Dear friend,

We all know asylum seekers arriving here by boat are used as political footballs. But what can we do about it?

It’s really very simple: our research shows community views and fears around so-called ‘boat people’ are founded on myth, not fact. So we’ve created a campaign that doesn’t just mobilise action from those who already want asylum seekers to be treated fairly, but helps inform community views as a whole:

Watch our powerful new TV campaign, then share it with your friends and family.

Today we're launching Rethink Refugees, a major new campaign to shift the hearts and minds of the Australian public with TV, print, radio and online ads running throughout the country over the next 7 weeks and beyond. The message: 'When you think about the boats, think again'. This is our chance to help shift public attitudes so that, ultimately, refugees and so-called 'boat people' are treated equally and without discrimination.

Just imagine how he debate could run if the real facts were known by all Australians: Watch the ad now.

Our powerful campaign is backed by a wealth of social research that shows how Australians respond compassionately if they know that people arriving here by boat are not illegal, and have a right under international and domestic law to seek protection from us. It's a simple, irrefutable fact. And sharing it has been found to be a genuine game-changer that softens even the most hardened attitudes to so-called 'boat people'.

The story over the last few years was one of fear-mongering and the demonising of vulnerable people, not one that reflects true Australian values of compassion, fairness and integrity. Let’s make sure that story ends here: watch and share our TV campaign now.

In hope for a better, fairer approach to refugees.

Alex Pagliaro
Refugee Campaign Coordinator
Amnesty International Australia

PS. Do you remember young Afghan refugee Najeeba Worzenfost? We featured her a few months ago in our petition action. Well thanks to you our petition reached 23,000 signatures and was delivered to Immigration Minister Chris Bowen last month. Now Najeeba is fronting our new advertising campaign: please get behind her again by sharing it with your friends and family members.