As a resident of Vancouver, I’m no stranger to the current refugee crisis. In fact, both my wife and I live in close proximity to Syrian refugee settlements in the city, and fully support helping them start new lives with hope, security and freedom. That said, it’s never easy being forced from one’s home and beginning afresh in a strange place – especially not for children. To address this topic before the UN General Assembly in New York, during which world leaders discussed solutions to the refugee and migrant crisis, Unicef launched its #illustrators4children Instagram campaign to raise awareness for what it believes is “first and foremost a children’s crisis.”
The campaign’s international illustrators include two of my personal favorites, Christoph Niemann and Jean Jullien, as well as names like Ayumi Takahashi, Liana Finck, Mikela Prevost, Nathan Douglas Yoder, Kindah Khalidy, Monika Forsberg, Thiago Binachini and Meera Lee. Each artist was given the “What is your wish for refugee and migrant children?” and asked to post artwork under the hashtag. “There may be different opinions on how to solve the refugee crisis politically,” Christoph Niemann said about his own contribution. “There should be no different opinions that the weakest victims – the children who are trying to save their bare lives – need our support, compassion and humanity.”
Take a look at Niemann and Jullien’s posts here, as well as a few of our other favorites.
現居溫哥華的我，對於目前的難民危機一點也不陌生。事實上，我和妻子就住在敍利亞難民區的不遠處，一直全力協助他們開展新生，讓他們重獲希望、安全和自由。畢竟，當你被迫離開家園，去到一個陌生的環境重新開展生活，尤其對成人而言，實在絕不容易。在各國領袖齊集紐約參加聯合國大會，商討難民和移民問題之前，聯合國兒童基金會便發起了#illustrators4children的Instagram活動，藉以喚起大家對這個「當前急務的兒童危機」的關注。
活動邀請了全球各地的插畫師參與，包括有我最喜愛的Christoph Niemann和Jean Jullien，還有Ayumi Takahashi、Liana Finck、Mikela Prevost、Nathan Douglas Yoder、Kindah Khalidy、Monika Forsberg、Thiago Binachini和Meera Lee ，他們就「你想為難民和移民兒童送上甚麼祝願？」這條問題進行創作，並在發布插畫時加上有關hashtag。「對於如何解決難民問題，大家或許有不同政見。」Christoph Niemann談及他的作品時說道：「可是，這些僅僅為了生存的兒童無疑是最脆弱的受害者，他們極需要我們的支持、同情和人道支援，這一點是無庸置疑的。」
以上可欣賞到Niemann和Jullien的插畫，以及我們精選的其他作品。
