This is Charles Villa, I know him for 1 year and the past month
he asked me to go with him in Lebanon to make a video for "Brut" with "Médecin du monde" (international doctors)
to talk about psychological care of syrian refugees
How is it like to be an international reporter?
It feels good
The video we made for "Brut" talks about the trauma
that syrian families had live, and what's done to help them psychologically in Lebanon
I urge you to watch it, but we won't talk about it in this video
Charles invited me to make a video if i had an idea
and I had one. Some time ago I mentioned in a video
the concept of "hedonic adaptation"
Basically i said :
No matters the positive or negative events, or major changes in our life
we quickly get back in a stable level of happiness
we think we're gonna be happier with a certain car or house
but once we got it, we come back to the original level of happiness
That's why it's also called "hedonic treadmill"
In fact, we think we are running on the way of happiness, but we stand still
It's maybe the moment to know if it's true, and if the happiness resulting from the hedonic adaptation is real
and a way to know it is to meet people
who lived real trauma, and ask them their level of happiness today
In philosophy sometimes we ask question
which aren't beautiful, a bit shameful, and not really politically correct
So i got one of these to the syrian refugees
Are they happy?
I knew that with Charles and "Médecin du monde" we'll get some interview
so I told myself i will ask this question to everybody
According to you, on a scale from 0 to 10, how much are you happy?
In the "Brut" video, you'll see we start from the camp and then we go to the hospital
but chronologically we have done the opposite, and here is my first interview
Charles, start the record
Can you tell me your story, and why are you here today
And the interpreter translate my question
I got here during the beginning of the war
I came here in 2011, in september
I was in the 9th month of pregnancy of Ahmad
and I already got Hassan and Hala
The shootings had started
shots brush against the head of my children, I was scared for their life
And that's why I came here
We thought the situation will calm down in 1 or 2 years
and that we will came back in our home, but it's not possible
The situation hadn't calm down yet
My house got bombarded
My mother passed away
Ok
I'm here with my two-bit philosophical questions
and in 40 second I take the violence of the life right in the face
This woman is named Nisrine, 
She ran away from Idleb in Syria
6 years ago when her house has been bombed
She lost her mother, she lost her brother
both in horrible conditions
at 33 she has 4 children and a husband
Only 20% of Syrian refugees live in camp
but most of them live in squatter settlements or parking
Them, they live in a corner of supermarket
The children are mistreated by some neighbour
Or hitten in school by classmates
If they'd like to got back in Syria, their house is destroyed
They don't have a place of their own anymore,
Fortunately they can come here
Have some therapy which they need, particularly the children
And Nisrine is happy for that
It was a difficult interview
She told me her story
she confided in me, in order for Brut and me to tell you
And to sensibilize people on what happen over there
I still need to ask my question, I admit I hesitated a bit
After all, I have to follow through with my ideas
5, seriously?
After going through all of this? how is it possible?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I also ask to the children
 
6 or this much
So it's ten
why 6 and why 10?
10
why 10?
because i like the 10
It doesn't really work.
Before leaving i ask to the psycologist
 
 
 
