The Syrian crisis has seen a record number of refugees flee their home country in the hope of finding asylum. As world leaders continue to formulate policies on how to best accommodate them, people across the globe are speaking up in support of finding these people a safe place to live.
This topic has been a hotbed of controversy in Australia for quite some time. The country has been criticised recently, by its own people, the United Nations and major publications such as the New York Times, for its tough stance on the issue.
People living in Australia are now taking to social media to show the plight of many refugees, and destigmatise the topic that divides so many people.
One Facebook account, New Humans of Australia, takes after the wildly popular Humans of New York, which documents strangers on the streets of New York. New Humans of Australia's mission statement is "celebrating the lives of refugees and migrants who call Australia home" and hopes to humanise the controversial issue.
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The page was started at the end of August and is growing fast, already reaching over 30,000 likes. Nicola Gray, creator of the project, says she is thankful for the amazing response that was "totally unexpected."
"I've been around all different types of people my whole life and I've never seen people as anything other than people. I was quite surprised by the disconnect in mainstream media and what I've experienced in the past," Gray told Mashable Australia.
"Humans of New York really captures what I wanted to do with this project. It humanises faces on the street, and makes you care about those who could be little more than passing strangers. Hopefully this does the same."
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There is also an account on Instagram, based out of Melbourne, called Refugee Stories. Taking on a similar format to New Humans of Australia, Refugee Stories puts front and centre people who have made their lives in Australia after escaping turmoil in their home country.
"We consider Australia our home. We are here shoulder to shoulder with other Aussies whether it is defending the country or making a good image for this country." A photo posted by @refugeestories on May 15, 2015 at 6:43pm PDT
Creator of the account, Nicolle White, says her aim is to "inject some humanity" into the debate. Sheryl Sandberg, Chief Operating Officer at Facebook, recently posted about Refugee Stories, personally thanking White for reminding people that "underneath the politics and the fighting, we are all human."
When I arrived in Australia, we lived near the local pool. I’d never swum before and was curious to learn. The lifeguards were very friendly and talked to me even though I had just started to learn English. One day, AMES took us to a beach to talk about water safety. I asked one of the guys “How do you become a lifeguard?” He gave me his card and asked me to think about it. I gave him a call the next day, he booked me in and paid for my course. I became the first Afghani lifeguard in Australia. A photo posted by @refugeestories on Sep 6, 2015 at 4:47am PDT
Like Gray, White is amazed by the positive response she's received from people who are viewing her work, and hopes she can expand to cover more stories soon.
"People have been really excited to get involved and be given a platform to share their story. The overwhelming response is that they want to play a positive role in shaping the future of our country and give back to the country that has offered them shelter," White said.
When the civil war began in Somalia, we had no idea it was coming. We went from being okay to running for our lives. The people we grew up with, our neighbours, we couldn't trust them. We were living with fear, looking over our shoulders all the time. When we watch war on TV, there is always music in the background. There is no music in war. One minute you are with someone the next minute they are dead. It is a harsh and cruel space to be in. A photo posted by @refugeestories on Sep 21, 2015 at 5:30am PDT