Cynical Support for Syrian Refugees

Support Syrian refugees and, in return, get a cynical coffee mug set. Each mug in the set is printed with the caricatured portrait of a dictator deposed during the Arab Spring and a quote from one of his Western imperialist backers. Order the standard set with Ben Ali, Mubarak, and Gadaffi, or take a risk and receive Al-Assad's mug as well if he is toppled before August, 2013.

I will donate 65% of the project's earnings to aid the Syrian refugee population. If you donate above the 'insurrectionist' level, you can decide where the funding will go by voting for your favorite relief field in the UNHCR's Syria Regional Response Plan. The top three fields will receive equal shares.

The UNHCR is coordinating a huge number of agencies throughout the region, and is directing their efforts into specific sectoral responses*. See the January-June 2013 Syria Regional Response Plan, page 5, for the list of agencies.

The eligible sectors, discussed from page 24,  include protection; cash and non-food items; food; health & nutrition; education; WASH (water, health, sanitation and hygiene); and site development, shelter & camp management. If you have another idea, write in votes will also be accepted for other fields/organizations, but it's up to you to do the campaigning for your pet cause.

I'll let the project run until July 1, then make the donation and ship the mugs, so don't plan this as a mid-May birthday gift. It will be belated. Since Al-Assad's overthrow is uncertain, there is an element of risk in selecting the $45 level. If he isn't deposed, the entirety of that additional $10 will be donated.

You may be asking, "What's in it for you, Sean?", and the answer is threefold: a portfolio e-commerce project, the cash to execute it, and a small profit. The project costs, a donation, and a small profit are covered by the $35 level, so the more expensive reward levels result in larger donations. In total, 65% of the money generated by the project will be directed to refugee aid, with the remainder directed toward production and some beers for me.

*I am not affiliated with the UNHCR or any aid group in the region (but I have worked with several based in Turkey). As a cynic I had initially conceived of the project just for fun, but felt guilty about making money from someone's suffering. I hope that the same concept can be used to help.