Professional Documents
Culture Documents
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
c. Aid and traditional nonprofits are unable to generate sustainable economic activity
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3 The Refugee Opportunity: Reawakening Human Potential
Factors as varied as conflict in Syria, civil strife in Burundi and El Salvador, rising
sea levels in Louisiana, and droughts in India all have contributed to this total. Six
million people have been displaced in the last twenty-four months alone. The EU
has allocated $6 billion this year in charitable aid to meet the basic needs of dis-
placed people both within, and outside of, its borders. The US spends an additional
$5-10 billion per year resettling refugees and asylum seekers, providing temporary
assistance, medical care, housing, and more.
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B. Refugees are
a diverse group.
REFUGEES MAY
The United Nations defines refugees
BE VICTIMS OF:
as people who have been forced from
their homes out of fears of persecution
related to race, religion, and ethnicity. Violence
According to this definition, more than and conflict
65 million people globally are refugees
today. This is the highest number since
World War II.
Environmental
and natural disasters
The Hult Prize Foundation defines
refugees as people who have been
forced or pressured from their homes
Regional
by a catastrophic event or series of
events that threatened their well being economic
and/or destroyed their livelihood, collapse
across all stages of their journey. This
definition expands on traditional global
development metrics, like those offered
by the UN and other aid organizations.
65
MILLION
50
MILLION
100
MILLION
860
MILLION
Official refugees under threat of relocation forced to relocate due illegally set up in
due to environmental to social, political, informal settlement
degradation or economic crisis or slum
Based on our definition, it is estimated While the human scale is significant, This suggests that the
that there are more than 1 billion when this is taken in context with the
refugees in the world today--and that financial implications, the magnitude of total market for criminal
number is rising fast. The number the refugee challenge is immense.
includes official refugees (65 million)
facilitation for refugees
as defined by the United Nations. But seeking to reach Europe
when we add in the 50 million people The UNHCR estimated that in 2015
under the threat of migration due to alone, over 1 million people transited
alone (leaving aside other
environmental degradation, the 100 illegally into Europe. In May of this year, geographies) in 2015 was
million people living in states of social, a joint study of the market for facilitation
economic and political crisis, plus the
860 million people who have left their
services provided by criminal gangs
to refugees seeking to reach Europe
US$3-6 billion.
home to illegally setup in an informal indicated that of the 1 million illegally
settlement or slum, the Hult Prize crossing, 90 percent paid a criminal
estimates that over one billion people gang, with each migrant paying between
are living under refugee like conditions. $3,000 and $6,000 USD.
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CASE FOCUS
Violence in
Central America
Young people represent the largest demographic in many
developing communities. Youth without education and opportunity
often turn to other means of survival and ways to occupy their time.
Since the 1990s, drug cartels and gang
activity in parts of Central America,
across Mexico, and along the border
towns between Mexico and the United
States have become synonymous with
young men committing violent acts over
territory and drugs. The majority of the
population living in urban Honduras,
El Salvador, and Guatemala wrestles
each day with the impacts of protracted
crisis and violence related to the cartel
wars. Thousands of others have fled,
seeking refuge in Mexico or by crossing
the border into the United States. At the
heart of the conflict is a lack of youth
engagement.
In 2015, it is estimated that When people decide to leave the region People who flee Central America often
due to conflict, it places added pressure land in Mexico in migrant shelters
162,700
on the social and economic systems where they sit for months and even
in Mexico and the United States. years in limbo waiting to receive a visa
Mexico, facing its own complications to enter the United States, or to be
from the cartels, often chooses to shipped back home. Because of the
migrants legally sought deport Hondurans, Guatemalans, and mass influx of people leaving Central
amnesty in the Salvadorans back to their country of America, since 2015 at the request
United States origin - a costly operation for both of the US President, Barack Obama,
Mexico and the United States. The Mexico has carried out a crackdown on
United States pays millions to the refugees fleeing the violence in Central
Mexican government every year to America.
prevent involuntary migrants from
reaching its border. In 2015, it is Mexico received tens of millions of
estimated that 162,700 number of dollars in 2015 alone to stop migrants
migrants legally sought amnesty in the from reaching the border to claim
United States, a 42% increase from the asylum. The 21st Century Migration
year prior. These migrants originated in Station, Mexicos largest immigration
Mexico (19,300), El Salvador (18,900), detention facility in Tapachula, Chiapas,
Guatemala (16,400) and Honduras apprehended over 25,000 migrants in
(14,300). Asylum or amnesty is the 2015. Beginning in 2014, the reaction
legal route to resettlement in the United from the United States has led Mexico
States. However the majority of border to redirect 300 to 600 immigration
crossing occurs illegally. An estimated agents to states bordering Guatemala.
