Three times the world actually cared about refugees and what we can learn
With growing numbers of refugees from new emergencies like Venezuela and older conflicts like Syria or South Sudan, as well as toxic narratives on the rise, the task at hand is rather daunting for actors like the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), who work to protect refugees worldwide.
But there is hope, too. UNHCR is not alone. In Europe alone, a third of people believe that supporting refugees is crucial, a measure of our basic social values. 15% of people interviewed even say they are willing to host refugees, according to research by More in Common.
So why is helping refugees the exception rather than the norm? In part because there is a gap between what people feel and what they actually do. And that’s normal. We cannot expect people to act according to their moral values all the time. To tap into people’s desire to help refugees we first need to understand what translates compassion into action.
Google Trends data reveals that “help refugees” is among the top 20 words people search online about refugees. Over the past 5 years, there have been three major peaks of Google searches for “help refugees”. Three times people massively showed solidarity.
These online peaks correspond to three major news events. They teach us that solidarity can be driven by distinct yet equally powerful emotions: 1) sorrow, 2) inspiration, 3) frustration.
1) Alan Kurdi’s death: the news that moved people to tears
The first and biggest online peak of solidarity of the past 5 years happened following Alan Kurdi’s death in September 2015. Alan Kurdi was a 3-year-old Syrian boy whose image made global headlines after the boat on which his family and other refugees were trying to reach Greece capsized. The iconic image of his body washed up lifeless on a beach came to illustrate the tragic plight of refugees undertaking perilous journeys to find safety.
As the news became viral, an unprecedented number of people started searching online how they could help refugees. While nothing could be done to save the boy, the story moved people to find ways of helping other refugees and prevent similar tragedies. Many heads of states commented on Alan Kurdi’s death; charities helping refugees and migrants saw a surge in donations.
2) Trudeau’s pledge to welcome 25,000 refugees: the news that got people inspired
The second online peak of solidarity corresponds to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s pledge to welcome 25,000 refugees to Canada, which he set upon to make a reality soon after his electoral victory in October 2015. Government departments, NGOs and local groups were all mobilized to get ready for Canada’s most ambitious refugee resettlement program since the Vietnam war.
Upon hearing the news, many people in Canada and beyond were inspired and decided to play their part in helping refugees. What this second peak in online search indicates is that gestures of solidarity, including from States, can have a snowball effect. People were inspired to follow in Trudeau’s footsteps but also motivated at the idea of being part of a collective effort.
3) Trump’s “Muslim ban”: the news that got people upset
The third online peak of solidarity corresponds to Executive order 13769, better known as the “Muslim ban”, an order issued by US President Donald Trump in January 2017. The order lowered the number of refugees admitted into the United States and suspended the entry of Syrian refugees indefinitely. The signing of the ban provoked widespread condemnation, nationwide protests and legal actions against its enforcement.
Interestingly enough, this event also led to a wave of online solidarity towards refugees. Just as the #NoMuslimBan hashtag became viral on social media, people, especially in the US, massively searched on Google how they could help refugees. Unlike in the case of Trudeau’s pledge, where the peak of search reflected a desire to imitate the Canadian government, in this case, the peak reflected an act of opposition, meant to counter the effects of the US government’s order on refugees.
What are the takeaways for the aid sector?
● We need to spark emotions — We know it already, but it’s important to repeat it; people’s desire to help isn’t driven by rational thinking. We need to use content that taps into a wide range of emotions to awaken the solidarity potential in different people.
● We need to seize trends — None of these major peaks are the result of planned communications campaigns. They’re just organic reactions to world news. We can monitor and ride these trends to create content that serves our advocacy. Alan Kurdi’s tragic story illustrates the need for safe pathways for those fleeing conflict. Trudeau’s pledge helps make a case for refugee sponsorship programs. And the Muslim ban makes it crucial to show the positive contributions refugees make to host societies when given the change to resettle.
● We need to offer new ways to “help” — We often take it for granted that people who wish to help wish to donate. But it isn’t necessarily true. In fact, when people search “donate refugees” they often search how to donate clothes, not money. We need to offer people meaningful ways of helping beyond donations, whether it’s volunteering a skill, using an app created by refugees, having dinner with a refugee family living nearby, etc.
