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The Nobody’s Listening VR Exhibition: Impact on Awareness, Empathy, and Advocacy for the Yazidi Genocide
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Report with Individual Authors (2021)
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Investigates the impact of the Nobody’s Listening VR exhibition on Iraqi participants’ understanding, emotional connection, and empathy for the Yazidi genocide, and explores the exhibition’s potential as a tool for human rights advocacy and education.
In August 2014, ISIS launched coordinated attacks on minority communities in northern Iraq, especially the Yazidi population, subjecting them to systematic violence, mass murder, enslavement, and forced displacement. Six years later, despite some international recognition of these acts as genocide, Yazidis continue to face severe obstacles to justice, recognition, and recovery. Most remain displaced, unable to return to their communities, with many experiencing significant psychological trauma, grief, and socio-economic exclusion. Public awareness and empathy for the Yazidi plight remain limited within Iraq.
Traditional methods of advocacy and education around genocide awareness often struggle to capture public attention and empathy, especially where personal experience with such violence is limited. Recognizing the potential of immersive technologies to overcome these challenges, human rights advocates, a Yazidi group, and the VR studio Surroundvision created Nobody’s Listening (NL), a VR exhibition, to memorialize the Yazidi genocide experience. Featuring VR scenes of Yazidi locations, survivor testimonies, and recreations of pre- and post-genocide life, the NL exhibition was designed to engage participants emotionally and cognitively, bridging gaps in understanding and encouraging advocacy. This assessment, conducted with 127 Iraqi nationals across five cities, evaluates whether the NL VR exhibition increases awareness, empathy, and support for the Yazidi genocide cause among Iraqi audiences.
Key findings
- The VR exhibition effectively increased participants' awareness and understanding of the Yazidi genocide, bringing to light lesser-known aspects of the atrocities and Yazidi culture.Evidence
Among participants, 70.8% indicated that the experience altered or expanded their knowledge of Yazidi culture and history. The VR's immersion gave many new insights into the genocide's scale, cruelty, and the Yazidis' current challenges, as one participant noted: ''I felt like I became closer to their pain. You get very close to them.'' Other participants acknowledged discovering details they hadn't previously known, such as the forced separation of Yazidi families and the lack of justice.
What it meansThe VR experience's immersive storytelling, paired with accurate cultural and historical details, enabled participants to gain a deeper understanding of the Yazidis' experiences, many reporting that it changed their perspectives on the genocide and Yazidi culture.
- The VR exhibition elicited strong emotional engagement and empathy from participants, with many expressing shock, sadness, and an empathetic connection to the survivors' stories.Evidence
Over 80% of participants reported significant emotional reactions, including sadness (59%), empathy (56.2%), and anger (37.1%). Strong physical responses, such as crying, shivering, and difficulty breathing, were observed. The experiences of characters-such as a mother and daughter forcibly separated by ISIS fighters-were particularly moving, with one participant saying, ''My hands were shivering... I felt I was a soul without a body.'' These high levels of emotional response align with studies that link immersive VR with increased long-term memory formation through strong emotional engagement.
What it meansVR's capacity to immerse viewers in a multi-sensory narrative fosters empathetic responses by allowing participants to experience emotional closeness to the victims, deepening understanding and potentially leading to more sustained compassion.
- Exposure to the VR experience spurred a greater willingness among participants to advocate for justice and reparations for the Yazidi genocide and to support the Yazidi community in Iraq.Evidence
92.2% of participants expressed the belief that justice for Yazidis remains unfulfilled, calling for specific actions such as international recognition of the genocide, prosecution of ISIS perpetrators, reconstruction of Yazidi communities, and provision of mental health support. Several participants emphasized the urgency of raising awareness and holding perpetrators accountable, as one noted, ''We think their cause has been internationalized, but very little has been done compared to all they have endured.''
What it meansThe VR experience not only raised participants' awareness but also motivated them to consider concrete actions that could support justice and reparation efforts for the Yazidi people.
- The VR experience prompted a significant number of participants to reflect on and express a desire to learn more about Yazidi culture, indicating VR's potential as a long-term educational tool.Evidence
Many participants expressed a newfound interest in Yazidi history and culture, with several planning to research the topic further. One participant noted, ''I now want to read more about their culture and what happened to them.'' The VR experience's ability to convey lesser-known cultural and historical details was cited as a compelling reason for ongoing curiosity and reflection.
What it meansThe NL exhibition shows potential to inspire sustained learning, suggesting that VR can play an effective role in genocide education by engaging audiences in personal exploration of impacted communities.
