Today, on World Refugee Day — an initiative established in 2001 by the United Nations to raise awareness about the more than 66 million refugees across the globe — YouTube has launched a video campaign to share the stories of those who were forced to flee their homes in the wake of crisis and disaster.
The campaign, created in collaboration with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) — a nonprofit that responds to humanitarian crises the world over — has been dubbed ‘#MoreThanARefugee’. As part of YouTube’s Creators For Change program, seven channels traveled to Jordan, Serbia, Uganda, Greece, and across the U.S. to film collaborations with refugees and put faces to their stories.
Participants — who have over 21 million subscribers combined — included: ASAPScience (see below), Fly With Haifa, Tyler Oakley, Suli Breaks, The Young Turks (News), The Young Turks (Sports), Jouelzy, and the Eh Bee Family. Each video will feature a donation card that will allow viewers to support the IRC — with YouTube pledging to match up to $500,000 of all funds raised.
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“We’re humbled to be a platform where refugees and creators alike can share their personal stories through video,” said YouTube CMO Danielle Tiedt, ”and in doing so, help create empathy for the brave people who are experiencing life as a refugee.”