11.3 million undocumented immigrants It has conducted over 20,000 raids of
live in the United States. 70% of which freight trains coming across Central
are believed to come from Mexico and America and locations suspected of
Central America. hosting involuntary migrants. The costs
of conflict in the region are exorbitant to
the people of Central America, Mexico
and the United States.
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II. ENVIRONMENTAL
DEGRADATION IS AN
EMERGING THREAT FOR 50
MILLION PEOPLE.
Environmental migrants are forced
to move due to sudden or gradual
alterations in the natural environment
related to sea level rise, extreme
weather events, and drought and water
Louisianas
scarcity.
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CASE FOCUS
Prolonged
Drought in India:
Finding Water
Villages across India have undergone severe
water shortages over the past decade linked to
rising temperatures and extreme heat.
The state of Maharashtra is one of the In June of 2016, 350 families fled to a
hardest hit districts. Due to growing relief camp on the outskirts of Mumbai
population of 110 million people, vital because of droughtthe worst in 100
aquifers for farmers and livestock in rural years. Over 330 million Indiansabout
areas have rapidly depleted. Household one quarter of the populationhave been
drinking water, agriculture and food affected by the drought.
production, and income-generation have
each decreased as a result of the water In Maharashtra, over half the
crisis. population is dependent on the rural
economy, all of which ties back to
Rural residents have begun slowly to their most important and scarcest
trickle toward urban areas, adding to the resourcewater.
existing challenges of urbanization, and
limiting the ability of India to produce
its own food. The shortened monsoon
seasons dating back to 2012 are believed
to be the chief catalyst for the drought.
Less rain is falling on Maharashtra than
ever before.
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Untouchables
The caste every single Indian is born into of their caste. They are Untouchable.
prescribes the opportunities available to
them in life. Your profession, education, Vihaan has been ostracized from his
who you can marry, who you can speak community. He works on the streets,
to on the street, is all predetermined by finding odd jobs. Most Dalits work low-
the family and situation an Indian person skilled, undesirable jobs. Because of the
is born into. conditions Vihaan faced in his village
in Gujarat, he fled to the city looking
On the lowest rung of the caste system for better education and opportunity.
are the Untouchables or Dalit in Unfortunately, all he found was deeper
Sanskrit. The Dalit community exists in a poverty in the slums of Ahmedabad.
hierarchy of injustice. The opportunities Millions of slum dwellers there similarly
and social mobility available to the had left their homes because of the
roughly 200 million Dalit in India are injustice they had experienced. Vihaan
extremely limited. and nearly 200 million other Dalit
seek economic justice and greater
Vihaan is an Untouchable. Hailing from opportunity.
Gujarat, Indias westernmost state
with a population of roughly 63 million Despite making discrimination against
people, he is the second oldest of nine people because of their caste illegal,
surviving children. The defining event of the practice continues across Indian
Vihaans existence goes back to when society. The discrimination against the
he was nine years old, working on a Untouchables has surfaced a serious
subsistence farm with his grandmother. human rights crisis and become a
Vihaan asked for water, but instead cause of civil uprising. Recently, the
of receiving a glass, he was taught Dalit have protested this treatment.
how to drink water from his hands, The clinging to medieval practices
as he needed to learn how to interact by the millions of Brahmin and other
in Indian society without touching upper castes has made the situation
people. Vihaan and other Dalits are not untenable in much of Gujarat.
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C. Becoming a refugee
cripples dignity and
prosperity Each refugee is unique but they all suffer
loss. At its core, loss for refugees is
about human rights and dignity.