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The Nobody’s Listening VR Exhibition: Impact on Awareness, Empathy, and Advocacy for the Yazidi Genocide
Cite this brief: Mohammed-Amin, Rozhen Kamal. 'The Nobody’s Listening VR Exhibition: Impact on Awareness, Empathy, and Advocacy for the Yazidi Genocide'. Acume. https://www.acume.org/r/the-nobodys-listening-vr-exhibition-impact-on-awareness-empathy-and-advocacy-for-the-yazidi-genocide/
Brief created by: Dr Rozhen Kamal Mohammed-Amin | Year brief made: 2024
Original research:
- Katifori, D. A., Mohammed-Amin, R. K., & Economou, P. M., The Nobody’s Listening VR Exhibition: Impact on Awareness, Empathy, and Advocacy for the Yazidi Genocide International Organization for Migration https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2024.102320. – https://iraq.iom.int/sites/g/files/tmzbdl1316/files/documents/nobodys-listening-virtual-reality-exhibition.pdf
Research brief:
Investigates the impact of the Nobody’s Listening VR exhibition on Iraqi participants’ understanding, emotional connection, and empathy for the Yazidi genocide, and explores the exhibition’s potential as a tool for human rights advocacy and education.
In August 2014, ISIS launched coordinated attacks on minority communities in northern Iraq, especially the Yazidi population, subjecting them to systematic violence, mass murder, enslavement, and forced displacement. Six years later, despite some international recognition of these acts as genocide, Yazidis continue to face severe obstacles to justice, recognition, and recovery. Most remain displaced, unable to return to their communities, with many experiencing significant psychological trauma, grief, and socio-economic exclusion. Public awareness and empathy for the Yazidi plight remain limited within Iraq.
Traditional methods of advocacy and education around genocide awareness often struggle to capture public attention and empathy, especially where personal experience with such violence is limited. Recognizing the potential of immersive technologies to overcome these challenges, human rights advocates, a Yazidi group, and the VR studio Surroundvision created Nobody’s Listening (NL), a VR exhibition, to memorialize the Yazidi genocide experience. Featuring VR scenes of Yazidi locations, survivor testimonies, and recreations of pre- and post-genocide life, the NL exhibition was designed to engage participants emotionally and cognitively, bridging gaps in understanding and encouraging advocacy. This assessment, conducted with 127 Iraqi nationals across five cities, evaluates whether the NL VR exhibition increases awareness, empathy, and support for the Yazidi genocide cause among Iraqi audiences.
Findings:
The VR exhibition effectively increased participants’ awareness and understanding of the Yazidi genocide, bringing to light lesser-known aspects of the atrocities and Yazidi culture.
Among participants, 70.8% indicated that the experience altered or expanded their knowledge of Yazidi culture and history. The VR’s immersion gave many new insights into the genocide’s scale, cruelty, and the Yazidis’ current challenges, as one participant noted: ”I felt like I became closer to their pain. You get very close to them.” Other participants acknowledged discovering details they hadn’t previously known, such as the forced separation of Yazidi families and the lack of justice.
The VR experience’s immersive storytelling, paired with accurate cultural and historical details, enabled participants to gain a deeper understanding of the Yazidis’ experiences, many reporting that it changed their perspectives on the genocide and Yazidi culture.
The VR exhibition elicited strong emotional engagement and empathy from participants, with many expressing shock, sadness, and an empathetic connection to the survivors’ stories.
Over 80% of participants reported significant emotional reactions, including sadness (59%), empathy (56.2%), and anger (37.1%). Strong physical responses, such as crying, shivering, and difficulty breathing, were observed. The experiences of characters-such as a mother and daughter forcibly separated by ISIS fighters-were particularly moving, with one participant saying, ”My hands were shivering… I felt I was a soul without a body.” These high levels of emotional response align with studies that link immersive VR with increased long-term memory formation through strong emotional engagement.
VR’s capacity to immerse viewers in a multi-sensory narrative fosters empathetic responses by allowing participants to experience emotional closeness to the victims, deepening understanding and potentially leading to more sustained compassion.
Exposure to the VR experience spurred a greater willingness among participants to advocate for justice and reparations for the Yazidi genocide and to support the Yazidi community in Iraq.
92.2% of participants expressed the belief that justice for Yazidis remains unfulfilled, calling for specific actions such as international recognition of the genocide, prosecution of ISIS perpetrators, reconstruction of Yazidi communities, and provision of mental health support. Several participants emphasized the urgency of raising awareness and holding perpetrators accountable, as one noted, ”We think their cause has been internationalized, but very little has been done compared to all they have endured.”
The VR experience not only raised participants’ awareness but also motivated them to consider concrete actions that could support justice and reparation efforts for the Yazidi people.
The VR experience prompted a significant number of participants to reflect on and express a desire to learn more about Yazidi culture, indicating VR’s potential as a long-term educational tool.
Many participants expressed a newfound interest in Yazidi history and culture, with several planning to research the topic further. One participant noted, ”I now want to read more about their culture and what happened to them.” The VR experience’s ability to convey lesser-known cultural and historical details was cited as a compelling reason for ongoing curiosity and reflection.
The NL exhibition shows potential to inspire sustained learning, suggesting that VR can play an effective role in genocide education by engaging audiences in personal exploration of impacted communities.