Once again, our news feeds are filled with heart-breaking images and stories of hundreds of thousands of people on the move, fleeing from the Ukrainian crisis and other conflict points, seeking refuge across Europe: especially Central European Countries like Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary. It hits very close to home, especially for those in neighboring countries. Many of us are wondering with urgency what can we do to help. One of our concerns is also what is the most strategic way I can help to support long term, systemic change.
This question about long term change is, of course, at the center of all the work we do in Ashoka, particularly in the field of migration through Hello Europe and Hello World. Over the past few days, we have been consulting our teams and close partners, including Ukrainian social entrepreneurs, thinking together about what is the most important support we can give in these difficult moments. Below, we offer some brief thoughts and ideas on the kind of support we see and plan to provide over the next months, and invite you to join us as well.
First, it is of utmost important to remember how we frame the narrative matters, both in our own minds and in our communication to others. Too often we have talked about refugees and migrants as passive subjects of pity or compassion, especially migrants coming from majority world countries. Our experience shows a different picture though, people on the move are powerful changemakers, eager to contribute to the good of all in their new communities. Of course, there are barriers to activate that changemaking, including trauma, economic difficulties, policy mismatches, adjusting to new environments, access to resources and opportunities to contribute, etc. But the goal that we place at the center of our work is the unshakable belief that migrants and refugees have power and a strong voice people that needs to be heard. This is central to the Everyone a Changemaker World we strive to build.
With this as the foundation, looking at particular ways to help or where to allocate resources, we've found it helpful to think of three different levels of impact and to encourage us all to plan to support all three:
1) Immediate needs: In situations where large groups of people are fleeing a conflict, there always is a need for urgent, immediate and effective help: this must be supported for any other work to happen. Currently, resources are being mobilized from government and humanitarian funds, but there is an urgent need for flexible funding for organizations on the ground. Donations of cash or other resources not tied to particular activities allows organizations to design their own projects, bring in needed human resources, and give their staff the support they need to do their work (including breaks!). A number of Fellows and Hellopreneurs (members of our Hello Europe network of innovators) have already moved their organization to provide essential relief support right now. This includes setting up efficient reception and direction infrastructure at the border; coordinating humanitarian organizations; directing people arriving to the right places to receive services; specific attention to refugees with disabilities or for orphaned children (e.g. over 500 have already arrived in Poland); documenting, training and implementing measures against discrimination and risk of trafficking on the border; online training and materials for dealing with trauma; assistance for giving birth in makeshift conditions; or resettling refugees quickly in safe locations across the country.
If you’d like to support in this way, we suggest organizations from our networks at the bottom of the email, including direct contacts to the Ashoka country leads for more direct access if needed. As Ashoka network members, all of them are also engaged in systemic medium and long term work.
2) Medium-term impact: Looking beyond the immediate crisis, we are already identifying some of the systemic changes needed in the medium term. Crises often shine the light on needs already present in societies in a small way, enlarging them, or bring completely new, unforeseen challenges. We foresee bringing these needs forward and identifying spaces for innovation will becoming very necessary in 3-6 months in the primary reception countries, when some of the most urgent allocations of resources have been made (and exhaustion sets in for many as well). For example, from experience, we anticipate many Ukrainian migrants will remain in Central Europe for a significant time, requiring the establishment of comprehensive and effective integration policies and actions. Key areas will include regularization processes, employment creation strategies, support structures for emerging entrepreneurship, access to comprehensive health and education services for families, and important welcoming efforts for local communities to play an active role. Indeed, these are the main topics we saw emerge as central starting in 2015 when we welcomed many refugees and migrants across Europe (see our Portfolio of Solutions for examples of innovative organizations that brought solutions). Many of the organizations mentioned below will play a key role here. This is also where Ashoka’s work, and that of our Fellows and Hellopreneurs, is especially relevant. We see a key need for Hello Europe to bring key stakeholders together in a few months, and inject innovation and systems change thinking into a system that will be ready for it.
We are planning on launching a Hello Europe Ecosystem Accelerator in Central Europe (Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary) in the second half of 2022. This will build on the experience we have in accelerators – including three Accelerators in Poland – and our policy and ecosystem work over the past years. The goals will be, first, to select and scale innovative, proven solutions to and from these countries, and second, to create effective collective impact through multi-stakeholder clusters in topics such as integration policies or employment. We are currently raising funds to launch this initiative, for more information on how to support the accelerator and selected solutions, contact Ella Goncarova (egoncarova@ashoka.org).
3) Long-term impact: Finally, we must keep thinking for the long-term, identifying systems changes that that need to be implemented for our societies to be more prepared to quickly welcome and include refugees and migrants and to channel these movements for the good of all. This is why we select and support Fellows who are developing long-term systemic solutions, some of who are mentioned below. This is why we will continue to select Fellows, support them to scale and broaden their impact, and infuse this innovation into the sector.
Hello Europe emerged at another crisis moment in 2015, when a large number of refugees and migrants were welcomed throughout Europe. Slowly, we developed long-term impact goals as we learned from social entrepreneurs and other key stakeholders in the field. It led us to set the goal to transform migration from a divisive issue to a system of solutions and changemakers, so that when people move, even when it is due to horrifying circumstances, societies become better, not divided.
This year, in fact, we are launching a strategy that we are convinced will be pivotal in creating long term, collective impact in the field of migration across Europe. We are launching Ecosystem Accelerators, led by social entrepreneurs and involving key leaders from policy, corporate, research, and other sectors. These seek to strategically accelerate systemic work and establish innovation in two key clusters: Migration Entrepreneurship and Employment (a growing sector in Europe that needs innovation, coordination and strong policies for it to thrive) and Climate Change Migration (anticipating major movements in people due to climate change and how governments, corporations, and society can prepare for this). We expect this work to pave important roads to better policies, more collaborative work and powerful collective impact throughout the entire field of migration. Read more here or reach out to Ella Goncarova (egoncarova@ashoka.org) for more details.
Of course, these are only some initial ideas: there is so much more to consider and support. Hopefully, though, in the midst of the heart-ache when feel as we process the news, we can also identify and support powerful work that is bringing hope to the most vulnerable, to use our resources and networks to bring about changes in the medium and long term. This is the essence of the Everyone a Changemaker world we seek: where all have the confidence and power to create change for the good of all, and solutions outrun problems.
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