United Nations - Humanitarian Action

Interwoven: Refugee murals across borders

AKAHNJOC — Tue, 28 May 2024 20:59:53 +0000

Photo Artolution

This exhibition presents artworks and murals by refugees and host communities in refugee camps, conflict zones and crisis affected communities across the world. The murals were created through a collaborative process, travelling from different locations and refugee camps where refugees and host communities contributed to their creation. The result is a collection of murals depicting interweaving narratives and imagery that showcase the struggles, perseverance and creative joy of people forced to flee their home because of war, conflict, persecution or human rights violations.

The exhibit stands as a global call for collective solidarity with and for millions of refugees, internally displaced and stateless people. It is also a testament to the incredible talents and diverse skills that people forced to flee bring to the communities that welcome them, including in the art field. These murals reflect their powerful stories and hopes for the future.

In 2022, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency and Artolution solidified a global partnership to bring the medium of mural creation to forcibly displaced people around the world. Through the transformative and healing power of art, refugees tell their own stories, share their lived experiences and shape their own lives. In taking forward this partnership, Artolution and the UN Refugee Agency seek to build hope away from home for all people forced to flee, one mural at a time.

The Rohingya Blessing for the Future of the Seas by Amphritrite, Magwayen and Yemọja

Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh

Partners: Artolution, Chime For Change, Gucci Equilibrium

The collaborative artwork captures the shared cultural significance of water as a source of life, particularly poignant for Rohingya refugees who crossed the Naf river to escape violence in Myanmar. The piece memorializes their connection to water and overcoming environmental challenges through the symbolic imagery of three golden seahorses adorned with patterns representing global sea protectors like Anthirdite, Magwayen, and Yemoja. It seeks to amplify the voices of people forcibly displaced from home and evokes a universal narrative of resilience and multiculturalism. It was created by Rohingya refugee children in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.

Global Community Personalities

Bangladesh - Uganda

Partners: Artolution, UNHCR Bangladesh, UNHCR Uganda, Education Above All

The painting, adorned with traditional Rohingya patterns inspired by Henna drawings, features a prominent blue helicopter symbolizing the weaponization of aircraft. This is meant to reflect the conflict that forced Rohingya refugees from their homes. In the center, a bus also represents the importance of the right to freedom of movement. The artwork was initially created in Bangladesh by Rohingya refugees. It was then brought to a refugee settlement in Uganda where South Sudanese refugees added to it, before the mural returned to Bangladesh. It is an international collaborative effort, with the aim of fostering empathy and understanding through shared visual narratives and cultural symbols. It was created by approximately 30 Rohingya and South Sudanese children in Bangladesh and Uganda.

Fabric of Women’s Resilience

Bangladesh - Greece - Jordan - Uganda

Partners: Artolution, UNHCR Bangladesh, UNHCR Uganda, UNICEF Jordan

Crafted by South Sudanese refugee women, this traditional bark cloth embarked on a global journey. In each location visited, refugees and host communities added to the mural representing visual displays of specific themes of importance to them. This included promoting maternal healthcare in Bangladesh, challenging gender stereotypes in Jordan, sharing personal narratives in Greece, and highlighting women's connections to their communities in Uganda. This collaborative artwork emphasizes the power of storytelling to unite diverse women who are advocating for equity and to provide a platform for them to express their extraordinary lives and perspectives through art. It was created by approximately 12 Rohingya, Syrian, Afghan and South Sudanese refugee women.

Chaos Within

Irpin, Ukraine - Santa Marta, Colombia - New York, USA

Partners: Artolution, World Economic Forum, UNHCR, MEDAIR, UNIQLO

This artwork was started by Venezuelan refugees and migrants and internally displaced Colombians in Santa Marta, Colombia. The artwork was then brought to the Sytnyaky Icyeum Primary School outside of Irpin, Ukraine, which had been bombed. This mural was part of the rehabilitation of the school. Depicted are handprints of Ukrainian children. The final artworks were then painted by homeless children in New York. The “black hole” in the middle of the mural represents "all the sadness in the world.” However, the mural also represents the joy that connecting through creativity was able to bring to them. It was created by Ukrainian, Venezuelan, Colombian and American children across all locations.

