Migrant deaths don’t deserve to end up as black and white statistics

We wake up every day to horrifying news from far-flung parts of the world:

339 drowned refugees in the Mediterranean Sea

120 killed in chemical attack in Syria

65 dead in fresh fighting in South Sudan

But what do these numbers mean and is it possible for us to have more empathy and understanding for the flesh and blood human being caught up in these situations? That’s the question that designer Daan Wubben tackled during his recent presentation at a HAGUE TALKS themed on “How to create understanding in times of conflict.”

“We are confronted with complicated statistics every day. But do we understand these statistics? Can we relate to a number like 400 [migrants have drowned]? I think we can’t. What we can do is to create translations from this information to make this information powerful, personal and strong again,” Wubben explained.

“I investigated the IOM’s (International Organization for Migration) Missing Migrant Project. I found very sterile statistics that yet show a very shocking truth. There are people who die every day in the Mediterranean Sea. These people and this data is important to show. But do these people and this really deserve to end up as black and white statistics? I think not. For this era and these people I created the translation platform the Moving Memento,” Wubben said.

For more on Daan Wubben’s empathy-inspiring art installation, watch the video below:

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