City students strike home with anti-bigotry message
A HARD-HITTING new poster campaign kicks off today with a powerful message.
Bigotry’s Not in Your Blood, designed by students from City of Glasgow College, is the latest initiative from Nil By Mouth, the charity set up by former Evening Times Scotswoman of the Year Cara Henderson.
In partnership with Global Acts of Unity, the campaign will feature on bus shelters and social media platforms across the city over the next fortnight.
The bold poster was designed by Georgina Alvarado, Julija Juodzeviciute, Iqra Tariq and Aida Vallespi as part of Nil by Mouth’s Pitch Perfect competition, which encourages marketing students to devise a campaign aimed at challenging prejudice in society
Iqra Tariq said: “We are all proud to live, work and study in a multi-cultural city like Glasgow and wanted to create a campaign that reminded people no one is born to hate.
“We hope our campaign reminds people we should respond to difference not with anger or violence but with questions and a will to find common ground.
“There is so much more which unites, rather than divides us, and its often just a question of taking the time and effort to focus on the positives.
“Our city and its people are bigger, better and bolder than bigotry and we hope that when people see our campaign they’ll take a moment to remember that.”
Both Nil by Mouth and Global Acts of Unity were founded in response to brutal murders of innocent people. Cara formed Nil by Mouth following the sectarian killing of her schoolfriend Mark Scott in 1995.
The organisation has worked with more than 100,000 people in schools, workplaces, colleges, prisons and communities across Scotland.
Mike Haines founded Global Acts of Unity after his aid worker brother David was murdered by ISIS in 2014. Since then Mike has dedicated his life to encouraging tolerance between different religions bringing his message of hope to more than 10,000 school pupils across the UK.
Nil by Mouth Director Dave Scott said: “This is a very imaginative and timely campaign with a powerful visual image that seeks to remind people that regardless of our colour or creed the same blood flows through all our veins.
“The judging panel were hugely impressed by the concept these young women came up with.”
Mike Haines said: “My work is all about encouraging young people to create positive change in society and the students are certainly doing this with their campaign.”