Hootsuite & Witness Change amplify powerful refugee perspective on social media through 1000 Dreams campaign

Hootsuite, the global leader in social media management, has joined forces with Witness Change, a non-profit organisation that exists to end human rights violations for marginalised communities, to bring heart and humanity to refugee stories through the 1000 Dreams campaign.

Robin Hammond, acclaimed photographer and founder of Witness Change, noticed a disturbing trend when it came to traditional media portrayal of refugees. “They are often depicted through an outside lens in society,” he said, “At times they are depicted as threats to the land where they’ve settled, and in other instances, as victims. It’s not that simple, so it was our goal to help change that narrative by telling the stories from the more complex perspectives of the refugees themselves.” Launched on 20th June 2021, on World Refugee Day, the 1000 Dreams campaign has benefitted from the power of Hootsuite’s social media expertise, training, and technology, which have allowed Witness Change to share powerful refugee stories across social media, with as wide and diverse an audience as possible. Hootsuite provided invaluable pro-bono support in the form of a free Enterprise account, access to Social Advertising and Listening tools, and expert advice from its team. As a result of these resources and ongoing guidance from Hootsuite, Witness Change was able to maximise the impact and reach of the 1000 Dreams campaign on social media – bringing Robin and his team closer to their goal of shifting the global narrative around refugees, by sharing their individual hopes and dreams around the world.