The Colour of Resilience Unseen: The Wing of Hope

Irpin, Ukraine - Azraq Syrian Refugee Camp, Jordan - New York, USA

Partners: Artolution,World Economic Forum, UNHCR, MEDAIR, UNIQLO

The long scroll-like artworks were part of a much larger series of murals created in four different refugee camps around the world as part of the Colour of Resilience project. These sections reflect the stories and lives of Syrian refugees in Azraq Refugee camp in Jordan. The artworks were then brought to the Sytnyaky Icyeum Primary School outside of Irpin, Ukraine, which had been bombed. The mural is part of the rehabilitation of the school. The final artworks were then brought to the United States and painted by homeless children in New York as a global exchange connecting children from across the world. Ukrainian, Syrian, and Palestinian refugees as well as host community members in Jordan, and American youth and children contributed to its creation.

The Colour of Resilience Unseen: From the Stars to Home

Irpin, Ukraine - Santa Marta, Colombia - New York, USA

Partners: Artolution,World Economic Forum, UNHCR, MEDAIR, UNIQLO

The long scroll-like artworks were part of a much larger series of murals created in four different refugee camps around the world as part of the Colour of Resilience project. The artworks were started in Santa Marta, Colombia and then brought to Ukraine, before finally heading to the United States where they were finalized by homeless children and families living in New York City. Combining blue tones and bright colors creates a cool environment and seeks to showcase that amidst the most impossible of diffculties, the arts can be a single candle in the middle of the darkness. Venezuelan refugees and migrants, internally displaced people in Colombia, Ukrainians who are internally displaced and refugees and American children contributed to its creation.

The Vehicle of Memory

Balukhali Refugee Camp, Bangladesh - BidiBidi Refugee Settlement, Uganda

Partners: Artolution, UNHCR Bangladesh, UNHCR Uganda, BRAC

This artwork was created on a discarded rice food distribution bag in the BidiBidi Refugee settlement in Uganda. Participants painted images of their homes and their villages in Yei, Waw, and Malakal in South Sudan. The food distribution bag was then brought to a Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh where children were inspired by this imagery to draw traditional folklore patterns, the helicopter they remember when they fled, and their images of home. The exchange shows the eternal connection to home and the bond among communities in displacement situations, as well as refugees’ hope for a meaningful future. Rohingya and South Sudanese refugee children and artists contributed to its creation.

The Boat of Home

Balukhali Refugee Camp, Bangladesh - BidiBidi Refugee Settlement, Uganda

Partners: Artolution, UNHCR Bangladesh, UNHCR Uganda, BRAC

The painting started in the BidiBidi Refugee Settlement in Uganda, home to hundreds of thousands of refugees from South Sudan. The imagery reflects cows and their bonding connection across different cultural groups, and cars representing the importance of access to travel. The recycled food distribution bag was then brought to Bangladesh, where it was painted by Rohingya refugees on Bhasan Char Island. The outline of a pink boat reflects how they arrived, and it also features traditional henna patterns painted by girls from the local community. The challenges to freedom of movement are a common connection shared by many people forced to flee. Rohingya and South Sudanese refugee children and artists contributed to its creation.

Play in the Midst of Chaos

Balukhali Refugee Camp, Bangladesh - BidiBidi Refugee Settlement, Uganda

Partners: Artolution, UNHCR Bangladesh, UNHCR Uganda, BRAC

This artwork, painted on a rice food distribution bag, started in the BidiBidi Refugee Settlement in Uganda. Depicting environmental challenges, the piece highlights the importance of planting trees and taking climate action. It was then transported to Bhasan Char Island in Bangladesh where Rohingya refugees contributed to the mural with imagery depicting the importance of play, sports, and joy, as well as memories of home in Rakhine State. Rohingya and South Sudanese refugee children and artists contributed to its creation.

