"Poignant, inspiring, and breathtaking! [L]eaves no doubt as to the potential of education to liberate and humanize." Kevin Kumashiro, Founder, Education Deans for Justice and Equity

We Are Not Powerless tells the story of what can happen when a community refuses to give in and work together for hope, love, and education.

In 2016, Muzafar Ali and his wife Nagina escaped the Taliban in Afghanistan. They found themselves living in Indonesia as refugees when Australia 'stopped the boats'. Determined to do something, they started a small two room school, the Cisarua Refugee Learning Centre, which soon became the hub of a community and the most successful refugee-led initiative in the world.

They started with a few notebooks and pens and against the advice of the UNHCR. Now, the students are obtaining school leaving certificates and entering universities around the world. Alumni from the school have spoken at the United Nations and become doctors, teachers and lawyers, and they are returning to support the schools in Indonesia where many went to school for the first time in their lives.

This powerful, emotional narrative, anchored by Muzafar and Nagina's love story, takes the audience inside the life of a refugee in a way that has never been captured before. Reflecting and comparing ten years of footage - over which time a student becomes a teacher, or a teacher becomes an international advocate - We Are Not Powerless illustrates how a small act of defiance grew around the world, became a beacon for other refugees, and proved that there are alternative solutions to the global migration crisis.



Grade Level: 7-12, College, Adults
US Release Date: 2026     Copyright Date: 2025

Reviews "Poignant, inspiring, and breathtaking! We Are Not Powerless offers a jarring glimpse into the range of injustices and traumas faced by refugees, alongside one family's journey that seeded transformative schools, particularly for women and girls. This must-see film leaves no doubt as to the potential of education to liberate and humanize, and in so doing, to threaten oppressive regimes as it helps us all build towards a better and more just future." Kevin Kumashiro, Founder, Education Deans for Justice and Equity, Author, Surrendered: Why Progressives are Losing the Biggest Battles in Education "A story of the huge potential in each and every asylum seeker. It delves deep into stories of those determined individuals who kept moving despite being stuck in Indonesia." Elias Karimi, President, Hazara Association of Queensland "This film challenges us not to forget and does not allow us to understand refugees primarily as victims. Afghanistan can disappear from the headlines, while refugees can become numbers. This film restores people, relationships, aspirations, and agency to those abstractions. It demonstrates what becomes possible when people organize, educate one another, and create spaces of dignity even when they have very little control over the larger political forces determining their lives. It is moving, disturbing, and ultimately inspiring. This is a documentary worth watching and a story worth remembering." Gonzalo Bacigalupe, Professor of Counseling and School Psychology, University of Massachusetts "Powerful and inspiring." Constantine Osuchukwu, Lindisfarne Anglican Grammar School "This film showcases the story of Hazara refugees in Indonesia who work to create community in the face of uncertainty. While not sugar coating the many difficulties that face refugees the film demonstrates the impact of individuals who dedicate their time to the education of refugee children and the power of community to foster dreams and self-worth. The film particularly highlights the role of women and girls as change makers while also acknowledging the many obstacles they face." Maia Hallward, Professor of Middle East Politics, Director, International Conflict Management, Kennesaw State University, Co-author, Gaza: The Dream and the Nightmare "Deeply touched my heart. It reflects the struggles of the Hazara community and refugees, but also their hope, courage, and determination to build a better future." River Ahmad, First Afghan woman to climb Mount Everest "Ensure all high school students have the opportunity to see this incredibly positive story - empathy levels will rise!" Cathy Bray, Grandmothers for Refugees Sydney and Surrounds "An eye opening and inspiring documentary on the struggles, yet the incredible resilience, of Hazara refugees." SABA Hazara Group "We Are Not Powerless is a collective story of triumph in the face of adversity, violence, discrimination, and uncertainty. It shows how collective action and community can drive change: by planting an idea and building something together, it raises awareness of the power of education and the paths it opens for people of all ages, genders and backgrounds. This is the ongoing story of the many Afghans left behind, of those living between countries, and of those who have recently settled in the countries of their dreams. Above all, it is a story of hope." Parwana Fayyaz, Assistant Professor, Middle Eastern and South Asian Languages and Cultures, University of Virginia "This documentary offers a rare and intimate look into how refugees from Afghanistan escaping Taliban repression demonstrate resilience and resourcefulness in the hope for renewal. Even in the depths of desperation and sense of abandonment, the refugee experience instills an immense strength - one where people never lose their humanity and altruism, reminding us that education is a fundamental human right and leaving behind one's homeland is rarely ever a choice. Refugees enrich their adopted countries." Bahar Jalali, Assistant Teaching Professor of History, Loyola University Maryland "We Are Not Powerless powerfully captures the aspirations refugees hold for their children while portraying the complexities of the lives they leave behind, life in exile, and life after resettlement. This documentary is a valuable educational resource for courses and professional training related to forced migration and refugee experiences, as it thoughtfully explores family aspirations, adaptation, hope, and community dynamics across pre-displacement, forced displacement, exile, and post-resettlement contexts." Mitra Naseh, Assistant Professor and Founding Director, Forced Migration Initiative, Washington University in St. Louis, Co-author, Best Practices in Social Work with Refugees and Immigrants