Place is fundamental to any persons Communities are the bedrock of an In many cases, refugees urgently flee
well-being. When refugees are individuals identity and values. When a their homes as a result of the conditions
displaced, they lose their home, basic person is forced from their home, their stemming from conflict or a natural
infrastructure, and land. They are forced sense of belonging is lost. Involuntary disaster. When this occurs, many
into camps, informal settlements, migrants often express that the most depart without personal belongings,
and new settings that lack the most difficult aspect of resettlement is the identification, property records, and
basic services. Across this dimension, lack of connectivity to the place they other proof of ownership tying them
improving access to, and the quality left, and the challenge of inclusion in back to their home, land and other
of, shelter and infrastructure within their new community. Assimilating, assets. Further, because of status and
home countries, refugee camps, and adapting and being accepted into a policies tied to resettlement, citizenship,
other formal and informal settlements new setting is something all refugees and asylum, refugees and involuntary
can restore rights and dignity. This aspire to, while also ensuring they migrants often struggle to regain and
includes temporary and transitional maintain a connection to home, culture, retain rights to property and other
housing, permanent shelters, water and the places they came from. assets in countries where they resettle.
and sanitation access, roads, and Opportunities for entrepreneurs across Many countries prevent them from
technology to support their abilities to this dimension should consider how to purchasing land, homes, buildings and
connect to services that they lack. enable communications across refugee equipment for businesses, significantly
networks, support the integration of limiting their rights and opportunities
refugees and involuntary migrants into for improving their status. Businesses
financial services within camps and have attempted to take on this issue by
areas of resettlement, and easing and supporting the digitization of property
enabling the transfer of money across records, or creating fingerprinting
and within borders. technology to ensure the maintenance
of personal identification. These
and other opportunities should be
considered to restore ownership to
refugees and involuntary migrants.
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Learning: Work:
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01: Pre-Migration
The cycle of the refugee begins
at home. People exist in complex
environments that can slip into chaos
at any moment. In settings of crisis,
these populations face collapsing
systems and services all around
them that may prohibit migration.
Maintaining basic, everyday needs
is difficult in any developing country
setting, however existence becomes
more and more compromised when
a person is living in crisis conditions.
Bonds with family and community
are often broken, information about
the outside world is more difficult to
source, and pathways to a different
future are opaque leading to 02: In Motion and any assets they spent their lives
vulnerability and possible targeting by accumulating behind. In the case of
smugglers, con-artists, etc. often The second phase of the refugee many Palestinians, for example, this
costing families their life savings. cycle begins as threatened individuals includes multi-generational family farms,
Large-scale involuntary migration and families begin an often long and land, friends and family, and all ties to
is considered the greatest threat to arduous journey towards a better community. Entire families are exposed
global economic and political security, life. Every minute 24 new people are to significant hardship and often spend
and it is estimated that worldwide displaced and on the path of migration. many nights sleeping in the outdoors
40.8 people are internally displaced They gather what few belongings with little access to food, electricity,
within their own country or territory. they can carry and start moving, by toilets, and other basic necessities
When we add in the over 100 million bus, on foot, by boat, or by whatever like healthcare services. This places
people existing daily in crisis settings, means they find available to them. significant risk to their lives, and this
the number of people living in pre- In the process, they often leave their year alone, more than 4,100 refugees in
migration status exceeds 140 million. identities, degrees, telephones, homes, motion have died.
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Refugees in
our own country: Me and my family, we are the same
as all the other families in Gaza,
exposed and living under unsettling
West Bank and Gaza and unimaginable conditions. We cant
residents who lose find jobs to feed our children, so we try
their homes every means possible.
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Many in and outside camps are stuck They are deprived of freedom of
in protracted situations. The average movement, access to land, and legal
duration of displacement for refugees employment. Due to restrictions, many
has lengthened from nine years in the are unable to earn livelihoods and
1980s to 20 years by the mid-2000s. achieve full self-reliance, often becoming
dependent on international assistance.
