‘They need and deserve our help’: introducing the Refugees Crossing art project
Tucked away in bus stops, on trains and at pedestrian crossings across UK cities and towns, Bern O’Donoghue’s paper boat art project is challenging the use of derogatory language and misinformation about refugees, migrants and immigrants
Some of the 2,800 boats representing the people who have died in 2015 trying to cross the Mediterranean Photograph: Bern O’Donoghue“Does Europe have a migrant crisis or are we just trying to ignore a humanitarian crisis?”
Over the last few months Bern O’Donoghue has been unhappy about what she sees as an unethical position the UK government has taken on the refugee crisis. “The language used by the government to describe the refugees, and the unwillingness to offer more help to people arriving in Europe asking for basic human rights has left me ashamed.”
In order to challenge the use of derogatory language and misinformation about refugees, migrants and immigrants, O’Donoghue has created the art projectRefugees Crossing, asking people to put fact filled paper boats in places where people travel and congregate. “We all need to help these people and engage the government to take a more compassionate position. Each paper boat has a fact about refugees on them. I’d like the boats to be seen in towns and cities across the UK, to remind people that refugees need and deserve our help.” Continue reading “Genious – please join: Refugees Crossing”