The Dragon of Home

Mangateen, Juba, South Sudan - Irpin, Ukraine

Partners: Artolution, MEDAIR

This artwork was started in Bethel Primary School in Juba, South Sudan. The children painted their stories of home, their church and the roads they walk every day to get to school in the Mangateen neighborhood on the outskirts of Juba. The hand-woven fabric was then brought to Ukraine where children from the Synyaky Primary School painted their dreams for the future. The collaborative mural creation was part of a project to rehabilitate their school after it was bombed and destroyed. The children painted a dragon of protection and their dreams of a “clear sky”, where no bombs will fall. South Sudanese and Ukrainian children participated in the mural creation.

The Creature of Home

Balukhali Refugee Camp, Bangladesh - BidiBidi Refugee Settlement, Uganda

Partners: Artolution, UNHCR Bangladesh, UNHCR Uganda

This artwork originally began its journey in Uganda where South Sudanese refugees painted imagery on a food distribution bag. Using bright colors, the refugee artists depicted chickens, a football pitch, memories of home and the tools needed to take care of the land. When it was then brought to Balukhali Refugee Camp in Bangladesh, Rohingya refugees added images of people and children across the top of the piece in an exploration of identity.

Short List of all entities involved in creating the murals

Artolution
UNHCR Bangladesh
UNHCR Uganda
UNIQLO USA and Fast Retailing
MEDAIR
Chime for Change / Gucci Equilibrium
UNICEF
Education Above All
GIZ

UNHCR and Artolution Films

#Withrefugees #WorldRefugeeDay

Twitter: @Refugees

This exhibit was launched in June 2024

Local category:

Humanitarian Action

Interwoven: Refugee murals across borders

AKAHNJOC — Mon, 20 May 2024 21:53:53 +0000

Teaser image:

#MyClimateAction: People driving change

AKAHNJOC — Thu, 09 Feb 2023 17:44:08 +0000

The contest winner, Stephanie Lamma Ewi of Cameroon, chosen by popular vote on the Agora app, in a video submission showcased her work with the African Climate Reality Project on strengthening citizen engagement through capacity-building programmes as well as hands-on action campaigns. She is featured in this compilation of finalist videos. All entities referenced in the video are organizations that submitted videos for consideration in the contest.

Action is contagious, it can inspire and spur the collective change we need to tackle the climate crisis.

We asked people around the world to show us what action they are taking to address climate change.

The #MyClimateAction photo contest conducted by Agora – a mobile app hosting worldwide awards – gathered thousands of images from around the world, in support of the UN’s ActNow campaign. ActNow is a call for individual action on climate change and sustainability, encouraging citizens to be part of the solution. The finalist photos selected by Agora and presented here shine a light on steps being taken by people everywhere, showcasing solutions and inspiring change.

Are you committed to climate action? Join the ActNow campaign to take steps towards transitioning to a low-carbon world and speak up and demand action from governments and businesses.

“Leaders must lead. But all of us can do our part.”

- UN Secretary-General António Guterres

Caring for the forest is a form of our love for the Earth. Photo/Rahmad Hidayat (Indonesia)

FACT#1

The wealthiest bear the greatest responsibility. The combined greenhouse gas emissions of the richest one percent of the global population are larger than those of the poorest 50 percent. (Source: UNEP)

Young people march through the centre of Stratford-upon-Avon, UK, calling for urgent action on the climate crisis. Photo/Mark Boulton (United Kingdom)

Sunday Geofrey works with indigenous Mbororo women to find ways to build communities’ resilience and mitigate the effects of the climate crisis. Photo/Sunday Geofrey (South Africa)

Thousands of flamingos and seabirds have died in the Caspian Sea in northern Iran due to botulism, a rare but serious illness caused by a toxin that attacks the body's nerves. Photo/Mohammad Hossein Moheimani (Islamic Republic of Iran)

A Chilean researcher working with European partners on a project to develop solar technologies in Chile’s Atacama Desert. Photo/Delfina Muñoz (Chile)

Children in a mustard field, holding the fragile Earth which their future depends on. Photo/Chinmoy Biswas (India)

The future of energy, embracing sustainable and renewable sources like solar power. Photo/Maxime Pontoire (France)

Teach that the Earth is your future and that caring for the environment is caring for yourself. Photo/Heather Wilson (United States of America)

Planning and zoning allow indigenous communities to assess the impacts of climate change and make decisions about the sustainable use of their land. Photo/Thomas Oni Veriasa (South Papua, Indonesia)

