Remembrance against Populism

Since the Geneva Refugees Convention of 1948, asylum is a human right to be granted to any person being persecuted because of race, religion, nationality, political orientation or affiliation with a minority.

Unfortunately, Austria’s asylum laws are among the most frequently modified legal matters of recent years, not least because of everyday political populism.

To counteract this, Austrian human rights NGO SOS Mitmensch placed commemorative plaques in Vienna. In the course of 2 months, the plaques were affixed in different neighborhoods each week, calling attention to the consequences of populist policy with stirring messages.

The campaign drew inspiration from the plaques commemorating people and their achievements almost on every corner in Vienna. The names on these plaques prove that Vienna has always profited from her immigrants. And Vienna is certain to continue to profit, now that society is overaging.

The result: The goal was, to get as many persons as possible to support the campaigns and petitions for human dignity, asylum-related issues and equal opportunities at www.sosmitmensch.at - In fact, 31.200 signatures were accumulated in the campaign-period (which is three times as much as usual).