When we published an interactive timeline of refugees in history, you spoke and we listened. Now, we want to use your contributions to make that interactive better
See the original interactive timeline on history's refugees
See the UN map of refugees since 1960
Last week, as part of a special series looking at Syria's Refugee Crisis, we took a longer view of some of history's largest population movements by producing an interactive timeline.
The comments that followed demonstrated a passion for this subject but they also provoked a debate about the numbers behind, and importance of, certain refugee movements in history.
Some of the examples that were cited - such as the vast numbers of refugees that resulted from the partition of India - should have undoubtedly been included in the article and it was an oversight not to have done so.
Others however, might be more debatable - we only have data that allows us to compare countries from 1960, when the UNHCR first started to systematically register refugees. That makes it difficult to select cases from before that point without giving unfair attention to certain refugee movements and neglecting others.
So we'd like to give you the opportunity to contribute directly to this timeline and make it a better resource for future users.
How do I contribute?
Go back to the original timeline and add your comments below. Although tweets, emails and calls are helpful to us as journalists, they don't always encourage the transparent, open dialogue that comments beneath a piece can.
When should I contribute?
The comments will reopen for another two weeks. After that, we'll choose the best contributions and add them to our interactive timeline. They will be highlighted in a separate colour to show they came from you.
How will you choose?
We can't include everything. There is a physical limit on the article page and a conceptual limit about how much can be added to what is not, and could never claim to be, a comprehensive account of every displacement in history.
The displacements that will be added to the timeline will be those that:
• affected a large number of people either at the time or subsequently
• offer a different insight to those already included about the way that a country's circumstances can disproportionately affect one section of its population - either through disadvantage or persecution
What should I contribute?
Succinct accounts of no more than 250 words will be considered (the longest entry in the interactive so far). Please include:
• the number displaced
• links to sources of your numbers as well as pictures/quotes that illustrate the story
Please consider:
• whether the group has already been given a fair amount of attention in the interactive so far
• whether the sources you have cited are reliable
We look forward to reading your contributions and using them to improve this resource for future readers.