Fewer than one in 40 conflicts are now The UNHCR estimates that the average
resolved within three years, and more length of major protracted refugee
than 80% last for more than 10 years. situations is 17 years. Protracted refugee
They are part of groups of 25,000 or more situations represent over 10 million of
people originating from the same country the total refugees in the world spread
who for at least five consecutive years across 30 countries. The largest of these
have been seeking asylum in another populations are found in the Middle East
country or countries. The Office of the (4.8 million Palestinian refugees) and
United Nations High Commissioner for South Asia (2.6 million Afghan refugees in
Refugees (UNHCR) defines such refugee Pakistan and Iran).
situations as ones which refugees
find themselves in a long-lasting and
intractable state of limbo. Their lives may
not be at immediate risk, but their basic
rights and essential economic, social, and
psychological needs remain unfulfilled
after years in exile. They fight for years
to restore citizenship which affords them
access to basic services and rights that
are lost during prolonged periods of living
as a refugee.
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4.
Re-Settlement:
When refugees gain the opportunity for
official resettlement and citizenship, they
often struggle to fully integrate, adapt, and
adopt the culture of their new home.
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Pre-migration:
In motion:
In October of 2015, Karla, a 16-year Karlas 14-year old brother hadThey didnt even let us speak, said
old Honduran woman who is literate already been killed by the cartel for not
Karla, who is now back in San Pedro
and educated through primary school, agreeing to serve as a drug trafficker.
(the Honduran capital) in a facility that
arrived at the border between Mexico is flooded with migrants that
and the United States with her two Karlas family sold everything have been deported
young children, her mother, and three they owned to pay a group of coyotes from Mexico. We
siblings under the age of 15. It had taken (people smugglers) $3000 USD to get are back where we
her family over a month to trek by bus started and I dont
across Guatemala and Mexico - a 1,500 them to the border. know what to do.
mile journey from their home in northern We havent got a
Honduras. Her family sold everything dollar between us.
they owned to pay a group of coyotes
(people smugglers) $3000 USD to get The lack of
them to the border. Karla headed north opportunity in
because the smugglers told heard the Honduras outside of
US was allowing children to enter legally the cartels for Karla
into the country. Her main motivation is experienced by
for the journey was fear. Karla wanted millions of people
to move her and her family away from in Central America.
their home in Honduras because of her How can we unlock
father and his connections to the street the potential of
gangs. With the highest murder rate in this labor force to
the world, Karla felt her and her familys She feared the same would become prevent migration and restore safety
safety was constantly under threat of of her if she didnt leave. Along the and opportunity to millions in Central
violence in Honduras. pathway to the border, Karla was America?
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In transition:
Growing up in a
Refugee Camp
The Story of Moulid Iftin Hujale
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24 The Refugee Opportunity: Reawakening Human Potential
Even the upper class rooms were tightly between the refugee community and
congested with 80 pupils crammed the agencies. We do all these difficult
into one small classroom. Many of us tasks under extremely harsh conditions.
were seated on the ground and the I am paid 10 times less than my
lucky ones shared a desk with four Kenyan counterparts. It makes me feel
other children. It was a total mess, 80 abandoned. In fact when I get paid I
kids listening to one teacher. Teachers
could barely create a path to reach the
students in the back benches. Those
feel stressed instead of joyful. How can
I support myself and my family on so
little? Also, incentive staff get just 24
I respect
who didnt get the chance to go to high
school had no chance. They were left
stranded. Having nothing to do, most
days of annual leave, whereas the local
Kenyans are given two weeks off every
two months. This also makes feel like
the Kenyan
of them started abusing drugs that can
be bought in the market. Many others
the odd one out. I wonder what makes
us so different. Are we not human government for
doing its job but
must have joined the militia fighting beings like them? Is that an international
back home. Throughout my school days law specific for the refugees? We are
I was dreaming and gaining momentum. forced to accept these conditions and
I developed ambitions and professional
goals, and believed in the power of
have no one to advocate for us.
I feel I am in
prison.
knowledge and the opportunity that
Re-settlement:
6.8
her own restaurant back in Choc
and dance classes for children. When account and establish a line of
I dance my spirit is free and I am in million credit. For example, Sayid, a 45
another world. Rosa lives on $63 USD year old engineer from Damascus,
per month, most of which goes to food hectares abandoned or fled with his family to Germany.
disposessed by IDPs They left home empty handed,
and care for her two children. She
has no savings account or access to as the fighting was reaching their
capital if she wanted to open her own doorstep. In Syria, Sayid had an
restaurant, and additional complications accredited Engineering degree and
exist because of the war. had worked for the government
Land access due to involuntary designing and constructing major
Though the longstanding armed conflict displacement creates significant infrastructure projects.
between the Colombian government challenges for refugees and displaced
and internal guerilla movements has persons when they want to return home. After a tumultuous journey across
ended, over 6.9 million people in the the Meditteranian, Sayid and his
wife and two children were granted
country remain internally displaced.
