Two years on, it is still difficult to forget the image of the young Syrian refugee boy, Alan Kurdi, lying face-down on a beach in Turkey.
Musician Amanda Palmer, known for her work as part of The Dresden Dolls, has made a powerful music video (above) whose message stands out in bold, white letters: “We stand with refugees.”
In Harm’s Way sheds light on the global refugee crisis and specifically on victims like Alan Kurdi, who are “dying unphotographed, unseen, unheard” wrote Palmer, stressing that humanising everything was the key – “If you can’t see these children as your own... you’re not seeing” – a thought echoed in the poignant lyrics of the song.
Palmer also told NPR, “While the media can’t help but train its lenses on Trump and Weinstein, looming large and villainous in the foreground while we all try to find sanity and equality in this massively complicated political landscape, the constant shadow of the refugee crisis and climate change are threatening to devour the entire goddamn picture.”
The intense video was largely attributed to performance artist Abel Azcon who, since 2015, has been performing a project called El Milagro (The Miracle) across the world. As part of the performance and installation, the participants go on a personal journey while trying to empathise with the horror of the refugee crisis that has taken so many lives in the last decade. As depicted in the video above, people of different nationalities come together and after walking for hours, symbolically end up in the water.
Azcona wrote on the website, “This act was created as a tool of empowerment, criticism, and a united fight.”
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!