"What’s in my legal backpack?”
An Information Booklet for Unaccompanied Minor Refugees in Turkey
Partners:
Refugee Solidarity Network, Refugee Rights Turkey
Issue area:
Refugee Rights
SErvices:
Creative Strategy, Digital Illustration, Editorial Design
UN Sustainable Development goals:
Background:
Refugee Solidarity Network and Refugee Rights Turkey’s partnership has provided access to legal information and legal protection-oriented services and support for refugees in Turkey for over 6 years. Through an online information portal, in-person resources, and informational digital media – they have helped refugees across Turkey navigate the asylum system and legal issues in a range of areas from healthcare and education to marriage and divorce.
Goal:
Refugee Solidarity Network approached us to collaborate on a new output that diverged slightly from their usual publications. They noticed a particular segment of their audience required additional attention. Unaccompanied minors (refugees under the age of 18 without parents or guardians) have often been overlooked or neglected in the information and resources available and were thus more vulnerable to excessive hardships and legal battles. The goal of this project was to develop tailored informational materials specifically to this group, with relevant information and guidance, presented in an accessible and engaging way.
Challenge:
Unaccompanied minors are not just children, but children who have survived grave traumas and are therefore much more mature than their peers. They are a vulnerable audience that must be taken seriously, but communicated with carefully to help them digest the complex concepts, timelines, and procedures explained. This may be the first time this audience is exposed to this type of information. Therefore, the produced materials must be inviting and unintimidating while effectively communicating the depth and seriousness of the information.
Strategy:
The theme, “What’s in my legal backpack?”, conceptually guides the audience chronologically and narratively through the bureaucratic process of the refugee system from their own perspective shaped by the items they carry.
The concept is based on the idea of a bag being something that you pack to prepare you for a journey. The booklet, in this way, is their “legal backpack” when it comes to navigating their rights and procedures in Turkey.
As the visual narrative unfolds, we learn more about the objects within the backpack, the objects find their own home outside of the backpack, and eventually – the objects change form from the bare essentials (representing migration and resettlement) to education supplies (representing hope, opportunity, and a feeling of grounding).
Product:
The project resulted in a visually engaging but easy to navigate digital and print A5 sized booklet small enough to easily carry, made up of 23 questions, answers, and conceptual flat illustrations, and produced in 4 languages: English, Turkish, Arabic, and Farsi.
Kevin Cole – Senior Monitoring Evaluation Research and Learning Manager