IKEA and UNHCR unite, urging Australians to show support for refugees with the launch of new fundraising initiative

IKEA and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) have today announced a new partnered initiative ‘Together for all Refugees’ - launching with the shared goal to break down biases, prejudices and misconceptions around refugees and address the ‘empathy gap’ which impacts our perception of how deserving a group may be of support.   

‘Together for all Refugees’ shares the voices and perspectives of refugees to educate on the hardships they face, while highlighting the value they add to society, to help break down biases and misconceptions and promote empathy The initiative also highlights ways for each of us to take everyday actions to support refugees, such as staying informed, questioning our own prejudices, and making contributions to support organisations like UNHCR. 

Kick starting on World Refugee Day,20 June 2022, the campaign by IKEA also aims to raise AUD$29 million in funds globally to provide vital support to those fleeing conflict, violence, human rights violations and persecutions. IKEA Australia customers can donate online via the IKEA website and at the checkout in IKEA stores.  

This initiative comes at no better time, as recent statistics from UNHCR show the number of people forced to seek refuge, globally is now over 100 million, for the first time in modern history.  

Harriet Pope, responsible for running IKEA Australia’s Skills for Employment program, which offers refugees valuable work experience to assist in gaining local employment prospects said, “At IKEA, we think that all of us should have the right to a better life – no matter who we are or where we come from. We are committed to doing our part to change the narrative around refugees by highlighting the value they bring to businesses, host communities and society at large. We encourage all Australians to do their part to support refugees – whether that be through providing a much-needed donation or simply educating themselves to gain empathy through understanding”  

“The number of people displaced around the world is growing by the day” says Trudi Mitchell, Deputy National Director - Australia, UNHCR. “No one chooses to be a refugee. Each person has their own unique story of displacement, but there are many important stories that we often don’t hear about in the media. It’s important to know that UNCHR stays and delivers where it’s needed, regardless of whether a crisis is in the international spotlight. That’s because all refugees deserve empathy, understanding and attention.” 

‘Together for all Refugees’ aims to draw attention to the challenges refugees face and foster discussion and reflection. A commonly faced but rarely recognised challenge is the short-term empathy gap refugees experience once a global crisis exits the media agenda.  

Betina Szkudlarek, Associate Professor at the University of Sydney Business School, says “Our empathy tends to be very short-lived. The out-of-sight, out-of-mind phenomenon is tremendously consequential for refugees. The Australian people are known for their generosity and support to those in need, however, as soon as the media’s coverage of humanitarian crises decreases, we tend to shift our attention to other issues. Yet, it is exactly in the aftermath of major crises when refugees need us most. Eager to regain a sense of normality, refugees struggle with limited access to local networks, social support and employment. Every person in Australia can support refugees in rebuilding their lives.”   

How IKEA further supports refugees  

IKEA recognises that once a refugee resettles in their new country, there are significant barriers to gaining employment, such as language, cultural differences and cultural bias. To help overcome these barriers, IKEA runs its Skills for Employment program, in which participants spend two months working at IKEA and leave having gained crucial Australian work experience, skills training, an opportunity to build their English language confidence, and a reference for future employment.    

The eight-week paid work placement, run in partnership with Community Corporate, an award-winning social enterprise, is committed to supporting 180 refugees and asylum seekers in the program by the end of 2023. Globally, IKEA has an ambition to support 2,500 refugees through job training and language skills initiatives by the end of 2022.  

To date, since the Skills for Employment program launched in Australia in October 2020:

• 100 participants have been supported in the program so far
• Of those completed, 80% of participants were offered ongoing work where roles were available and 78% of this cohort are still employed with IKEA.
• Participants have come from 20 different cultural backgrounds and speak 35 different languages, many of which are shared by culturally and linguistically diverse IKEA customers around the country
• 100+ buddies and 50+ line managers have been directly involved in the program, across 11 IKEA locations (all stores), all of which engage in third-party Cultural Confidence training