BACKGROUND There are over 4 million displaced Syrian refugees spread across Europe and the Middle East. Men, women, and children alike have fled from their war-torn homes seeking refuge. For these refugees though, safety is anything but guaranteed. They must endure harsh conditions and long trips as they’re smuggled out of their country and into another. Conditions don’t improve much when they reach their new homes.
SYRIAN REFUGEES
Syrian refugees are treated with the utmost disrespect. In some countries, like Hungary, they are met with open racism and verbally or even physically harassed by citizens and officials alike. The are seen as vagabonds and a nuisance, when in reality so many are victims of circumstance. Many of the refugees are bright, successful people forced to leave home for the sake of their lives. But people don’t see that. With the knowledge that these refugees have a perception issue, we’ve created a platform to educate others and fight back against the false image that plagues these people. In addition to shedding light on who these refugees truly are and the struggles they’ve faced in the name of their own well-being, our platform allows newly educated users to directly contribute to the betterment of conditions for refugees.
Of Syria’s total population
RESEARCH OVERVIEW
Syria: Since 2011, Syria has found itself in the midst of a
civil war. Today, that war has displaced 50% of the nation’s population and is responsible for 250,000 Syrian deaths. Syrian refugees aren’t simply seeking greener pastures, but livable ones. These are generally educated people, not bums, looking for a safe place to lay their heads.
Europe/Middle East: The countries immediately
surrounding Syria are plagued with issues of their own. Many of them are foundationally racist and will not accept individuals from other nations. Even those nations not overcome with racism are hesitant to fully support the Syrian refugees. Germany, generally more tolerant and receptive to the refugees’ plight than its neighbors, has publicly said that it can only accept so many refugees due to population issues.
THE CHALLENGE Outsiders see Syrian refugees as a burden, at best. At worst, they see them as lesser people, intruding in their homes. In order to improve life for the refugees, we must show the world that they are victims of circumstance and also that they have so much to offer to their host countries.
INSIGHT + SOLUTION Nobody’s rushing to help the Syrian refugees because nobody is fully aware of the struggles they face immigrating, let alone living in their new countries.
BIG IDEA We believe that much like Syrian Refugees need a space to call home, people around the world need a space to better understand the Syrian Refugees.
In order to educate people around the world and drive them to action, we’re going to show them up close what it truly means to be a Syrian refugee. Once they’re sufficiently moved, we’re offering them a fast and convenient way to provide funding for better conditions for Syrian refugees across the globe.
“ A SAFE HAVEN � Station 4M looks like a typical kiosk, but housed within is so much more. Its large video screen allows for clean presentation of information regarding Syrian refugees and is a great way to interact with our microsite, which showcases the personal stories of these refugees. Station 4M is connected to the internet and has a contactless payment system powered by Square for donations. It also houses traditional credit card reader.
When users first approach Station 4M, they’re greeted with a video that poses a simple question: “What is a Syrian refugee?” The answers initially provided will reflect the incorrect global notions of the refugees as somehow lesser. It will then cut to the refugees describing themselves. A refugee is not a “bum,” but in fact a “doctor” or a “mother.”
Station 4M is powered by Square and its new contactless payment system with support for Apple Pay and Android Pay. This means users have an easier point of entry to making donations towards aiding Syrian refugees. There’s no fiddling with wallets. A quick tap of a phone can make a world of difference in so many lives.
PDF To ensure that education about Syrian refugees doesn’t end as somebody walks away from Station 4M, the kiosk houses a digital PDF with additional facts and information about the every day struggles they face. This PDF can be wirelessly sent to phones, whether a user chooses to donate or not. Maybe they just need a little time to review the facts and mull it over, or maybe they’ve donated and want something they can show their friends to get them on board as well. Either way, Station 4M is capable or arming its users with knowledge it can keep and take everywhere they go.
SHAREABLE IMAGE To reward the donations made with the Station 4M , once the square registers the donation, it would ask to share a unique image with your phone, and suggest to share it on social media.
WEBSITE
Station 4M also lives on the web. On its website, users have access to the same functionality as they do at the kiosk. They’ll be greeted by the same video, and have the same opportunity to browse the stories of various refugees. The website can’t feature contactless payments, but can still handle donations through traditional ecommerce means. The mobile version of the website however will support Apple and Android Pay through Safari and Chrome respectively. Additionally, the informational PDF will be made available for download directly to a user’s computer.
WEBSITE
“I LOST MY FAMILY IN THE SEA”
WEBSITE
“I LOST MY FAMILY IN THE SEA” : Qamar : 18 years old : Greece
My name is Qamar, and I am 18 years old. My home life probably looked a lot like yours did growing up. I went to school, played soccer with my friends, and loved to read. My favorite book is The Alchemist, but I lost my only copy a long time ago. I left home a year ago with my mother and sister. It all happened very fast. We were packed into the back of a truck with more strangers than I could count. We’d be in Greece soon enough, my mother said. Except she never saw Greece. She fell ill on the way and died before we reached our new country. I reached Alexandria with my six year old sister, and we were taken to a camp. We have support here, but often I feel that she’s the only other person I have. I am many things: a refugee, a brother, an orphan. One day, I hope to add “writer” to that list.
OTHER KIND OF DONATIONS
Other payments: In addition to Station 4M, Square will be releasing a special line of its card readers to help Syrian refugees. For every purchase made using a Square Blue reader, Square will donate half the amount to Syrian refugees across Europe and the Middle East