Posts Tagged ‘Blue Key Campaign’
Small Business, Big Impact: The Blue Key Campaign
Friday, June 10th, 2011Nowhere to Go
Can you imagine fleeing from your own country in fear of persecution? What about being forcibly removed from your country? Even though we don’t always see it, the truth is disturbingly clear: refugees are suffering all over the world.
“At the end of 2009, there were 43.3 million forcibly displaced people worldwide, the highest number since the mid-1990s.” Although I wish it weren’t, this statistic is all too true. While tragedy movies continue to pull at our heart strings, we need to realize that fiction is no substitute for the horrors of real life. Not too long ago, Abdullah Omar and his wife Khadija were forced to give up their child just so that she could survive. And this is just one of the startling experiences that have devastated refugees within the last few years!
Image of Refugees at camp in Nyala, South Darfur, UN Photo/Albert Gonzalez Farran
One Step at a Time
What’s the one thing that these refugee experiences have in common with tragedy movies? Neither of them have to end in tragedy. The USA for UNHCR, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization, has been working to raise both awareness and funds in the U.S. for refugees the world over. Their latest project, the Blue Key Campaign, aims to get U.S. citizens to show their support for refugees.
The USA for UNHCR’s Blue Key Campaign can be summed up in their mission statement:
“Our goal is for 6,000 people to get their own Blue Key over the next 6 weeks, to tell UNHCR’s 6,000+ staff that their work matters. Will you be one of them?”
This Blue Key pin or pendant costs only $5 and does far more than its monetary value ever could. Many people all across the U.S. have signed up for a Blue Key and, as of now, the USA for UNHCR is about 33% toward their goal. However, this campaign is about far more than money; it’s about showing support. In addition to getting your own Blue Key, you can:
- Show your support through social media. Share USA for UNHCR’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/UNREFUGEEES) and tweet about their work and the campaign #bluekey hashtag.
- Donate a tweet per day to USA for UNHCR to help raise awareness on Twitter by signing up at www.justcoz.org/UNRefugeeAgency.
- If you blog, are active online and empathize with the cause, join the campaign as a Champion.
We’ve All Got Our Role to Play
From the USA for UNHCR’s
statement, it is obvious what’s being explicitly asked of individuals. But what should businesses do? Of course, it means a great deal when big businesses engage in philanthropic campaigns such as this, but that’s not where this campaign needs to end. If we look at this from the other end of the spectrum, this is where small businesses and startups can really show their true colors.
Before you ask me what this statement means, ask yourself one thing: Can a small amount of money provide great benefits to others? If you’re involved in a small business or startup, you’d better think so. After all, this is pretty much your slogan. Small businesses and startups ask for a little money so that they can use their products and services to help others. Now that the shoe is on the other foot, it’s time to practice that Golden Rule we’ve all heard a million times.
Do to Others…
I leave you to finish this statement, since the choice is ultimately up to you. Small businesses and startups provide innovative products and services to their customers, but there is always more that can be done, in or out of the office. Just as your products and services make life easier for customers, you should strive to perform actions that help the whole world.
If you have the time and $5 to spare, please get a Blue Key and show your support.
