The Refugee Nation

For the first time ever, a refugee team was going to compete in the Olympics. There were 10 athletes with no national team, no flag, no anthem to call their own—until we gave them one.We partnered with refugees across the globe to create a flag and an anthem to represent the athletes. The Refugee Nation flag was designed by Yara Said, a Syrian refugee artist who was inspired by the colors of the life vests. According to Yara: “Orange and black is a symbol of solidarity for all the brave souls who crossed the sea, looking for the safety of a new country.”The artist herself wore a life vest when escaping war. Her design gave an identity to those who would be otherwise invisible, and turned a team of ten into a team of millions, all in support of the 65 million displaced people worldwide.