A Member Organization of the Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network and Groundup Central by the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre.
RAW 2022
RAW 2022
#HumanKind
In 2022, Refugee Awareness Week (RAW) took on a deeply resonant theme: #HumanKind. More than just a catchy slogan, it was a call to reconnect with our shared humanity and to stand in solidarity with displaced persons around the world.
Over the course of the week, RAW brought together art, conversation, community, and practical action. The result: merchandise, a powerful online campaign, film screening and post-show talk, and a workshop that created real opportunities for refugees and asylum seekers.
Merchandise: Wear It, Share It
RAW 2022 spread its messaging through the sale of our statement tees and baseball caps. Each item sold helped spread the spirit of #HumanKind across Singapore, as supporters proudly wore their allyship while directly contributing to AFR-SG’s projects in Digital Inclusion & Literacy and Menstrual Health & Hygiene.
Online Campaign “Voices”: Stories that Connect
RAW 2022’s digital presence came to life through the hashtag #raw2022voicessegment and the “Voices” campaign, where we shared 11 powerful personal stories of displacement, belonging, and resilience.
The first story introduced Sarah, a passionate community advocate living in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Originally from Myanmar, Sarah dedicates her time to empowering underprivileged women in the refugee community. Her words capture both her strength and compassion:
You can read her story and others from the campaign by clicking through to the social media posts.
Through these deeply personal narratives, the Voices campaign reminds us that behind every statistic is a human being with dreams, courage, and hope. By giving space to these stories, RAW 2022 helped shift perceptions — from seeing refugees as a “problem” to recognising them as people with purpose and strength.
Event Highlights
Film Collaboration: “Flee” Screening & Post-Show Talk
Another major strand of RAW 2022 was the collaboration with The Projector to screen the acclaimed documentary, Flee, followed by a post-show talk. The event offered a deep dive into displacement, memory and identity in a format that encouraged both emotional engagement and reflection.
An article reflecting on the event titled “Contemplating our shared humanity” explores how the screening invited the audience to reconsider their assumptions and recognise the bound-up ideas of home, exile, and survival. By pairing cinema with dialogue, RAW 2022 created a space where the audience could not only witness but also interrogate what it means to be human — to flee, to arrive, and to rebuild.
Workshop with LinkedIn Coaches Asia Pacific: From Awareness to Action
Another meaningful highlight of RAW 2022 was our partnership with LinkedIn Coaches Asia Pacific to host a career development workshop for refugees and asylum seekers. Held on 24 June 2022, the session connected volunteer LinkedIn coaches across the region with 13 displaced participants, both in-person in Malaysia and remotely across the region.
During the workshop, coaches provided practical guidance on building LinkedIn profiles, communicating professional strengths, and navigating online employment networks. More importantly, they engaged participants in personalised one-to-one career conversations, offering encouragement and actionable advice.
The event also shed light on two interconnected challenges: (1) The employment gap: Many refugees in Malaysia face high barriers to employment due to the lack of legal work rights and limited access to professional tools or training, and (2) The awareness gap: Many of the coaches were unfamiliar with what refugee status entails in Malaysia and the systemic obstacles facing displaced communities.
By the end of the session, coaches came away with a deeper understanding of the complexities of displacement and employability, as well as insights into organisations supporting refugee livelihoods in and around Malaysia like PichaEats, a catering enterprise.
A particularly inspiring outcome emerged from this event: one participant later became a keynote speaker at a panel talk in 2023 and shared his journey and insights with a wider audience.
Acknowledgements
Events
Voices Sarah, Raghad Ammar, Md Saidul Hoque, Nimo, Khamis Shaat, Dafer Sief, Bariirah Geedi, Ezz Ghassan Shaat, Nur Azizah, Sadaf, Md Jamal, Ali Froghi
Workshop with LinkedIn Coaches Asia Pacific Natasha Salleh (co-organiser), Shantal Naidoo (speaker), LinkedIn coaches and participants from Malaysia
Panel discussion Gabrielle Tay, Dr Hakim Young, Bernadette Iyodu, Mr Amoz Hor, Ms Sangeetha Yogendran (moderator)
Film-screening and post-show talk Dr Gül İnanç (panellist), Dr Hana Alhadad (panellist), Selene Ong (moderator), Adeleena (The Projector)
Team RAW 2022
Copywriting/Editing Jing Ling Tan, Amanda Chen
Designer Xenia Chan
Events Selene Ong, Sangeetha Yogendran
Voices Nursyazwani Jamaludin
Director Mathilda Ho