Icelandic campaign to support Syrian refugees inspires a similar project in the US 3442

An Icelandic campaign to lobby the Icelandic government to accept more refugees from Syria and to organize public support for incoming refugees, has inspired a similar campaign in the US.

Facebook campaign mobilizes public support for refugees
On August 30 an Icelandic author Bryndýs Björgvinsdóttir created a Facebook event to both mobilize public pressure on the government to accept more refugees by Icelandic authorities and collect promises from people for support of refugees. The event, which was created around an open letter to the Minister of Welfare, Eygló Harðardóttir, “Dear Eygló Harðardóttir [The minister of Welfare] – Syria is Calling” quickly took off, morphing into a mass campaign in support of Syrian refugees.

Read more: Foreign racists attack Icelandic Facebook page created to help Syrian refugees

Hundreds of people have offered to help refugees, promising to house, feed or clothe families or made promises of financial support. More than 17,000 people have signed up. In addition to the promises of support the event has generated significant international attention.

US campign inspired by Icelandic example
Now a mother-daughter team from Virginia has launched a similar campaign in the US. The campaign, which is styled on the Icelandic page, is cexaalled Open Homes, Open Hearts US – with Syrian refugees. The group, which has gained over 5,000 members since it was created yesterday, was set up by Adrian Tierney, who is a biology student from New York University and her mother. Tierney told Newsweek that her mother had heard about the Icelandic initiative on the news, and that the two then decided to launch a similar campaign in the US.

“It needs to be a pretty large statement from the people that we want this, we’re eager to help,” Tierney told Newsweek. She said they were “aiming high” with their campaign, hoping to gain the support of 10 million Americans – roughly 3% of the US population. Currently the group has 5,200 members.

An Icelandic campaign to lobby the Icelandic government to accept more refugees from Syria and to organize public support for incoming refugees, has inspired a similar campaign in the US.

Facebook campaign mobilizes public support for refugees
On August 30 an Icelandic author Bryndýs Björgvinsdóttir created a Facebook event to both mobilize public pressure on the government to accept more refugees by Icelandic authorities and collect promises from people for support of refugees. The event, which was created around an open letter to the Minister of Welfare, Eygló Harðardóttir, “Dear Eygló Harðardóttir [The minister of Welfare] – Syria is Calling” quickly took off, morphing into a mass campaign in support of Syrian refugees.

Read more: Foreign racists attack Icelandic Facebook page created to help Syrian refugees

Hundreds of people have offered to help refugees, promising to house, feed or clothe families or made promises of financial support. More than 17,000 people have signed up. In addition to the promises of support the event has generated significant international attention.

US campign inspired by Icelandic example
Now a mother-daughter team from Virginia has launched a similar campaign in the US. The campaign, which is styled on the Icelandic page, is cexaalled Open Homes, Open Hearts US – with Syrian refugees. The group, which has gained over 5,000 members since it was created yesterday, was set up by Adrian Tierney, who is a biology student from New York University and her mother. Tierney told Newsweek that her mother had heard about the Icelandic initiative on the news, and that the two then decided to launch a similar campaign in the US.

“It needs to be a pretty large statement from the people that we want this, we’re eager to help,” Tierney told Newsweek. She said they were “aiming high” with their campaign, hoping to gain the support of 10 million Americans – roughly 3% of the US population. Currently the group has 5,200 members.