International Day of the Disappeared 2022: Inspiring and connecting the world through music
It's devastating for family and friends when a loved one disappears. Yet this is the harsh reality for too many people across the world as thousands go missing every year.
Armed conflict, violence, natural disasters, and migration are among the top reasons behind people going missing. To express solidarity with heartbroken families and mark the International Day of the Disappeared on 30 August, the ICRC and the Playing For Change movement, which was created to inspire and connect the world through music, teamed up with 20 musicians and artists from five continents in a music video campaign.
The musicians sang a rendition of U2's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For."
The campaign highlights the importance of supporting search efforts and ensuring that families looking for their loved ones get the answers they need.
The ICRC's role in restoring family links
The ICRC's Central Tracing Agency supports the work of the National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and helps people during the long and arduous process of looking for family members.
The agency provides comprehensive technical expertise for investigating missing person cases, managing data, and carrying out forensic work. It also acts as a necessary focal point for coordinating the search for missing persons, managing dead bodies, and identifying human remains.
Anyone who has lost contact with a loved one can send a request for help to the office of their National Society or to the ICRC delegation in the country they live in.
Families of the Missing Persons in Siwai District, South Bougainville unveiling a monument to commemorate those who went missing during the Bougainville Crisis. - Papua New Guinea -
In 2022, after over 35 years, families of 80 missing people could finally give a dignified burrial to their loved ones in the Accomarca district. - Peru -
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For - Playing For Change + ICRC
List of musicians and artists in music video campaign:
Amaan Choir (with the soloists Hala Al-Sadder and Rebal Alkhodari)- Amman, Jordan
Andrea García- La Paz, México
Chris Pierce- Venice Beach, USA
Daniel Lanois- Toronto, Canada
David Giosa- Rosario, Argentina
François Causse- Sette, France
Glen David Andrews Band- New Orleans, USA
Inara George-Topanga, USA
John Cruz- Maui, USA
Kátsica Mayoral- La Paz, México
Louis Mhlanga- Harare, Zimbabwe
Madjid Fahem- Mantes-la-Jolie, France
Marfa Kurakina- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Michael Ruff- Kauai, USA
Olivia Ruff- Kauai, USA
Paulo Heman- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Prince Diabaté- Conakry, Guinea
Roberto Luti- Livorno, Italy
Rodrigo Cadena- La Paz, México
Roopak Naigaonkar- Mumbai, India
Roselyn Williams- Kingston, Jamaica
Sherieta Lewis- Kingston, Jamaica
Sosha Choir- Soshanguve, South Africa
Tushar Lall- Mumbai, India
Arabic lyrics: Aghyad Al Shawaf - Amman, Jordan
More about how we help the families of missing persons
Read more about missing persons in Latin America (in Spanish)
Read more about missing persons in Brazil (in Portuguese)