Video proves Australians really do care about refugees but do they care enough to actually help?
A man walks around the Sydney CBD wearing a placard and handing out leaflets declaring “refugees are scum”.
People ask him if he is serious. They challenge him on the facts. One passer-by is so furious he rips the sign from around his neck and carries it away. Another calls him a “fucking disgrace”.
What they don’t know is that it’s a set up. They are participating in a social experiment designed by Act For Peace to test our compassion for asylum seekers.
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The same man returns to the street, this time he’s spreading a different message. “Help refugees” his sign reads, but this time no one responds. The video ends, posing the question: “You care about refugees, but do care enough to act?”
It is a pertinent one, not least because at present 8000 refugees and migrants are currently stranded in boats off the coasts of Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.
The video forms the basis a social campaign which will be rolled out by Act for Peace over the next fortnight and includes a Ration Challenge that will require people to live on the rations as a refugee from Burma for a week while raising money through sponsorship.
Act for Peace executive director Alistair Gee told Mumbrella: “Australians are angry about how our country treats refugees. People care about these issues but to make a real difference they need to act.
“By sharing this video and by taking action, Australians can bring the refugee struggle closer to home in a way that’s impossible to ignore. We can make a difference for refugees and create a more compassionate society.”
The challenge aims to raise $250,000 — the equivalent of a year’s food for 925 refugees. You can find out more about it here.
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