At a time of unprecedented forced displacement, we are radically reforming the global system of safe and legal routes to protection. Our world-class team works closely with leaders and innovators from across sectors in over 20 countries.
We have two main streams of work:
We are world leaders in supporting the introduction and implementation of protection pathways. Our expertise includes refugee sponsorship and welcome programs, two-sided visas, labour mobility pathways, education pathways, crisis response pathways, and refugee and humanitarian pathways.
We are leading transformative new architecture and piloting bold new models to make the entire system of safe and legal routes bigger, better, and more sustainable. Our work includes:
We are restless, bold, and innovative, bringing an entrepreneurial and collaborative spirit to everything we do. Our world-class team of experts deploys five tools to help us deliver impact:
We are world leaders in creating, leading, and supporting innovative collaborations. We know how to work across sectors and between institutions to find alignment between diverse actors with different expertise, assets, and skillsets. This allows us to maximize leverage and drive collective, bold solutions to pressing and emerging problems.
Some of our partnerships are long-standing collaborations leading systemic change in our field, including the Global Refugee Sponsorship Initiative which has supported the creation of community sponsorship programs around the world. Others are shorter-term collaborations designed to respond to important moments or solve discrete issues in specific countries. Every partnership we build aims to open new pathways or pilot a bold idea for transforming the system.
As signatories of the Refugee Participation Pledge, we are committed to partnering with refugee leaders and supporting the meaningful participation of refugees and host communities in all aspects of our work.
We provide high-quality and tailored advice to governments, international organizations, NGOs, philanthropies, the private sector and more. Our trusted counsel includes thought partnership from idea-generation, through to strategy, program design, and program delivery.
We also have a proven methodology for breaking down complex systems into easy-to digest components, translating those components into manageable issues and options, and guiding stakeholders through a process for innovative policy and operational decisions.
We deploy this methodology in a variety of ways, including as part of tailored co-design processes and workshops involving diverse stakeholders, including those with lived experience of displacement. Our approach to co-design both shares expertise and helps build the trusted partnerships needed to operationalize new programs.
We have worked closely with over 20 governments, hundreds of community groups, and dozens of philanthropists and private sector leaders. Frequently behind the scenes, we pride ourselves on supporting entrepreneurial leaders in every sector.
We look for targeted interventions to improve pathways and accelerate operational delivery, and we move quickly when we see a gap that needs to be filled. We help seed new NGOs, run pilot projects, incubate and spin out new initiatives, and second staff to other organizations to help ensure the success of transformative projects. We go beyond strategy, working with our partners to rapidly implement solutions and build local operational capacity. We hone our expertise by doing, and we bring our experiences with us as we move from country to country and stakeholder to stakeholder.
Our partners say that our understanding of the importance of operations and ability to offer surge support set us apart. We thrive on working with others to change the field and are committed to doing whatever is necessary to make that change real.
We are devoted to acquiring, sharing, and using world-class knowledge. This means learning by doing and sharing what works (and what does not) across stakeholders and between countries. Our policy and programmatic experts are supported by a dedicated knowledge team housed at the University of Ottawa Refugee Hub. A mix of staff and students, this team compiles, generates, and shares field-leading expertise.
Our public Resettlement+ website is just one way we leverage and share expertise. This global database compiles leading academic, policy, and other resources about protection pathways. Working in partnership with other leaders in the field, we have created special sections focused on specific kinds of pathways such as for refugee students and refugee workers.
Follow the links below to access some of our knowledge products:
Global Refugee Sponsorship Initiative (GRSI) Resource Directory
We recognize the power of art to connect people, share messages, change perspectives, challenge norms, and deepen our empathy. Both the processes of making and consuming art can convey important lessons, reminding us of our common humanity and motivating us to reach for better.
We work closely with writers, musicians, visual artists, and other creatives who are as restless as we are to inspire positive change in the world. Together, we find and realize opportunities to connect with changemakers in government, business, civil society, and other sectors, harnessing art to inspire action.
Our programming often combines artistic performances and displays with powerful personal testimonials, reminding key stakeholders of the importance of their work – and creating a powerful community committed to driving solutions.