"If You Don't Give Up, There Will Always Be a Way" — Student Intern Who Collaborated with a Syrian Singer to Host Instagram Live on June 29 (Mon), Sharing Behind-the-Scenes of Song Creation and the Unfading Dreams of Syrians Amid Conflict

NPO法人 "Piece of Syria" (Osaka City, Representative Director: Takayuki Nakano) will host an Instagram Live event on Monday, June 29, 2026, at 8:30 PM featuring student intern HARUTA, who co-created a song with Syrian singer Mirna Kassis.

They will share the behind-the-scenes story of their song "Love / Believe This Again," born from over half a year of searching for collaborators, and discuss the dreams of Syrian musicians who continue creating music despite ongoing conflict.

Delivering Syrian Culture Through Music — Part of the "Cultural Initiatives"

Founded in 2016, Piece of Syria is an international cooperation NGO that operates kindergartens and supplementary schools and provides psychosocial support primarily in Aleppo, Syria. Alongside educational support, the organization runs "Cultural Initiatives" to introduce the richness of Syrian culture—including music, cuisine, and art—to people in Japan.

This Instagram Live event commemorates the release of one such initiative: a collaborative music project with Syrian artists.

Over Six Months of Negotiations with Multiple Artists

The song was created by HARUTA (20), a singer-songwriter serving as a student intern at Piece of Syria. With music production experience in Tanzania and Italy, HARUTA dreams of creating a world where music transcends national borders, races, and languages to unite people. HARUTA has been nominated for the Music Awards Japan 2026 Student Creator Category.

For over six months, numerous negotiations with Syrian artists took place, but none led to collaboration—until finally meeting Mirna Kassis, a singer from Damascus.

Mirna blends traditional Arab music with Western opera in a unique style. In 2017, she appeared on Italy’s popular talent show "Tú sí que vales," winning a special award. She moved to Genoa, Italy, to study opera before the conflict began and has continued her music career abroad, unable to return home.

The Completed Song: "Love / Believe This Again"

The collaborative track, "Love / Believe This Again," fuses Mirna’s Arab-influenced vocal phrasing with HARUTA’s musical sensibility.

It is a song centered on one message: "Even in a world plagued by war and conflict, believe in the love that lives within our hearts."

Streaming links: https://linkco.re/6NraNAGe?lang=ja

Instagram Live Details

Date and Time: Monday, June 29, 2026, 8:30 PM – 9:00 PM (approx.)

Platform: Piece of Syria Official Instagram https://www.instagram.com/piece.of.syria/

How to Join: Simply follow the Piece of Syria Instagram account! The live stream will begin automatically at the scheduled time.

Speakers:

・HARUTA (Singer-Songwriter / Piece of Syria Student Intern) ・Takayuki Nakano (Representative Director, NPO法人 Piece of Syria)

Topics to be discussed:

・The power of perseverance learned throughout the song creation process ・Encountering different cultures and musical sensibilities through collaboration with a Syrian artist ・The enduring dreams of Syrian people despite conflict ・Messages they wish to convey through music ・The warmth of the Syrian people

Articles with more details about the song and project background:

Project Report (Readyfor): https://readyfor.jp/projects/syria2026/announcements/434204 Website Article: https://piece-of-syria.org/news/staff/202606syriamusic.html

────────────────────────────────────────

About NPO法人 Piece of Syria

Founded in 2016 with the vision of making Syria a country people can once again visit, the organization became an NPO in July 2021. To lay the foundation for peace in Syria’s future, it has delivered education to over 50,000 Syrian children through kindergarten operations, elementary school building repairs, and mental health support. In Japan and online, it organizes lectures and photo exhibitions to share "Syria’s past and present," encouraging reflection on peace. These efforts have received external recognition, including selection in Forbes Japan’s "50 NPOs to Watch," the Social Contribution Award, and the Lion of the Year award by "Kaze ni Tatsu Lion" (Lion Standing Against the Wind).

http://piece-of-syria.org/