hannie schaft

Why does the world forget
about us?
The battle for the narrative on
Syria.
Petra Stienen
The narrative on Syria in the Netherlands:
a complex image
Bashar & Asma
alAssad
(Violent) Opposition
Syrian civilian
population
• Propaganda of Assad worked
• The devil we know vs violent Islamists groups (length of scuds vs length
of beards
• Civil war will destabilize the region and lead towards more
terrorism/extremism
Dutch audience not willing
contribute to the humanitarian
disaster
• Who to blame?
Natural
disasters
(Haiti/Tsunami
2002) and
warlike
situations
(Darfur/Sudan)
received much
more attention
Dutch aid so far
• Governmental aid: 32,5 (=US$ 41,5) million euro
(UNHCR, WFP, UNICEF, ICRC and Netherlands
Refugee Organisation)
• In comparison: NL spent US$ 98 million to support
humanitarian activities in Sudan/Darfur (2000 –
2004)
NGOs take a different approach, but nothing appeals to the
general audience. Why? (1/3)
Various campaigns
• UNICEF, CARE, Save the
Children
• Pictures from refugees,
refugee camps, children
in need, sometimes
personal stories.
NGOs take a different approach,
but nothing appeals to the general
audience. Why? (2/3)
Alternative campaigns
• IKV Pax Christi: adopt a
revolution
• Red Cross: open your
heart
• Oxfam: light a candle
NGOs take a different approach,
but nothing appeals to the general
audience. Why? (3/3)
Civilian initiatives
• Cloths Drop Syria
• Dutch student, Wijbe
Abma (21), provides
blankets to Syrian
civilians in and
around Aleppo
Local resistance heroes
Hannie Schaft
Razan Zaitouneh
Soldier of Orange
(Erik Hazelhoff Roelfzema)
Basel Shehadeh
Is there a different way?
• Connect Dutch people to Syrian refugees through our
own historic (heroic) stories:
- Soldier of Orange
- Resistance fighters: Hannie Schaft vs. Razan
Zaitouneh
• Individual stories of resilience make the large numbers
less anonymous
• People like us!
The One Thing. The one item Syrian refugees made sure to grab before leaving home
(foreignpolicy.com 12/03/2013)
National campaign for Syria?
• Will there be willlingness to donate?
• Different interests of different organisations
• Costs of campaign should be in proportion with
success
• Is it too late or too early to have a public appeal?
Further contact
• @petra_stienen
• www.petrastienen.nl