Lacking shelter, jobs, and education, There is nothing that asylum in Germany. He immediately
entered an integration program.
Colombias internally displaced persons
(IDPs) lack any connection to their Rosa can do because However, since arriving in Germany,
Sayid has struggled to understand
homes and place of birth. In 2012,
it was estimated that as high as 6.8
million hectares were abandoned or
the state of Colombia the language and local customs.
Furthermore, Sayids 20+ years of
dispossessed by IDPs during the 50
year conflict. After leaving the conflict
does not recognize her experience as an engineer and his
degree are not recognized in the
German system.
zones, 80% of IDPs migrated to big
cities looking for two things: security rights to the land.
and access to public services that were
http://www.coha.org/colombias-invisible-crisis-
The complexity of the
inaccessible where their homes were. internally-displaced-persons/ immigration system
Despite the subsiding of the conflict for Sayid have created
in Colombia, people like Rosa remain challenges for him and his
in a state of limbo. Rosas family, family, but also limited the
historically, farmed the land in Choc.
But when her family was killed and opportunity for Germans
she was displaced, rights and records to benefit from his skillset.
connecting her to her land were lost.
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26 The Refugee Opportunity: Reawakening Human Potential
Worldwide, global
institutions and governments
responsible for responding
and addressing the realities
of the refugee situation have
failed to provide solutions
that harness the opportunity
created by the crisis.
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27 The Refugee Opportunity: Reawakening Human Potential
In Europe, for example, the lack of a has demonstrated to save costs and
constructive, uniform policy towards spur economic development. The case
refugees has challenged the EUs of Uganda, for example, shows how
financial and absorption capacities, offering refugees the opportunity to
costing governments billions of work spurs economic development,
Euros. The International Displacement creating jobs for Ugandans and other
Monitoring Centre estimated that the refugees while also contributing to
cost of displacement worldwide now government coffers through taxes.
exceeds $100 billion USD every year.
The shortsighted thinking of many
To fully understand the magnitude of governments has prevented
the refugee crisis and opportunity it integration and resettlement. And
presents, it is important to consider unfortunately, only a small number
the refugees as well as the potential of countries globally participate in
nations where they might resettle. formal resettlement programs. The
What is asked of a host country United States, Australia, Canada,
when considering resettlement and and the Nordic countries provide the
integration? Countries are asked to majority of resettlement options, but
annually the total need goes unmet.
Traditionally resettlement is defined by
The best option for refugees is
the total number of refugees officially
resettlement in a new, safer location. seeking asylum, which discounts the
But this isnt happening. total number of refugees across the
entirety of the refugee cycle. But even
Furthermore, the lack of effective integration policies in most
the official need goes unmet. In 2015,
countries has led to the formation of ghettos and isolated the number seeking asylum exceeded
communities on the fringe of communities, one million people, growing by 29%
from the previous year. Of that group,
ripe with frustration and
less than 200,000 people were formally
vulnerable to radicalization. granted resettlement.
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This political climate has made it will take all our jobs have limited the mitigating the risks that emerge from
difficult to loosen restrictions on opportunities that refugees can create mass influx of refugees. Engaging the
immigration, further limiting the possible for society. Not all policies however community in education to update the
solutions to the refugee crisis. These have been shortsighted. Lebanon, for understanding of the opportunities
limitations have only created greater example, despite hosting nearly one refugees bring can raise their resilience
costs for countries around the world to million Syrian refugees has experienced and openness when it comes to
build walls, police borders, and drive a sustained 2.5% growth rate in GDP. policies. Examples of policy changes
out illegal immigrants. The inflow of refugees is believed to include work permits and access to
have helped their economy withstand employment, skills recognition and
Camps exist all over the world and are the negative effect of the Syrian civil training, and access to education and
a primary destination for refugees. They war. public health services. Germany, for
are created in an impromptu fashion example, while recognizing the high
and lack coordination and planning due Refugees have been an important costs, has made strides to capitalize
to the immediate pressure and needs source stimulating demand for locally on the skills of refugees, offering
of refugees. The camps are designed produced goods and services in professional and language training to
to be temporary and meet the minimum Lebanon, funded from savings and integrate them into society. Refugees
basic needs of people. Thus, conditions labor income due to looser work with jobs pay taxes and contribute to
within camps are often harsh. restrictions, and from remittances of social security.
relatives abroad and international aid.
