Some points to consider if you're an artist who wants to make work about refugees

@Rose_Gibbs wrote:

Great! I have tried to address this issue in this article http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/rose-gibbs/ai-weiwei-make-political-_b_8219342.html
Was thinking that artists should ask of themselves the same questions that Governments asks when giving foreign aid, things like (I asked quite a few people who work in this area e.g DFID etc. so thanks to them and sisters)

1) Does the aid go to infrastructure
2) Who benefits from the infrastructure: companies or citizens
-- Whose infrastructure? Even if for citizens, is it simply aimed at building capitalism in this region?
3) If companies benefit: is it local companies or international companies
4) Does the aid subsidise larger failings of a regime/prop up oppressive regimes
5) Are there conditions attached to the subsidies: ie dependent on the government acting in x y or z way

It is also worth noting that countries like the UK who give aid to other countries in most cases get more out of those countries than they put in (in revenues of other kinds). Artists should consider who really benefits from this 'aid' they give various causes (most often themselves?)

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