Teachers for Future mobilize their students for climate action. Photo/Teachers for Future (Spain)

Climate justice activists calling for a stop to the funding of fossil fuels and for putting people over profit. Photo/Ulrich Steenkamp (South Africa)

Portraits of people working for sustainability in the Southern Italian region of Abruzzo. Photo/Jonny Guardiani (Italy)

We do not inherit the Earth from our parents. We borrow it from our children. Photo/Clement Eastwood (Ghana)

Recycle the present, save the future – promoting recycling with catchy designs. Photo/Txus Angulo (Spain)

Lisakhanya Mathiso, a climate activist and youth leader for the African Climate Alliance. Photo/Lisakhanya Mathiso (South Africa)

Judith Chandia in Uganda, teaching 3-to-9-year-olds about climate change. They enjoy listening to stories about the Earth and the environment. The boy standing up, Kakooza Francis, wants to become an engineer to work for a healthier planet. Photo/Judith Chandia (Uganda)

Climate change is happening, and pollution is increasing. Let’s act now. Photo/Faith Awuor (Kenya)

The Sao Mai solar power plant in Viet Nam is spread over an area of 275 hectares with 300,000 solar panels with a yearly capacity of more than 302 million KWh. The project was completed at the end of 2020. Photo/Catalin Chitu (Viet Nam)

Humanity is on a path to self-destruction. It is up to us to start acting with love, hand in hand. Photo/Paula Aranoa (Argentina)

A solar-powered water supply for irrigation in Bangladesh. Photo/Md Imrul Kayes (Bangladesh)

In the high coastal mountains of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in northern Colombia, the survival of the people depends on the health of the ecosystem and the local products grown. Photo/Luís Germán (Colombia)

Risper Asembo works on bringing climate literacy to schools and fighting for the voiceless and the marginalized. Photo/Risper Asembo (South Africa)

Empty bottles used as part of a construction project in Ecuador. Photo/Maria Angela Serrano (Ecuador)

Inside Out Project – SOS Amazonas gathered images and messages from people across Colombia expressing their views on the climate crisis. The resulting photographs were displayed in public places in Bogotá, Colombia. Photo/Juanita González (Colombia)

Every single one of us has the power to change something. You can take a bike to your work instead of sitting in your car in traffic every day. Photo/Tereza Žofková (Spain)

FACT#2

The choices we make have a profound impact on our planet. Our lifestyles are responsible for an estimated two thirds of global emissions. (Source: UNEP)

Enock in Northern Zambia, where he started Environment Savers of Zambia, a group running local awareness campaigns, tree planting activities, recycling education, and more. Photo/Enock Mwewa (Zambia)

Recycling to help reduce waste. Photo/Obinini Kobby (Ghana)

Coastal clean-up activities in the Philippines. Photo/Carl Berezo (Philippines)

My daughter Lúa in a plastic prison, made from water bottles consumed by our family in a few weeks. This work made us aware of the amount of plastic waste we generate, changing some of our consumption habits. Photo/Maria Fernandez Cabaleiro (Spain)

Wind energy – the future today. Photo/Maria de Jesus Bandeira (Portugal)

FACT#3

How we live, eat and move around matters. By shifting towards more sustainable lifestyles, the world could slash up to 70 per cent of end-use emissions by 2050. (Source: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC))

Plastic bottles collected from rivers in East Java, Indonesia, exhibited in a museum, as a reminder of how dangerous plastic waste is for river ecosystems. Photo/Ivu Fajar Samsumar (Indonesia)

Love the Earth...embrace life. Photo/Ana Montesinos (Spain)

Teachers for Future engage their youngest students in speaking up for climate action. Photo/Teachers for Future (Spain)

Living to take care of our Mother Earth. Photo/Rahmad Himawan (Indonesia)

Plastic Attack Barcelona takes action against plastic pollution. Photo/Ricard Rodríguez Parra (Spain)

A volunteer in the National Youth Service Corps that educates and engages youth in Nigeria on sustainability and environmental protection. Photo/Naphtali Akudung (Nigeria)

This exhibit was launched in April 2023

Local category:

Humanitarian Action

Humans In The Climate Crisis

AKAHNJOC — Mon, 02 Aug 2021 17:33:47 +0000

Teaser image:

The World in Faces - CHRIS

AKAHNJOC — Tue, 13 Apr 2021 18:16:01 +0000

Do You See What I See?

