New digital project from BBC Arabic available in six languages

PRESS RELEASE

1 April 2015 // BBC Arabic launches today a new digital project about Syrian Refugees.

Syrian Journey (#SyrianJourney) takes the audience on their own personal journey, facing dilemmas based on real-life stories. Do you give the trafficker a deposit or not? Do you have time to get supplies before getting on a boat? Do you travel by land or by sea? Both options are dangerous. Both options could save your life or kill you. - YOU make the choices

Another element of the project - #Whatwouldyoutake - presents audiences with another kind of dilemma: What would you take with you if you suddenly had to flee your home? What would you leave behind and miss? We asked Syrian refugees these questions. Their answers tell moving and inspiring stories.

These are true stories of war, loss and longing from real Syrian refugees. They can be found here.  Syrian Journey also reflects on survivors’ stories: an animation called “24 Hours in a Fuel Tank”, I nearly drowned in chocolate, and personal video testimony in “the longest journey - from Syria to the UK (via Togo)”

Audiences can interact with this project via social media with hashtags #SyrianJourney and #Whatwouldyoutake, the BBC Arabic twitter account https://twitter.com/BBCArabic and Instagram as well as a branded BBC Arabic YouTube channel where audiences can upload their own content and a promotional video. .

Marc Perkins, the Syrian Journey’s editor in BBC Arabic says: ‘Syrian Journey is an interactive project which aims to tell our audiences about the dilemmas faced by Syrian refugees in an innovative and dynamic manner. Producing this project in six different languages including English – Arabic and Persian, reflects the commitment and integration of the BBC’s Arabic service with audiences in the UK and the Arabic-speaking world.

END //
Note to editors // for more information / please email: Mohammed-Ali.Abunajela@bbc.co.uk