As massive vaccination campaigns advance, we gradually start plunging back into our “new normal” and begin to enjoy the summer. However, we must not forget about the long-term consequences that the pandemic has brought upon certain groups of our still unequal society. Migrants have played a vital role throughout these past months by being in the frontlines as vital workers or specialized medical professionals. Social entrepreneurs and migrant leaders have been improving the lives of their communities in these difficult times.
The pandemic, despite all its negative consequences, has also brought the opportunity to rebuild a better world for migrants and refugees. For example, our Policy Salons have opened discussions among different stakeholders on building new pathways for legalisation.
At Hello Europe, we believe that societal challenges can be converted into new opportunities. We continue to work hard to envision a world where migration is no longer a divisive issue and where everyone, especially migrants and refugees are viewed as changemakers with the potential to transform our societies.
In this edition, we are excited to announce that our "Hello" model has already expanded to other continents. We also want to share with you our latest publication and insights from our Migration Policy Unit and updates from our Changemakers for Migration community. There is also an exciting opportunity to apply for EU funding to improve media representation of migrants.
We are excited to share with you that Hola America was officially launched on the 29th of June in a launching event that brought together over 130 experts in migration and social innovation! Inspired by Hello Europe, Hola America is a regional initiative that seeks to strengthen the ecosystem and accelerate social innovation projects that provide more and better solutions to the specific challenges faced by migrant communities in Argentina and Chile.
The program has been launched in collaboration with powerful stakeholders such as the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB Lab). Hola America also partnered up with the 2811 organization which works towards social and ecological change to promote the regenerative development of communities in harmony with the planet.
In the next months, the initiative will identify key actors and high-impact projects in the region that are contributing to improving the challenges of migration. Then, the aim is to select the 30 best initiatives. They will be officially announced at the Hola America Innovative Summit next October. Click here for more information on how to participate or contact Marianny Pachecho mpacheco@ashoka.org.
We are excited to share with you the latest publication from our Migration Policy Unit on how social innovation is shaping migration in the times of Covid-19.
At the outbreak of the pandemic, Hello Europe gathered its community of social entrepreneurs to work on the design of innovative, collective responses to the migration challenges posed by COVID-19. The result has been a multifaceted blueprint for rethinking and transforming the way migration is managed and conceived based on impactful and proven solutions that address the different phases of the migration journey.
A key aspect to all these solutions is to recognize and further activate migrants and members of receiving communities as changemakers, with the confidence and tools to create and lead change in their communities.
These solutions were shared and discussed in a series of policy salons with policymakers and other stakeholders throughout 2020 and 2021. We aimed to co-create policies that build on those solutions to achieve meaningful, long-term change. We have gathered the results of these conversations into this publication to provide insightful perspectives into how social innovation is driving migration policy change.
Last spring, we announced that Changemakers for Migration was scaling across Europe. Our objective was to map, identify and select the most powerful young changemakers from migrant background and from other underrepresented communities across the region. With the help of our community and friends, we have received over 50 nominations! We are currently conducting interviews to get to know these wonderful leaders and their initiatives that are already transforming the lives of many other migrants and refugees. We have been inspired by their stories and look forward to sharing their journey and insights with you soon in an upcoming publication. Stay tuned!
If you know any Changemaker from migrant background that fulfills these criteria, please nominate him/her by filling out this form or contact Tania Barros tbgleisberg@ashoka.org.
On the 22nd of June, our Changemaker for Migration, Helena Lopes founder of Abrazo Cultural, had the opportunity to participate in a panel discussion of an IOM Regional Office for the EEA, the EU and NATO event on “The Power of Contact: Fostering Migrant Integration and Social Cohesion through Social Mixing Activities.” The event aimed at providing participants with guidance in fostering migrant integration and social cohesion through social mixing activities. The event served as an opportunity to present the publication: The Power of Contact: Designing, Facilitating and Evaluating Social Mixing Activities to Strengthen Migrant Integration and Social Cohesion Between Migrants and Local Communities, which was developed within the framework of the IOM Joint Global Initiative on Diversity, Inclusion and Social Cohesion (DISC). The publication draws from IOM programming and promising practices in the areas of integration, inclusion, social cohesion, combatting xenophobia and hate speech.
Within the event, Helena had the opportunity to share the experiences and lessons learned from Abrazo Cultural to effectively design and implement activities that encourage social mixing in Barcelona and how through language courses, cultural workshops and specialized training given by refugees and migrants themselves, they are fostering a more cohesive society while empowering migrants.
The European Commission has launched a call to improve the visibility of migrants and refugees by supporting them to shape their portrayal in the media. If you’re working on creating new avenues for assuring an appropriate media representation of refugees and migrants and empowering them to use the current and future platforms and tools, while addressing the challenges posed by technology, this call is made for you!
Don´t miss the opportunity and apply before 10 August 2021! Find all the information related to this call here.
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