There is something powerful about using simple communication to make big changes in the world. That was what was intriguing when Shonali Burke, a social change advocate and veteran communicator, posed a powerful idea.
Change the world for $5.
It doesn’t sound like much, but sometimes that little bit is all it takes to change a life forever.
There are some pretty startling statistics when it comes to the sheer number of people who are displaced around the world due to war, threats of war, ethnic division and a host of other ills.
It’s so startling that is is much easier to do nothing.
Have you ever heard the story of the Lost Boys of Sundan?
Keuk, one of the lost boys, talks about his own harrowing experience, and how people like Jens Hesseman helped him escape death when he was just 8 years old. I have a son who is 7, so this hit home.
Jens serves on United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) emergency roster and is ready to go into these often remote and dangerous places to assist refugees like Keuk. Jens is one of more than 6,000 UNHCR staffers working worldwide to save these people.
The Blue Key campaign is a project of the “USA for UNHCR,” the US-based nonprofit that supports UNHCR's work.
Like most good PR programs, it is pegged around World Refugee Day on June 20, 2011, to raise awareness about the plight of refugees. The goal is to get 6,000 thoughtful U.S. residents to get a Blue Key pendant or pin for $5 as a symbol of support for refugees and those that care for them.
This is one of those PR programs that actually impacts lives in a positive manner. So, just take 5 minutes to click that big button and get a key.
As of yesterday, there were only about 2,000 keys issued – it’s time to let these refugees and workers that help them know we actually care! If you need motivation, you can read just a few the stories of some of these people below, which I got from the Just a few of the stories at the BlueKey project blog. If you click on the picture it will take you to the full story.
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Khadija in the tent at Choucha transit camp that she and Omar share with another family. Photo © UNHCR/A.Branthwaite |
Two of George and Nisreen's daughters start packing up their belongings ahead of their departure for Romania. Photo © N.Bose/UNHCR |
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Amina fled Tripoli with her son and husband after gangs looted their house and threatened them with violence. |
This woman and her children are happy to be out of Misrata. Caught in the fighting, many traumatized children from Misrata have become more aggressive or hyperactive, while others keep wetting their beds – a sign of fear and stress. Photo © UNHCR/H.Caux |
I have agreed to serve as a Blue Key Champion. Here are a few of my fellow champions and what they have to say:
- Blue Key Campaign: The Forgotten Homeless
- How You and a Small #BlueKey Will Change the World
- BlueKey Campaign: Open Your Eyes, Open Your Heart, Open the Door
- Fatima’s Story (How Girls Are Getting By)
- Challenges of Our Own, An American Refugee of Katrina Gives a Personal View
- The Forgotten Homeless
- World Refugee Day, Get Your Blue Key
You can also serve as a Blue Key Champion to get the Word out! Here is how you can join the team (see bottom of post).
