Clowns Without Borders is a non-profit Catalan humanitarian NGO with an international reach. It was founded in Barcelona in 1993. Its objective is to act in areas of conflict or exclusion to help improve the psychological and emotional situation of refugee populations and those of countries devastated by violence, war or natural disasters, through artistic activities,
humour and the comicality of clowns, as well as to make society aware of the situation of the populations affected and promote attitudes of solidarity. It has almost always been present in places of conflict or catastrophic zones such as Yugoslavia, Palestine, the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Algeria (the Sahara), Lebanon, Jordan, Haiti, Mozambique, Ivory Coast and Namibia, among others. It is headed by Jaume Mateu (Tortell Poltrona), a great man and a fantastic clown, who is always surrounded by a multitude of women and men as courageous and supportive as he is.
LiberPress Association Award 2017
Clowns without Borders received the 2017 LiberPress Association Award for an idea that is emotive, exciting, caring, full of sensitivity and very courageous, in which it struggles to help the unprotected around the world. It is able to change tears into smiles, transform sorrow into joy, help people forget for a while the injustices they are suffering. It demonstrates immense humanity to all of humanity, seeks peace and harmony, and shows that laughter and fantasy are effective tools for bringing moments of happiness and hope to children and the future. In short, it is a task that takes great courage, empathy and altruism and it is priceless.