Exploration 6Taking Creative Action
Now that you’ve gained a greater understanding about the issues that relate to refugees, migrants, and asylum seekers you are likely to be anxious to channel your knowledge and energy into doing something with your new knowledge to enact positive change. Be a creative activist! Think about your special skills and use those skills to advocate, volunteer, or fundraise. As Anne Frank said, there’s no need to wait!
Visit Rock Your Rights
to learn more about how young people are using their talents to shine a light on causes they care about.
Clementine, one of our featured Youth Activists on Rock Your Rights is an artist. She decided to make stickers promoting understanding and acceptance then donated the proceeds to Black Lives Matter.
Here’s another great example of creative activism being practiced by Lual Mayen a video game developer based in Washington D.C., and a former child refugee from Sudan:
We also love the book Everyday Ubuntu by Mungi Ngome, the granddaughter of Archbishop Desmond Tutu. and a wonderful example of a creative activist at work. Mungi began to take action simply by speaking up about injustices that she observed when she was younger and eventually her desire to champion kindness was channeled into her writing.
You can also begin to learn more about steps to being a creative activist using the Rock Your World Toolkit.
Be sure to share your work with us so we can amplify your voice and so that you can be an inspiration for other creative activists! You can submit your art, poetry, music, dance, etc. at www.rock-your-rights.org.
Looking for other ways you can help? The International Rescue Committee has a comprehensive list of things you can do right now.
Additional Resources:
Non-fiction Books:
- We Are Displaced: My Journey and Stories from Refugees Around the World by Malala Youssafzai
- A Hope More Powerful than the Sea by Melissa Fleming
- Outcasts United by Warren St. John
Young Adult Historical Fiction Books:
- Something about America by Maria Testa
- Refugee by Alan Gratz
Teaching Resources:
Rock Your World is a program of Creative Visions
Rock Your World is a Program of Creative Visions, a 501(c) (3) organization that supports creative activists - individuals who use the power of media and arts to create positive change in the world.