AKAHNJOC — Tue, 08 Dec 2020 04:43:20 +0000

Photographs by Syrian Refugee Youth in Lebanon and Jordan 2014-15. As war ravaged Syria, hundreds of thousands of children fled to refugee camps and informal settlements in neighboring countries. UNHCR partnered with photographer Brendan Bannon to offer a series of workshops for some of these children to share their stories through photography and text. The results have been featured in newspapers, magazines and exhibitions worldwide. Now 6 years later these refugees share images of their lives today.

These brave and personal pictures illustrate war and its consequences as they are experienced by refugee children and youth. Through their photography we see a fragment of what they have seen. They tell us of lives unmade by war and remade with courage, determination, curiosity and compassion. They show us that these are the tools of survival, these are the tools they find to navigate the tragic and traumatic disruption of life.

“The premise is simple. Young people are experts in their own lives. They have the ability to perceive and express the complexity of their experiences. Their voices are necessary and should be heard. This work shows young people facing overwhelming challenges. Yet, amidst the trauma that they experience, there is resilience, optimism, and decency. This can be surprising to people who only expect to see tragedy,” said Bannon.

The project is designed with a series of impacts in mind. Updated 2020 photographs from this initial project are now included in this exhibit. Children had an opportunity to create and connect with peers through photography, especially with classmates and their families. At the end of the project an exhibition was held in the camps and later in the capital cities of the host countries.

MAKE

AKAHNJOC — Mon, 07 Dec 2020 06:00:55 +0000

Seeking Refuge

AKAHNJOC — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 20:00:43 +0000

SLIDESHOW - Bobby Sager

AKAHNJOC — Thu, 03 Dec 2020 19:34:51 +0000

It's All in My Head

AKAHNJOC — Thu, 03 Dec 2020 16:08:34 +0000

‘It’s All In My Head’ is an ongoing multimedia project that explores the coping mechanisms of survivors of terrorism and violent conflict by using layered portraits of the things they do to help them move forward or otherwise.

The project aims to advocate for increasing and long term access to psychological support for the survivors, which in turn help improve their mental health.

United Nations - Humanitarian Action

Interwoven: Refugee murals across borders

The Rohingya Blessing for the Future of the Seas by Amphritrite, Magwayen and Yemọja

Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh

Global Community Personalities

Bangladesh - Uganda

Fabric of Women’s Resilience

Bangladesh - Greece - Jordan - Uganda

Chaos Within

Irpin, Ukraine - Santa Marta, Colombia - New York, USA

The Colour of Resilience Unseen: The Wing of Hope

Irpin, Ukraine - Azraq Syrian Refugee Camp, Jordan - New York, USA

The Colour of Resilience Unseen: From the Stars to Home

Irpin, Ukraine - Santa Marta, Colombia - New York, USA

The Vehicle of Memory

Balukhali Refugee Camp, Bangladesh - BidiBidi Refugee Settlement, Uganda

The Boat of Home

Balukhali Refugee Camp, Bangladesh - BidiBidi Refugee Settlement, Uganda

Play in the Midst of Chaos

Balukhali Refugee Camp, Bangladesh - BidiBidi Refugee Settlement, Uganda

The Dragon of Home

Mangateen, Juba, South Sudan - Irpin, Ukraine

The Creature of Home

Balukhali Refugee Camp, Bangladesh - BidiBidi Refugee Settlement, Uganda

Short List of all entities involved in creating the murals

UNHCR and Artolution Films

Interwoven: Refugee murals across borders

#MyClimateAction: People driving change

FACT#1

FACT#2

FACT#3

Humans In The Climate Crisis

The World in Faces​ - CHRIS

Do You See What I See?

MAKE

Seeking Refuge

SLIDESHOW - Bobby Sager

It's All in My Head

The World in Faces - CHRIS