 
Close.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Here we are in the Sadnayel camp, like i said
20% of Syrian refugees are in those type of camps
to give an idea of the number of refugees in Lebanon
1 person over 4 is a refugee. It's huge.
People living there are here since many years now
in very difficult conditions, under tarpaulins, right over the ground
Flooded as soon as it rains a little too much
Sometimes they're here since 6 years
They go to school, they work, they live
By the way the car with balloons you see behind me
it's because they were celebrating a wedding
We are asking question about the functioning of the camp
and I add mine
Seven, because I can create object
because i have all I need
but sometimes i don't have all tools for example to create
10, I like invented and patch up cars
And play with it
8
I'm happy because I can play with my friends
But sometimes, days school, we can't play
Since i came here
I will grade my happiness between 6 or 7
when I came my children were very small
I wasn't happy
Now i'm stronger than I was, my spirit feels better
my children grown up, they go to school
I'm optimistic thank to them
I'm happy
and I keep hope about getting back in my country one day
I will grade my mood between 6 or 7, compared in before
I didn't feel well at all
But now I feel so much better
My children are more aware, they understand what I tell them
They listen to me
on 0 to 10 I would say
9 or 8
Mostly because i am with my family
and my friends
Our situation is slowly getting better
I was feeling very bad
Because of this pression we suffer
Also because of the disease of my mother
But now my spirit has gotten back to 10
Since my mother feels better
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
So we have this capacity of creating happiness
synthesizing it. It's certainly linked to the hedonic adaptation
It's kind of crazy
But before go home i'd like to meet people who have everything to be happy
People who are in the richest country of the world
People who got sun everyday,
People who are free
I'm leaving Charles and I'm flying to California
In Los Angeles
Between you and me, I especially went to assist to the graduation ceremony of my sister
By the way, I send you a kiss and congratulation again
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
It's hard to get something out, even though I find it interesting
to listen to people
But I'm wondering if happiness of people who have all they want or almost
like potentially a Californian
is as strong as the happiness we give to ourself when we don't have what we want
like Syrian refugees
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
There is 2 things I figured out with my mission with Charles
First, our action is very restrictive
We do what we can, but we can't do miracles
and fortunately there are people, i'm thinking particularly to "Médecin du monde"
who do on-site this wonderful work
The other thing I figured out is that in fact it's not just a question of happiness
Because if it was just a question of happiness these population might not need help
Because we saw it, it's very difficult to say and admit it
but sometimes, they are not much less happy
Of course, the purpose of this video wasn't a rigorous experience
but rather illustrate with testimony
a psychological concept, and in my opinion also philosophical
So we saw it, that's not just a question of happiness
When we see family who are living 6 years under covers
It's not a question of happiness, it's a question of dignity
When we see a woman who fight for the well-being of her children
while she lost everything, it's not a question of happiness
it's a question of justice
This dignity, this justice, is what makes our humanity
It's not to make them happy, but to give them back what the world took them away
Of course happiness is important
But it's not the only value
John Stuart Mill said "It's better being a dissatisfied man rather than being a satisfied pork
or that is it's better to be dissatisfied Socrates than a satisfied fool"
Satisfaction therefore happiness are maybe not above everything.
So thank you Charles and Medecins du monde that allowed me to talk to you about these populations
Check the video we made with Charles on Brut channel which explain the situation  more in depth
and once again it was not the aim of this video.
Feel free to support me on Tipeee (Patreon like), this kind of videos take me a lot of time.
It's a real pleasure to do it and I don't want them to be sponsored
and if I want to keep doing it, I need a little help from you
It will also be a way to tell me that you want more of them
Check also Charles' channel who made a few documentaries about conflictual areas
on top of that he's a nice person
Love, peace, see you
I would give myself a 7
Around 8
I would evaluate my happiness level at nearly 7
Because I'm at last recovering from my depression
9 over 10
I think I'd give myself a good 8 over 10
I still have some dreams that I want to achieve
Between 5 and 6
I may say 10 if I reach them all
I would give an 8
But I'm working on certain things that may sometimes turn this into a 7 or 8
I give 9.5 because 10, that's too much. 9.5 it allows me to get a bit of hope to say that tomorrow may be better
I have some love relations problems therefore I don't say 9 or 10
But I think I'll be happier when I'll be a grown-up
The more I'm growing up, the more I realise there were a lot of moments in my life when I felt very very sad
and that I had the impression that everything was wrong
and now that I'm looking on it I just realise that yeah, there were a lot of things in your life that were doing great
I would say 6
but the fact is that, thank you,  it can change at every moment
So I would give my happiness the mark of 7 over 10
because on one side I'm very supported, very happy and I've been very lucky in my life
and at the same time I worry a lot that I won't accomplish what I want to accomplish
Yes !
9. I think we can all consider ourselves happy
to live in Europe, to get some food everyday, and so on
At last life is enjoyable
