Migration is one of the oldest human phenomena. Mankind has always moved in search of safety, opportunity and adventure. As the global population continues to grow, so too does the scale of human migration; there were an estimated 244 million international migrants in 2015. Unfortunately, there is still resistance to migration, as evidenced by the increased reports in recent years of xenophobic incidents and sentiment on every inhabited continent.
Dolo Ado Livelihood Barbershop. Photo: Rikka Tupaz/UN Migration Agency (IOM)
The United Nations TOGETHER campaign was launched in September 2016 to promote respect, safety and dignity for refugees and migrants in this climate. It aims to counter the rise of xenophobia and discrimination through various projects in all UN Member States.
One such project is the TOGETHER mobile app developed by IOM, the UN Migration Agency. The app will tap the disruptive power of social media to stand up against anti-migrant xenophobia. Users can share their stories and actions in the form of photos, videos and other multimedia content; counter xenophobia and racism in their communities and invite friends and family to participate in this global movement to promote diversity and inclusion.
Designed around the needs of civil society organizations (CSOs), UN Agencies and other humanitarian partners, to advocate and organize fundraising, the TOGETHER app streamlines individual campaigns onto one global platform. It enables easy sharing of personal testimonies of migration, tolerance and diversity. It builds on the success of the crowd-sourced ‘i am a migrant' campaign, which promotes diversity and the inclusion of migrants in society.
It will also facilitate CSO participation in the TOGETHER campaign, and enable these organizations to build a wider support base by highlighting the countless positive activities and actions that are taken in support of migrants around the world.
Photo: Muse Mohammed/UN Migration Agency (IOM)