In 2015, sub-Saharan Africa hosted the
largest number of refugees in the world Multi-stakeholder approaches that
as a region. Refugees originating from include local business communities
five countries including Somalia, South and entrepreneurs can contribute to
Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the
Congo, Sudan, and the Central African
Republic alone accounted for 3.5 million
(80%) of the total refugee population in nd
i n ga
the region by the end of 2015. Civil war
nd ke
and conflict was the central cause of
n d sta w ill ta e
a s
displacement in these regions, as ethnic
i ca l gr tsider ited th n
it u a
Pol hat o a ve lim gees c
groups across the continent continue to
fight over land, resources, and power.
r t h ef u
fea jobs that r .
The closed-minded approach is costing
l l ou r
i es o c iety
a it s
tun te for
governments billions every year. In
o r
opp
2012, the US government spent $18
a
billion USD on border protection c re
and immigration enforcement. The
policies around immigration prevent
the 11 million undocumented from
fully contributing to taxes and social
security. The German government
estimated that the cost of the refugee
crisis in 2016 will exceed $50 billion
euros for their country. The costs of
the crisis are high but even greater
when countries do nothing to formally
engage refugees in the economy and
benefit from their contributions. Political
grandstanding and fear that outsiders
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expertise and effectively use all Social enterprise is well suited to deliver
business returns and social impact by
driving demand-side solutions using
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Core elements of
requires overcoming specific obstacles
Serving vulnerable customers, and employing them, is a
successful social
challenge. Developing any social enterprise that serves
populations living at the base of the pyramid is even more
challenging.
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Pre-Migration
THE REFUGEE
Resettlement CYCLE:
In Motion Coming back to the 4 phase approach to the refugee
journey raises important questions at every stage
which can be turned into market opportunities to offer
products and services, both connecting refugees to
each other as well as to the outside world. The advent
of new technologies presents great potential, whereas
refugees often have to face significant connectivity and
In Transition usability challenges during most of the below phases.
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Matching
Many of todays most powerful business
models are about directly matching
those who need services with those who
can provide those services. Platforms
like Uber and Airbnb succeed because
they unlock latent value by matching
those who need services with those
who provide services. Refugees have
immediate needsfor transportation,
shelter, cash, and much more. However,
they often have no way to access legal
providers of services. They are thus
forced rely on criminal networks
- who, as noted above,
earn upwards of $5 Refugees have immediate needsfor
billion annually mining transportation, shelter, cash, and much more.
the vulnerability of However, they often have no way to access
refugees for maximum
exploitative advantage. legal providers of services.
Manufacturing
and Modular Farming
While some refugees may be doctors,
writers, or computer programmers
who will be able to access external
opportunities successfully if connected
via digital networks, many others will
not. Crafts-people, masons, carpenters,
and farmers also have skills that are
ready to be reawakened. However,
doing so requires a different strategy.
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AUTHORS
AHMAD ASHKAR
Chief Executive Officer and Founder
Hult Prize Foundation
KARIM SAMRA
Chief Operating Officer
Hult Prize Foundation
PHIL AUERSWALD
Schar School of Policy and Government,
George Mason University
Policy Design Lab
JOSH SCHOOP
Policy Design Lab
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Special thanks to the following individuals and organizations for their input and insight:
The Hult Prize Foundation has compiled research for this case from known and credible sources. The
authors have attempted to use accurate information as much as dynamic data can be accurately measured
and reported. The authors explicitly disclaim to the extent permitted by law responsibility for the accuracy,
content, or availability of information located throughout this case or for any damage incurred owing to use
of the information contained therein.
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