Estou Refugiado: Objectives
Estou Refugiado project arose from the realization that the refugee issue is shrouded in a dense fog of misinformation and prejudice. Therefore, it was important to give these human beings a voice, visibility and dignity, because they’re in dire need of our support and understanding.
They left their countries because they believe they could find freedom here, or because their beliefs or ethnicities are different from what the rulers of their countries and their allies consider “acceptable”, or because they were tired of living in a place where bombs explode every day. And they want to prove they can be useful and productive members of our country.
But the numbers don’t tell whole story.
Many of these refugees are qualified professionals in fields and industries that are often understaffed in Brazil. They are engineers, electricians, seamstresses, drivers and administrators, who came here with a desire to rewrite their destinies. They have first names, last names, a lot of experience, and a strong desire to make a difference. They only need an opportunity to prove themselves.
And that’s where Estou Refugiado comes in.
Estou Refugiado: Digital presence
Every week, we use there spaces to post content including videos promoting anti-prejudice campaigns, testimonial from refugees who have found jobs and from their employers, video-resumes in with the refugees themselves describe their professional qualifications, and updates on the project’s actions.
These channels also serve as points of contact through which we receive information about job openings, organize volunteers, and answer questions.
Estou Refugiado: Social media channels
Web: http://estourefugiado.com.br/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/estourefugiado/
Linkedin: https://pt.linkedin.com/company/estourefugiado
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrCEi8OtefGrsmRhYkNlhSQ
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/estourefugiado/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/estourefugiado
And now, on Steemit
Estou Refugiado: Social experiment
One of the first high-impact actions developed by the project was the creation of a social experiment that used the Tinder dating app of gauge how much prejudice exists in our society. For the action, we created two profiles for the same refugee, one introducing him as a “a foreigner with a college degree, currently living in Brazil, interested in meeting Brazilian women”, and the other as a “refugee” in so many words, but the same personal characteristics as the other profile.
The reactions to the two profiles - which were dramatically different - were turned into a video that was posted on Youtube as well as on the estourefugiado.com.br home page. This first action gave us a extraordinary results: before we even suggested any particular action, we received 40 spontaneous job offers for the refugee.
Estou refugiado: Crowdfunding campaigns
One aspect of the refugee issue is that it is naturally dynamic. There are always new members using the platform, not just among refugees but also among the people and companies willing to give them opportunities. Our first crowdfunding campaign targeted the challenges refugees face when looking for a job simply because they can’t afford to pay for transportation.
The results were amazing. Using the money that was raised, we purchased hundreds of public transportation passes and distributed them for refugees.
To date, the Estou Refugiado project has received over 400 job offers and 250 refugees have successfully found employment.
Estou Refugiado: CV Machines
Do you believe in fate? CV Machine I'm Refugee at MIS Estou Refugiado channel on Youtube
In April 2017, Human Rights Watch Brazil offered us a space at the exhibit “Farida, A Syrian Tale”, created by photographer Maurício Lima and exhibited at the São Paulo Museum of Image and Sound. This was an amazing opportunity that was put to great use through an interactive self-service kiosk called “The CV-Machine-Do You Believe In Fate?” which distributed thousands of resumes and promoted an anti-prejudice message.
The kiosk has been successfully implemented in other institutions, such as itaú Cultural and TEDx Educação.
Estou Refugiado: The Future
Estou Refugiado project is becoming increasingly active and visible. A growing number of organization and people have proposed partnerships to ensure that the project’s goals are reached.
In order to improve the project’s actions and achieve its objectives more effectively, we created a company called Planifério Causas Sociais to manage Estou Refugiado. A significant number of Brazilian companies have committed to supporting the initiative.
Interesting videos that you can watch on our social media channels:
Jornal Nacional
Jornal da Gazeta
Blockchain and crypto-coins in the cause of refugees
Like any other person, enterprise or organization, we are also following the blockchain technology revolution and its impacts, guaranteeing security, reliability and transparency, all in an open, cheap, fast and decentralized way. These advantages are encouraging the adoption of technology in various initiatives involving refugees, mainly in the identification of people in transit and in transfer of values between countries and regions in crisis.
Another potential application of the blockchain is in controlling the supply chain, extracting and transporting rare minerals from Africa. These minerals are valuable and widely used in the electronic components and mobile phones manufacture. The fight for the Coltran mines control in the Congo still results in conflict, forced labor and children exploitation, leading to violence and forcing people run from these regions resulting in thousands of refugees, including in Brazil.
Estou Refugiado in Steem blockchain
Knowing Steemit and the Steem blockchain platform for an open and decentralized social media that rewards its users with cryptocurrencies, we decided to try and include the Estou Refugiado project in this evolution. Our goal, in addition to generating content and ensuring a secure and permanent record of our activities, is to hopefully engage the community of users here and eventually benefit the refugees in search for more knowledge, job opportunities and income alternatives in Brazil.
The gratitude has no borders, thank you!
Estou Refugiado team - http://www.estourefugiado.com.br
Prejudice ends when understanding begins.
Leonardo Cordova (Venezuelan journalist and refugee in Brazil), Fernando Guimarães (
Brazil, March 29, 2018