UN launches campaign on refugees in Brazil

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has just launched a campaign dubbed #GenteDaGente in Brazil to show that refugees are like any other people.

The agency says there are still people who think refugees are terrorists, fugitives, and have come to steal the jobs of local residents. The campaign aims to raise awareness about this issue.

José Egas, UNHCR representative for Brazil, said “refugees are people who have dreams and plans for a better future, like any other people. This is exactly what the campaign shows, and it’s being launched to inform people and bring about empathy among Brazilians.”

Venezuelan immigrants wait for assistance at the Federal University of Roraima. – Marcelo Camargo / Agência Brasil

Empathy and solidarity

The campaign’s concept of community was based on the words empathy and solidarity. The initiative combines Brazilians’ potential for compassion with the story of some refugees, building interpersonal connections.

Campaign Director Carla Cancellara said “the lives of refugees were not different from our own before they left their countries. They all had and continue to have families, friends, dreams, and a goal for the future.”

In Cancellara’s view, the move aims to show “this perception of identity, bringing out everyone’s compassionate spirit.” “The campaign offers to the public an opportunity to show solidarity in action, through a manifesto supporting refugees, which can be signed by anyone interested in becoming engaged with the cause of the refugees.”

The initiative #GenteDaGente shows refugees who are rebuilding their lives in Brazil, presenting their stories in brief and attepting to get attention on social media.

Among the participants are Carlos, a 35-year-old journalist; Lúcia, who is a 21-year-old student from the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and Rama, a Syrian teacher aged 33.

Natasha Alexander, UNHCR head for partnerships with the private enterprise, said “everyone starring in the campaign are people with great potential.”

“The idea is to get to know the stories of more than 11 refugees and refuge applicants living in Brazil today, moving Brazilians and encouraging them to be welcoming and free of prejudice,” she explained.