The Refugee Crisis over the past few weeks showed us that a neglected issue can suddenly become huge with both the public and the media. A few of the best online activities that I’ve seen:
Uplift have been giving us all a masterclass in campaigning, both online and offline. They ran a successful petition to Government calling on them to offer refuge to more people – nearly 38,000 signatures on that. Their Pledge a Bed campaign was a brilliant example of giving a more meaningful action to those who wanted to do more than just sign a petition; and by showing that regular people were willing to step up and offer help, it put extra pressure on the Government. Over 12,000 people offered beds, which is just phenomenal. They also held a solidarity vigil at the Irish Famine Memorial in Dublin, providing that all-important real-life action.
The presence of a campaigning organisation like Uplift and their community of passionate, engaged people is a huge bonus to all of us in the social sector – if you’re not already signed up to Uplift, do so today.
- This video from The Syria Campaign is hugely effective and only 21 seconds long. With no actual video footage in the clip, it manages to create a powerful sense of movement and tension, just through the clever use of still images and soundtrack.
- How Welcoming is the UK? – this very smart landing page, also by The Syria Campaign, puts some visual perspective on the debate around accepting refugees
- While it’s been great to see European Governments responding to the crisis by providing aid and taking in refugees, the longer-term change that needs to happen is peace. Planet Syria is a coalition of non-violent activists working for an end to conflict and peace talks; their website is an excellent example of a campaign site that clearly lays out its goals.
Seen any particularly strong pieces of digital content relating to the refugee crisis? Comment below to share it with the Irish Charity Lab network.
