This image represents the impact of technology on refugee communities. In 2016 alone, an estimated 65.6 million people were forcibly displaced from their homes (World Economic Forum). For people uprooted from their homes, mobile technology serves as their lifeline. This image shows the reliance on electricity for technology. In many cases, refugees use phones as a map in order to flee their home country. They utilize technology for staying in communication to their family and the outside world, utilizing cash transfers, and proving their identity. In an interview between reporter Shirin Jaafari and Ken Banks, founder of Kiwanja.net and FrontlineSMS, Banks argues that refugee camps become sources of innovation, where it is crucial to have mobile technology to “allow organizations to communicate more effectively” (Public Radio International). Ultimately, refugee camps serve as a semi-permanent homes in many cases, so access to resources, including technology, is crucial.
Source: Ahmad, Tazeen Dhunna, and Humanity's Heart Founder. "Refugees Using Technology to Tackle Everyday Challenges." The Guardian. June 20, 2017. Accessed April 16, 2018. https://www.theguardian.com/voluntary-sector-network/2017/jun/20/hackathons-3d-printing-prosthetics-technology-world-refugee-day#img-1.
Theme: technology/ connections between refugees and their past, don’t forget everything to start over in new country
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