow around her.

Amal walks through a crowd during the night time, as individuals hold up many paper lanterns that glow around her.

Credit: Lokman Vural Elibol / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Amal stands in profile on the boardwalk at Coney Island. A crowd surrounds her, and you can see rides in the background.