It began with one little hashtag and took the whole world by storm, going viral overnight on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
#ProfileForPeace is a social awareness campaign created by an ordinary Indian man with a computer, a picture and a powerful message that has captivated the hearts and minds of social media users around the world.
Ram Subramanian is a 36-year-old Mumbai-based activist who was inspired by the recent incidents involving the ban of Pakistani artists by Sainiks in Mumbai. These hate politics influenced Subramanian to start the #ProfileForPeace social campaign.
On the night of one of the most important festivals in the Hindu religion, Dussehra, the activist decided to make a change via Facebook. Subramanian posted a selfie holding a sticky note that read, “I am an Indian. I am from Mumbai. I don’t hate Pakistan. I am not alone. There are many people like me!” He went on to say, "No more artists being banned. This is my voice. This is our voice for our Mumbai, our India. Enough of hate politics. #SpeakUp.”
Not long after, other Indians around the world decided to join in on the awareness campaign and posted their own love messages with selfies.
Thousands of Indians from Kerala and Kashmir, Pakistanis from Lahore and Karachi, and Indians living in the United States, United Kingdom and United Arab Emirates changed their social media profile pictures to one with a simple but strong statement: where they are from doesn't influence whom they accept. They don't hate each other because of the country they live in; they're simply divided by hate politics through their governments and the media.
"Armchair activism," once a taboo term, has become one of the most powerful tools of social awareness, reaching the most people. Subramanian chose the perfect way to have his voice heard. Let's hope the politicians are listening!
Subramanian stated in an interview with the Times of India, “It had been brewing in my head ever since I heard of a series of bans and attacks. Most of us common blokes don’t feel such hate nor want these fights. And when you close the doors to art, you open up a door for dark and unwanted things to come in.”
Peaceful messages and an outpouring of support from different ages and walks of life continue to grow with every hour. Join the social media world in this campaign and tag your love note selfie with #ProfileForPeace!
Main Image Photo Credit: BuzzFeed
Nicole Singh
Author
Nicole is a bilingual professional with a journalism background who adores everything to do with fashion, culture, and Bollywood. She always had a passion for writing since a young age and decided to follow that dream. She has a sense of working in the field through news publications writt...
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