Issues Without Borders @issuesWborders
General Description of Issues Without Borders
Issues Without Borders is a youth organisation that focuses on human rights and encourages and empowers individuals to take action.
As an advocate of human rights and legal equality for all, the mission of IWB is to offer an online platform that empowers its users to take on personal and societal injustices and supports them in their actions.
The vision of IWB is to be an online platform for discussion and learning that enables its users to think outside the box and work towards self-development. IWB believes that independent, individual and inventive thinking is indispensable for any society to be free from inequality and human rights violations.
IWB constantly strives to break down traditional frames and constraints by encouraging its users to directly contribute, share and discuss their knowledge, experiences and insights. The organisation’s goal is to make meaningful contribution to forming a societal mind-set which is independent, open minded, generous and has the courage to question its beliefs. The organisation works towards this vision on the basis of our four core values:
- independence and freedom in thought and action,
- respect for diversity of cultures and different points of view,
- a fair and objective attitude towards all issues, and
- promoting real and effective action in our societies.
Description of the IWB for Refugees Project
IWB is determined to document the treatment of refugees in EU countries by deconstructing dominant media caricatures and political sentiments which would seek to in some way justify denying these individuals their human rights. By examining the key factors in each EU member state which impact these socio-economic environments and, which in turn help mould policy and political sentiment, IWB seeks to highlight more than how well member states are aligned with European Union legislation on refugees. Our commitment to detailed research means that we endeavour to ask questions which might explain the failure of many member states to live up to their responsibilities and the degree to which the European Union as a whole is treating people that are being in vulnerable and desperate circumstances. Our researchers are working hard in examining the quality of life of refugees in their respective countries and how the legal processes in their member state impacts refugees. Further, our researchers speak with refugees, both to those already integrated and those new to Europe, in order to piece together detailed analyses of both the local and Europe wide situation. The question of responsibility is not restricted to policymaking but is also about the way in which specific political messages and media outlets exploit, objectify and dehumanise refugees to the extent that they are seen as a problem rather than people. As a research group focused on the issue of refugees in Europe we challenge the construction of crude media representations of refugees which encourage fear, hatred or misunderstanding. Our job is to give a fuller and more complete picture of how and why refugees as human beings entitled to clearly defined rights are being represented and described by those with influential voices in our societies. Based on this work IWB will draft a potential new law, which we will register as a petition at the European Commission. After this registration, the work will continue and we will have 1 year to raise 1 million signatures. Once these signatures are raised, the petition will be debated in the European Parliament. Once passed into law, it will be implemented and our team will be part of that implementation process. This project allows young, determined and talented researchers across Europe the opportunity to help shape the future European Identity.
