SYDNEY, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- The faces of six missing Australians will appear on coffee cups across the city of Melbourne this month, to coincide with the beginning of National Missing Persons Week (NMPW).
NMPW will run from Aug. 5 to 11, with advocacy groups hoping strategies like the Unmissable coffee cups will help put a human face to the overwhelming statistics of lost and missing persons.
Takeaway coffee cups depict stylised bright and colourful artworks which aim to show the character of those missing as described by their loved ones.
The campaign is an initiative of the Missing Persons Advocacy Network (MPAN), which was formed by Loren O'Keefe, whose brother Daniel O'Keefe, has been missing since 2011.
"MPAN is humanising missing people with a modern take on the old milk carton campaigns, replacing black and white photos with engaging artworks that share the character of a missing loved one," O'Keefe told Xinhua.
"We're bringing this often hidden issue into the mainstream, hoping to engage the public and show the families they're not alone."
In Australia, more than 38,000 people are reported missing each year and although most of those turn up in under a month, currently 1,600 are classified as long term missing persons.
NMPW also features the release of a short film by the Australian Federal Police, which attempts to give emotional insight into the impact on those left behind.
"Ambiguous loss is considered by psychologists around the world to be the most stressful type of grief," O'Keefe said.
"The constant worrying and wondering is exhausting -- not knowing if your loved one is okay is a unique kind of torment."
