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Art on Instagram Campaigns for Child Refugee Awareness

UNICEF rallies the artistic community to illuminate the plight of children refugees.

A photo posted by UNICEF (@unicef) on

Sep 18, 2016 at 4:47pm PDT

Ayumi Takahashi. Images courtesy UNICEF and #illustrators4children

This week, the UN General Assembly met at the Unite Nations in New York City to discuss, in part, nuclear developments and the ongoing war in Syria. As part of the talks and to raise awareness to the refugee crisis, specifically the plight of children refugees, UNICEF asked artists to create specialized works around the subject.The campaign was launched on Instagram and managed to coax out the (small but substantial) warmth of the internet.

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Illustrators contributed watercolors, pencil drawings, and short cartoon animations, tagging each with the hashtag, #illustrators4children. Jean Julian, the French artist behind the iconic Eiffel Tower inside a peace sign, created the image of a small child nestled in a bed is surrounded by the cozy structure of a home, all contained inside the warmth of human hands. The illustration is finished with the serene blue of the United Nations Children’s Fund logo.

A video posted by UNICEF (@unicef) on

Sep 18, 2016 at 12:25pm PDT

Nathan Douglas Yoder

A photo posted by UNICEF (@unicef) on

Sep 17, 2016 at 11:57am PDT

Meera Lee Patel

A photo posted by UNICEF (@unicef) on

Sep 15, 2016 at 2:35pm PDT

Thiago Bianchini

A photo posted by UNICEF (@unicef) on

Sep 20, 2016 at 11:40am PDT

Mikela Prevost

A more recent Instagram post shows a young girl tracing her hands through ocean sand, creating a mosaic of tiny flowers. And what the charming illustration may not bring across in seriousness, a caption brings across the ultimate purpose: “The message to world leaders currently meeting at the United Nations General Assembly is clear: Not refugee children. Not migrant children. They’re #childrenfirst.”

Inevitably, the illustrations harness the a highly accessible platform to draw in a younger, connected audience for child welfare.

A photo posted by UNICEF (@unicef) on

Sep 20, 2016 at 11:40am PDT

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Mrzyk & Moriceau

A photo posted by UNICEF (@unicef) on

Sep 18, 2016 at 5:56am PDT

Kindah Khalidy

A photo posted by Matthew Martin (@m.mcartoons) on

Sep 17, 2016 at 5:31pm PDT

Matthew Martin

A video posted by Michael Arnold (@mkrnld) on

Sep 21, 2016 at 7:25am PDT

Michael Arnold

The UN General Assembly met for their 71st session beginning September 19, 2016. Find more information about the issues discussed at the GA meeting on the United Nations website, here, and visit UNICEF’s Instagram here.

Via It’s Nice That

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