From refugee inclusion to shifting power: Building a global refugee sector that puts refugees first

Join Refugees International, The New Humanitarian, and Asylum Access on the sidelines of the Global Refugee Forum in Geneva for a candid conversation about how to truly include refugees in the policy decisions that shape their lives.

We will chronicle achievements to date and note what still needs to change, with the aim of offering stakeholders – from governments, international organisations, the private sector, and donors – a unique opportunity to hear first-hand from a panel of refugee speakers how the system is working and what could work better. 

Please note: We are at capacity for in-person registrations but you can still regsiter to watch the live stream or the recording premiere. 

Date: 15 December   
Time (in person): 10.30am-12.30pm CET (coffee/pastries/mingling from 10.30am, followed by session start at 11am)  
Venue: Hilton Geneva Hotel and Conference Centre (right by the airport and Palexpo)   
Time (online): 11am CET for the live stream (or 6pm CET for the screening of the recording)   
Contact: For any queries or to send a question for the panel in advance, please email: [email protected]  

Speakers confirmed so far:

• Sana Mustafa, Asylum Access CEO (moderator) 
• Ana Maria Diez, President of Coalición por Venezuela and Fellow at Refugees International
• Matai Muon, South Sudanese refugee and graduate student
• Mohammed Naeem, Deputy Director of Strategy and Partnerships at American Immigration Council, and Advisor on the U.S. Refugee Advisory Board
• Farhad Shamo Roto, Founder of Voice of Ezidis and Fellow at Refugees International 
• Hafsar Tameesuddin, Co-Secretary General, Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN)

Background

For decades, forcibly displaced people have advocated for their right for self-representation. The refugee leadership movement has embarked on a transformative journey to reshape global refugee governance, challenge the roots of an exclusionary sector, elevate the voices and agency of refugees within the institutions that impact their lives, and to have a direct impact on shaping policies at the institutional, state, and global level.

To advance this mission, forcibly displaced people and allies have worked together to create various approaches and tools, including the establishment of Refugee Advisory Boards at both international and state levels, increasing funding streams for refugee-led organisations, and securing pledges at the Global Refugee Forum to enhance participatory practices.

Hear from people involved in these efforts as the movement advances and it becomes essential to evaluate progress made, impact achieved, challenges ahead, and persistent gaps that need to be filled.

This essential conversation will be both insightful and challenging, as we seek to explore tensions between inclusion, true transformation of the system, and policymaking.