Concept Idea
Refugee shelters furnished with gifts from neighbours.
Background
IKEA and UNHCR are long-standing partners.
IKEA Foundation and dUNHCR(The UN Refugee Agency) have kept a close relationship since 2010. As part of its humanitarian mission, IKEA Foundation has donated millions to UNHCR and has provided cost-efficient design solutions such as flat-pack-shelters.
Background
Refugees are a vital part of the Canadian community.
Canada has welcomed 1,088,015 refugees since 1980 (UNHCR, 2017). They have played a significant part in boosting the economy by becoming entrepreneurs (14% of Canadian refugees are entrepreneurs) and about half of them are in high-skilled jobs including architects and doctors.
Problem
Shelters are designed to treat people as numbers, not neighbours.
Refugees come to seek a sense of belonging, but the first place they come to when they arrive isn’t exactly welcoming.
So, here is my idea.
Canadians give “welcome gifts” from IKEA to furnish refugee shelters.
Instead of giving cash donations which can feel disconnected, IKEA could help Canadians literally give a “welcome gift” to refugees using IKEA products.
How it works
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Design the shelter
Users get to furnish the shelters in 3D using IKEA furniture.
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Add registry for crowdfunding
Users can put all the furnishings used to decorate the room on a public registry, available for crowdfunding.
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IKEA ships & installs them
IKEA Foundation will ship and furnish the shelters based on the design.
Project launch: the iconic IKEA catalogue with not-so-pretty room decor.
Rather than showing a beautifully decorated space, the iconic IKEA catalogue will feature a realistic photo of a refugee shelter. Readers will be redirected to the IKEA Welcome Home website where they can decorate shelters.
Design the shelter
Similar to IKEA’s virtual showrooms, people can digitally furnish a shelter room. Users are given a blank room template of a real refugee shelter and they will have products from the local IKEA store to choose from.
Add a registry.
When users complete the 3D furnishing, the IKEA products used in the design automatically get posted to a public registry. People who believe in the shelter design can fund the room by vouching to purchase a product in the design. The products are shipped to refugee shelters when the room is fully funded.
“Giftable” posts.
IKEA will also post the digital rendering of these room designs as shoppable posts, where people can donate by purchasing products from the pictures.
A gift is priceless.
Instead of the price tags that are attached to IKEA furniture, a letter tag will be attached to each piece of furniture delivered to the shelter. Donors can write a note to the refugees who would be staying at the shelter.
Highlight the good neighbours.
An iconic IKEA catalogue featuring real refugee shelters furnished by Canadians will be published. Donors’ names will replace product names and prices.