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Public Narrative on Migration: 11 Case Studies

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Introduction

11 real world cases of campaigns or campaign-supporting initiatives that embraced a narrative change/reframing approach targeting the middle and aiming to change the public narrative on migration in a more progressive manner. Below is a short overview of each with links to more deeply. 

The case studies have been collected by the International Center for Policy Advocacy ICPA.

Note:

A caveat – we are NOT presenting the cases as models to cut and paste, but more to learn practical lessons from. You may not like the focus or approach they take or they not suit you, your organisation or your context and that is ok. There is still a lot to learn from the choices made by each organisation through the process. 

Case Studies

1. Poppy Hijab Campaign, British Future, UK – National Level Campaign

To challenge growing anti-Muslim sentiment, British Future developed a campaign called the ‘Poppy Hijab’, which commemorates the 400,000 Muslim soldiers who died fighting for Britain in World War 1. Launched around the centenary of World War 1 in 2014, they made a hijab featuring the commemorative poppy and launched it in the commonly migrant sceptical and right-wing newspaper, The Daily Telegraph, under the slogan “Proudly British – Proudly Muslim”.

2. Shrewsbury Prayer Centre, HOPE not hate, UK – City Level Campaign

A campaign built to support the planning application to establish a Muslim prayer centre by a small group of Muslims in the town of Shrewsbury in England in 2013. This group of Bangladeshis have been living in the town for many years and initially it looked as if the planning application would be denied from a county council led by conservatives. HOPE not hate made an appeal to the councillors using right to worship and decency frames and delivered by local Christian religious leaders. And the planning was successfully passed. 

3. Narrative Change Lab, ICPA, Germany – National level Campaign Supporting Initiative

This toolkit is part of this project, but in addition to resources, we are also supporting the development of campaigns in a step-by-step manner and have structured this around the Narrative Change Campaign Planning Process. Therefore, there are lots of insights into the campaign development process that we draw on. For more of the project specifics, see the project page.

4. Rumors  Kitchen (Gerüchte-Küche), Mannheim Art Centre, Germany – City Level Community Engagement Campaign

Two artists built a kitchen and dining room installation in three districts of Mannheim in Spring 2016. Passers-by were invited to sit and share rumours about migration that they heard and the artists ‘transformed’ the rumour into a dish, i.e. a visualisation of the rumour, which was served to the citizen. The experience was a basis for dialogue and exploring different narratives to counter the rumour.

5. Germany can do it! (Deutschland Kann Das), Federal Government, Germany – National Level Campaign

This is a national campaign designed to support the integration of refugees in Germany. As part of the campaign, people can understand the refugee integration process, find local initiatives to get involved in and also showcases real life stories of ongoing integration processes. The appeal is to build on the refugees welcome momentum and the huge number of volunteers who got involved in 2015/16. There is a focus on humanising the experience of refugees and those helping them and reframing migrant sceptical narratives.

6. #WeAreAllEngland, British Future – National Level Campaign

This is a campaign built around the Euro 2016 Football Tournament in which British Future asked people of all backgrounds to post photos of themselves supporting England with the hashtag #WeAreAllEngland and with the aim to “get people from all backgrounds in England to come together to celebrate our shared identity”. They also produced a video of kids from a Madrassa playing football and supporting England. The appeal is to a kind of low-bar patriotism & illustration of community affiliation/integration.

7. Reframing Refugees, Welcoming America, USA – Messaging advice for campaigners

This is a guide for campaigners in the Welcoming America network on messaging to the middle on the refugee issue in the US. The messages they are putting forward is: Moving is normal for both migrants and US citizens, so allow them to work, contribute to their communities and become citizens. So the value appeals are: they do what we do (the moving), work ethic, contribution to the country and Integration that works.

8. Stand Together: Messaging to Support Muslims and Refugees in Challenging Times, Welcoming America, USA – Messaging Advice for Campaigners 

This is a guide for campaigners in the Welcoming America network on messaging to the middle around migrants from Islamic backgrounds in the US. The messages they are putting forward is: Freedom of religion is a founding principle and now, people of all faiths need to unite and stand together with open heats and compassion in welcoming new arrivals. So the value appeals are: Freedom of religion, humanitarianism and compassion.

9. Finish the story on immigration, Frameworks institute, USA – Research on frames and messaging in immigration in the USA

A very in-depth piece of research which provides a frame map of the 2012/13 immigration reform debate in the US. They also extensively tested messages with the middle and recommend using the following messaging approach: Immigrants should be treated with compassion, but we need real solutions that offer a citizenship perspective, so that we can all benefit. So a clear focus on the values of humanitarianism, pragmatism and shared prosperity.

10. A Fair Deal on Migration for UK, Institute of Public Policy Research, UK – Research testing migration messaging

This is a piece of polling research to test a fairness frame with the UK public, i.e. ‘If migrants work hard, pay in to the system, and uphold British values, we should welcome them to the UK.’ And compare that to a long-term economic benefits of immigration message. The fairness message tests much better than the long-term economic benefits one. So the value focus is on fairness, hard work, contribution and Integration.

11. #KommMit Toolbox: Narrative Change Practice to Advance Social Cohesion

The #KommMit narrative change pilot project was developed as the empirically-proven foundation and catalyst for broader action to advance social cohesion, and specifically to change the conversation on Muslims and Islam in Germany. The results of the #KommMit pilot far exceeded their targets and benchmarks for such NGO narrative change campaigns targeting the movable middle in Germany. 

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