The online community Alright Bears auctioned an exclusive piece of digital art to benefit earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria.
Bears markets their bear pictures as non-fungible tokens (NFTs), unique digital collectables. The Alright Bears team produced and sold a bear resembling a UNHCR field worker just two days after the earthquakes close to the Turkey-Syria border on February 6, which occurred in that region.
Peter Gould, the Chief Communications Officer at Alright Bears and our Islamic Philanthropy Ambassador, spoke to us about using NFTs for charitable purposes.
I met some of the UNHCR team members operating in the region while working as a designer in Dubai. I was moved by the team’s outstanding work and operations in the Middle East, where many of the world’s refugee populations are concentrated.
When I returned to Sydney three years ago, I contacted Australia for the UNHCR team. Following my assistance with a few Islamic Charity initiatives, I was graciously requested to take on a more official role as an Ambassador.
Since then, the focus has been on promoting the excellent work of UNHCR and seeking out new avenues for fundraising. After the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, it seemed apparent to incorporate Okay Bears’ NFTs in fundraising because I’m always seeking new methods to connect with audiences.
A brand-new class of digital assets that cannot be replicated is called an NFT (non-fungible token).
Alright Bears’ mission, founded in 2022, is to spread hope via art and coding. To raise money for significant causes, we produce digital collectables and artwork as NFTs and sell them to our online community.
We continually seek novel methods to apply this new technology for worthwhile purposes, such as awareness campaigns and collaborations with nonprofit organizations to collect money.
When the Yeah Bears team learned of the tragic earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, we felt compelled to act quickly and rally our community, many of whom are based in Turkey and the surrounding area.
We initially thought of using a specially branded bear for the UNHCR in an NFT auction. NFT auctions are a recent development, but due to our excellent working relationship with Australia for UNHCR, they trusted us and approved the move.
We held the auction two days after the tremors. In addition, we produced a second digital piece of art showing a bear in the earthquake debris that anyone could buy, with the proceeds going to Australia for the UNHCR.
We appreciate the approximately $23,000 raised by these two events combined. It drew many people from many backgrounds together and witnessed much internet participation and support for those affected by the earthquakes.
Digital collectables are a component of a new trend that has enormous potential to unite people and have a significant social influence. Thanks to this fundraiser, our global community has a distinctive and colourful way to show their support and raise desperately needed donations.
We gave our members a new tool to add UNHCR helmets to their current bears and distribute them across their social channels in addition to the auction and artworks for sale. It assisted us in cutting through the clutter, increasing support for UNHCR’s vital mission in Australia, and fortifying our online network.
