No. 70
#climbmywalls
By : Global Goals Jam Hong Kong
Entrant’s location : Hong Kong
Description
Many are not aware of the term asylum seeker. A pseudo status before “refugee” in Hong Kong. Imagine the everyday battle for human rights on top of racial discrimination, without working status, living on minimum support of supplies, and yet forbidden to go back to home country. How might we create an experiential event to raise awareness and empathy, and build a supportive platform to help asylum seekers in Hong Kong? We need to start from an empathetic medium, an activity which is also a physical translation of the mental sufferings. If this prototype were to become a reality... A wall as a narrative, a symbol. Redbull as the main sponsor makes this charity event possible. Olympic athlete Lee Wai Sze climbs a special designed wall as a challenge. It gets increasingly difficult towards the top, whoever is watching on TV or online can feel the pain and exhaustion of the athlete and the wall that an asylum seeker must climb. After the exciting event, Lee Wai Sze raises 500K. This will not go to the asylum seeker directly through NGO. Instead, this will be used to fund the first phase of building a supportive online platform where givers (donors or "secret angels") and receivers (seekers) can be matched. The data collected on the platform can also be used to measure the impact, the value created, the waste reduced in this giver and receiver relationship. These measurable outcome will then translate into another physical challenge for another celebrity. And then the cycle repeats. Local Climb my walls event can also involve local people in the fun.
What did you create?
A platform for asylum seekers that purports to have participants experience the "walls" an asylum seeker experiences.
Why did you make it?
To create empathy through an experiential work for the "movable middle" towards asylum seekers and refugees.
How did you make it?
Global Goals Jam, prototyping, community organizing.
Your entry’s specification
It is held on World Refugee Day.