Dance4Refugees challenges Instagram users to share their moves for a cause

"Wake up, wake up." That’s the rallying cry at the heart of a powerful new choreography by Belgian dancer Jeny BSG, created for the Dance4Refugees campaign. Speaking to Euronews ahead of World Refugee Day, observed every year on June 20, Jeny described the project as a call to action in support of the world’s forcibly displaced people.

“Everyone needs to wake up,” said Jeny. “It’s time to talk about it, it’s time to help, it is time to react. We can't stay silent. We have to speak up for oppressed people, and this is what I am doing.”

The social media campaign invites people to learn and perform the choreography, post their version on Instagram, and donate to support displaced communities. Aimed especially at young people, the initiative blends activism with creativity, hoping to spark a wave of digital solidarity.

“I try to target the new generation because for me, they are the change,” Jeny said. “Dance was the right way to attract attention and shift the narrative—to celebrate the strength, potential, and resilience of refugees.”

Jeny’s own life story fuels her commitment. Born in Belgium to a family that fled war in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the 1990s, she grew up with firsthand knowledge of displacement and survival.

“My family fled violence. My two elder brothers spent time in a refugee camp. My mother and father both experienced fear and struggle,” she shared. “Today, I’m the living proof that a refugee background doesn’t limit you. It defines your strength.”

The campaign is launched at a critical time. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), 123 million people are currently forcibly displaced worldwide—more than double the number a decade ago. Nearly 37 million of them are refugees. The UN has also warned that drastic recent cuts in humanitarian aid are putting countless lives at risk.

As World Refugee Day approaches, Dance4Refugees offers not only a symbol of hope but also a tangible way for people—especially youth—to get involved, take action, and help rewrite the narrative for refugees across the globe.