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OneClickGiving for Refugees: Viral Video Continues to Raise Money

OneClickGiving for Refugees: the Viral Video Continues to Raise Money
In December 2015, a group of students at Oxford University implemented a project idea that would utilize “OneClickGiving” for refugees. By helping fund two of the most influential refugee charities, Save the Children and the Refugee Council, OneClickGiving could help save lives.

The idea was this: a minimalistic YouTube video of a tortoise eating a strawberry would be recorded while a well-known public figure would serve as a voice-over explaining the video’s purpose. Fortunately, the group knew someone that put them in touch with Alan Rickman who then invited them to his house in London where they recorded the voice over. Founder Oliver Phillips said, Rickman “loved the project” and “the beauty of YouTube is that the video will exist forever and just keep on accruing money for the causes.”

Alan Rickman, popularly known for his role as Professor Snape in the Harry Potter series, passed away in early 2016 shortly following his participation with OneClickGiving, however, his dedication to many charitable organizations continues to leave a legacy. Much of his charitable participation was given to charities that supported poverty and refugee relief such as, Make Poverty History, ONE Campaign, Peace One Day and of course, Save the Children and the Refugee Council which continue to cumulate earnings thanks to his voice over with OneClickGiving.

By partnering with YouTube, OneClickGiving will collect earnings through split advertising revenue cumulated by each video viewing. No profit will be collected and the earnings will be utilized by splitting between the two charities. The Refugee Council is a U.K. organization that seeks to support the recovery efforts for refugees while also enabling them to become active participants in the decisions necessary to “rebuild their lives.” Save the Children is active in 120 countries and is dedicated to helping protect the rights and livelihood of refugee children. For the Refugee Council, donations will be dispersed specifically throughout the U.K. and with Save the Children, the money will be dispersed globally for displaced children.

OneClickGiving for refugees continues to make a difference after a year of 3.9 million viewings. The eventual hope for the project is that companies will be willing to match the proceeds that will further contribute toward greater financial support for Syrian refugees. Consider the possible difference to be made by simply watching a video, with just one click!

– Amy Williams

Photo: Flickr

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Four Ways Europe Should Provide Refugee Integration

Refugee-Integration

In 2015, millions of migrants came to Europe in the hopes of finding security and safety for their families and themselves. The welcoming of refugees continues today and is likely to endure. The majority of recent migrants are not only coming from Syria to Europe but also from Iraq, Eritrea, Kosovo and Afghanistan.

Adapting to a new country and culture can often bring initial resettlement discomfort and uncertainty. Countries seeking to encourage resettlement success are encouraged by nongovernmental organizations to take into account ways to facilitate refugee integration:

1. Education

Many European countries such as the U.K. and France provide education to refugee children. Education is considered a significant factor in successful refugee integration into society.

The British Council asserts, “[Education] would help to combat at source some of the factors contributing to mass migration, extremism and the risk of a lost generation that could blight Syria’s chances of recovery for years to come.”

2. Early Intervention

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) claims that immediate provision of language courses and access to health care is essential to integration. Additionally, when application-processing times cannot be shortened, it is important to provide refugees with skills training and civic integration training.

Children are especially encouraged to participate early in the process. Learning the language predicts overall educational outcomes. A year without education may have critical results.

3. The Work Force

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) encourages European countries to step up in assisting refugees in further developing their skills. The organization expresses that we should not forget Einstein was also a refugee.

The organization further states that assisting with refugee skill development also means ameliorating the economy. OECD recommends the placement of refugees be near the labor market where jobs are “readily available.”

4. Customized Integration

OECD encourages receiving countries to take into account the diversity of refugees. Oftentimes, refugees are coming from a variety of countries with a diverse range of educational and language backgrounds.

The organization asserts that customized attention to individuals will provide the best results for integration. This method will prepare migrants for self- dependence and the labor market.

As stated by UNHCR, “Far from a problem, refugees can and should be part of the solution to many of the challenges our societies confront. They bring hope: the hope of a better life and a better future for their children and ours.”

A substantial investment by countries is essential to provide refugees with the tools and skills necessary to advance and adapt in a new society.

– Mayra Vega

Sources: British Council, Euractiv , UN Refugees, Keepeek
Photo: Google Images

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Alan Rickman’s Last Role: Raising Funds for Refugees

British film star Alan Rickman narrated a charity video relating to the aid of refugees shortly before his cancer-related death on Jan. 14.

The 30-second video was created in collaboration with nonprofit OneClickGiving and features a tortoise eating a strawberry.

Throughout the video, Rickman explained that by watching and sharing, viewers have an opportunity to make a difference.

“The more viewers the video gets, the more advertising revenue YouTube will give us,” he said within the voiceover. “All you need to do is watch and share.”

The video, titled “This Tortoise Could Save a Life,” has received well over three million views on YouTube since it was uploaded, with the money raised from each view going to the Refugee Council and Save the Children charities.

Save the Children works worldwide to improve the lives of child refugees through aid and support, and the Refugee Council works to help refugees seek safety and rebuild their lives within the United Kingdom.

“It is an innovative project for an extremely important cause,” OneClickCharity founder Oliver Phillips said in a press release. “Our charities are two of the most effective at helping refugees, who desperately need your support.”

The refugee crisis has become a growing global concern as the number of displaced individuals worldwide continues to grow. According to the UN Refugee Agency, there were 19.5 million refugees worldwide at the end of 2014. That’s 2.9 million more than in 2013. Just over half of those refugees, or 51 percent, were under 18 years old, the highest amount of child refugees in more than a decade.

Phillips recently told the BBC that the charity believes it was one of the last recordings the late actor made.

“I’m so grateful that with all this going on he still agreed to give us his time, it’s really amazing,” he said. “It would not have been the same without him. All the views we’ve got are accountable to him.”

Alan Rickman, best known for his roles in Harry Potter and Die Hard, worked with a variety of charities throughout his lifetime. According to BBC Radio, the well-known actor was the president of the International Performer’s Aid Trust, which focuses on poverty alleviation throughout the world’s toughest conditions.

The link to the YouTube video is as follows, titled This Tortoise Could Save a Life — Ft. Alan Rickman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkiMz-e2ZcE

– Lauren Lewis

Sources: Youtube, TFN, Look to the Stars, Arts.Mic, Mashable, ABC, BBC, Save the Children, Refugee Council, BBC Radio, One Click Giving
Photo: Flickr