Social Innovation for Refugee Inclusion: From Bright Spots to System Change

Successful migrant and refugee integration often hinges on the right combination of employment, education, housing and family supports. Social Innovation for Refugee Inclusion: From Bright Spots to System Change explores the evolution of social innovation – ideas, practices and collaborations offering new solutions to social problems – since the height of a global refugee crisis. While the report focuses on refugee populations in Europe, it notes that the use of social innovation strategies occurs on both sides of the Atlantic. Through convenings, advisory board meetings and informal discussions, the report examines promising models of social innovation including co-housing, employment mentoring programs, mobile kitchens and placement into artisan cooperatives. Social innovation reimagines the process of refugee integration by encouraging refugees themselves to be active participants or even program leaders. Despite these promising approaches, there are some impediments that limit their sustainability. The report notes that these projects are under-resourced and are heavily dependent on engaged urban communities. Many social innovation programs lack access to expertise or funding from mainstream actors. The authors suggest that a coordinated effort between government and direct actors, along with effective evaluation tools, would enable social innovation to accomplish whole-systems change. (Stephanie DePauw for The Immigrant Learning Center’s Public Education Institute)

Download now or view online.