Since the photo of 3-year-old Aylan Kurdi's lifeless body hit social media last week, halfhearted global discussions about the refugee crisis appear to be turning into genuine pushes to make a difference.
Britain, who was hit with heavy criticism for taking so few refugees so far, just announced it will accept 20,000 over the next five years. Now Australia's government promises to soon do the same. Incoming refugees this week were met with cheers from Germans in Munich.
In the Middle East, the image sparked a different discussion about accountability (looking at you, Gulf nations)
By now it's clear — this is the Syria photo that broke the world's heart. But the media attention will eventually die down. And that has some wondering whether any real change will come next.
Over the weekend, Palestinian-American writer Yousef Munayyer summed up that feeling pretty well in one tweet.
As a Palestinian I can tell you this much, if pictures of dead kids really did stir global conscience, Palestine would've been free long ago
— Yousef Munayyer (@YousefMunayyer) September 3, 2015
Elsewhere from Palestine, when children in Gaza staged a solidarity event for Aylan over the weekend. They say more would follow, as a tribute but also to remind people what the last several years of war have looked like in their own homes.
Whether we admit it or not, it reminds us this isn't the first MidEast tragedy marking our conscience, and it won't be the last.
Have a look at scenes from Gaza's demonstration below. Via Facebook.
