SAVE THE DATE - Virtual Conference

Social Innovation for Refugee Inclusion (SI4RI)

Sowing Innovation in the Cracks of Crisis

*Monday and Tuesday, 4 and 5 October 2021*
(14:30-18:00 CEST, 8:30-12:00 EDT)


The Migration Policy Institute Europe (MPI Europe), the United States Mission to the European Union, the Mission of Canada to the European Union, and the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) are pleased to invite you to the fourth annual Social Innovation for Refugee Inclusion (SI4RI) conference, 'Sowing Innovation in the Cracks of Crisis'. The virtual conference will take place on 4-5 October 2021.

In recent years, as migration and global displacement have changed the fabric of communities on both sides of the Atlantic, many public, private, and community-based actors have joined forces around a common goal: shaping inclusive, cohesive, and prosperous communities in diversity. Mobilizing untapped resources, they pioneered hundreds of innovations for newcomer inclusion--from skill-profiling apps to co-housing models--often benefiting from the leadership and entrepreneurial energy of refugees and migrants. Yet important weaknesses have remained. The spread of innovations has been geographically uneven, and promising solutions have often lacked the tools to deliver change at scale. Most recently, the outbreak of COVID-19 has tested the adaptability and resilience of this young and evolving field. The pandemic has exacerbated disadvantage for refugees and migrants in job markets, education, and civic life. At the same time, it has upended forms of outreach, engagement, funding, and service delivery upon which social enterprises and community-based initiatives often rely.

This conference, organised by MPI Europe, sponsored by the United States Mission to the European Union, and done in partnership with the EESC and Mission of Canada to the European Union, will explore how the diverse landscape of partnerships, social enterprises, participatory models, and community-led initiatives spearheading social innovation for inclusion has fared during COVID-19. It will also discuss how this ecosystem can emerge strengthened from the crisis, and how innovations can reach underserved places and highly vulnerable groups.

SI4RI 2021 will include insights and experiences from Europe and North America, as well as select voices from other regions. Social entrepreneurs, community-based organisations, and refugee and migrant associations will participate alongside representatives from the private sector, academia, EU institutions, and government at national and local levels. Participants will engage in a community of dialogue and practice to discuss rapidly evolving challenges and promising responses. Breakout sessions will allow attendees to engage in depth with key themes.

We hope you will be able to join us for this very timely event! We will be sending updates on the programme and speakers over the coming months.



For any questions, please email [email protected]

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For more information: [email protected] | www.mpieurope.org


Migration Policy Institute Europe
Residence Palace 155 Rue de la Loi, 3rd Floor 1040 Brussels


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