RSA Student Design Awards 2018/19: Dignity in Displacement Brief
Brief:
How might we support displaced individuals to find hope, dignity and safety to rebuild their lives?
Background:
We are currently witnessing the highest levels of human displacement on record. According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), an unprecedented 70.8 million people around the world have been forced from their home. This includes Refugees, Asylum seekers, Internally displaced persons (IDPs) and those who have become stateless. There is nothing effective in place in Ireland and the UK that enables Refugees to make genuine friendships with each other or indigenous people. This means Refugees/Asylum Seekers, particularly women and 19–24 year old men, become isolated very quickly. Additionally, organisers of initiatives that integrate Refugees, Asylum Seekers and indigenous people have no promotional platform.
Solution:
Our solution is designed to make Refugees and Asylum Seeker's resettlement more informed and connect them to people who want to befriend them through print, an app and a promotional campaign. An ongoing dialogue with Spirasi (a charity that deal with Refugees and Asylum Seekers that are victims of torture) was an excellent compass in navigating such a complex topic. They placed huge emphasis on the role genuine friendships have in enabling people to rebuild their lives.
Our solution is designed to make Refugees and Asylum Seeker's resettlement more informed and connect them to people who want to befriend them through print, an app and a promotional campaign. An ongoing dialogue with Spirasi (a charity that deal with Refugees and Asylum Seekers that are victims of torture) was an excellent compass in navigating such a complex topic. They placed huge emphasis on the role genuine friendships have in enabling people to rebuild their lives.
100,000 Welcomes refers to the Irish phrase 'Céad Mile Failte'. This phrase is commonly used to refer to the hospitality of the Irish.
By interviewing different Refugee charities, we gained great insight into the needs of Refugees/Asylum Seekers and the isolation they feel.
“They don't want more people asking what happened to them. They don't want sympathy. They want friends, someone to have a coffee with. To feel normal.”
- Spirasi MLR Doctor.
- Spirasi MLR Doctor.
The booklet is a clear, concise guide through the asylum seeking process, a services/legal aid directory and a directory of all local meetups/clubs/enterprises that befriend and empower refugees. It would be distributed in Airports, Ports, Emergency/Direct Provision centres and participating businesses, making it very accessible.
Clubs, activities and initiatives that welcome, befriend and empower Refugees can be in the community directory. This makes it much easier for Refugees to socialize and make friends and promotes those who feature in the directory. It would also direct users to the 100,000 app. The directory is divided into categories like sport, arts and culture, etc.
The 100,000 Welcomes app provides continuous updates on social gatherings in the user's locality that help Refugees make new friends. The app enables users to quickly find specific areas and topics that cater to their interests. Articles relating to their physical, mental wellbeing and asylum-seeking journey are an important feature. The megaphone icon reads out content to illiterate users - a key vulnerable group we identified in our research.
The user can track personal progress, to prevent every day from 'feeling the same', something that takes a huge toll on the mental health of those in Direct Provision. A sense of progress is a vital part of feeling productive and happy, especially for those rebuilding their lives. As the use develops the app will show the user stats to gamify their progress.
The interface of the app would be projected to become more complex as it develops and gains more users.
An example of just one of many suitable events we identified that would benefit from being hosted on an app. Sanctuary runners operate around the country and are a vital, successful integration activity for displaced people settling in Ireland. Many of these events exist but are not reaching their target audience and are not centralised.
Accessibility and privacy were two main concerns we identified in our work. English, French, Arabic and Russian were identified through research to be the most commonly required languages for asylum seekers in Ireland. Privacy was a large concern as many people in this group may be seeking asylum due to fleeing conflict or persecution therefore the data is not shared with anyone but the user. This is stated clearly at the start.
Wearable ephemera like clothing and badges make a strong statement. Ireland's Repeal the Eighth wearable ephemera made it a more personal, compassionate movement rather than a political protest.
Supportive businesses can put up supergraphics from 100,000 welcomes. Like a Tripadvisor sticker, it positively denotes that business, showing refugees that they are welcome there. We hope it would bring out and inspire the Irish reputation of being friendly and welcoming.
"An initiative like this is definitely needed. It would be such a great way for Refugees and Asylum seekers to get their lives back on track and to make friends. We would definitely use this."
- Spirasi team in Phibsborough, Dublin.
Project has been designed, produced, assembled and photographed by Eadaoin Hennessy and Megan Walsh.
