Hate. We can come across this emotion pretty much everywhere in the world. But especially in Europe, where citizens have a strong negative feeling towards refugees. Plenty of Europeans associate Muslims with terrorism, having unfavorable opinions about them. In Belgium, such prejudice happens at a political level. During the last elections which took part in May, many Flanders’ inhabitants didn’t show their hospitable side. How? Extreme right-posters all over Brussels stating that everybody should follow the questionable tagline: “Our people first”.
Sure, a community should be united. But not in hate. So, NGO for refugees’ rights Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen—in partnership with creative agency mortierbrigade—took action against this extremist movement. Together, the two partners took all the “Our people first” posters that were exhibited all over the city of Brussels and transformed them into something less offensive. Something kinder. More touching. This way, the Vlaams Belang’s slogan “Our people first” has been revisited as “Our people too.” These new posters were then displayed in the heart of Brussels art center, on the facade of the Beursschouwburg.
Following the elections, Flanders did not show a very welcoming side as far as refugees are concerned. The city’s locals prefer a closed community rather than trying to achieve a more tolerant and open one. For NGO Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen, that defends refugees’ rights, this meant only one thing: “We need to stop the hate and encourage Flanders to accept Muslims.” This being said, mortierbrigade developed new, positive posters to draw attention to the importance of tolerance and integration of refugees in the Flanders of tomorrow.
To develop the illustrations, the Brussels-based agency collected Belgian extreme right-wing posters and watched as the negative message printed onto them morphed into a positive story for everyone. “Flanders is a community in which everyone should feel good. Yet, it tells a story of exclusion that leaves no place for multiculturality. At Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen, we want a warm and inclusive community, in which there is also room for newcomers. For people who are looking for a place to feel safe, and to move together towards a more open and tolerant society. In this modern Flanders, we do not say ‘our people first’ but we say, ‘our people too’,” Eef Heylighen, spokesperson for Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen, kindly explained.
The campaign is supported by an online portal, where people are invited to listen to podcasts from the people on the understanding banners. Plus, users can experience how the other side feels as the refugees narrate through mean tweets. The words used to tell their experience refers to tweets that had an intolerant or racist side. So, let’s put hate aside and start loving each other more, regardless of our nationality, religion, sexual orientation, or political side. We are all the same.