ICMC Co-Organizes Workshop on the Long-Term Expansion of Community Sponsorship for Refugees

On 26-27 September, ICMC and the Canadian Embassy to the Holy See co-organized the hybrid workshop “Building the Future through Community Sponsorship of Refugees: comparing experiences and learning from each other”.

The agenda provided an opportunity for exchange and dialogue among those working on community sponsorship around the world. It focused on promoting exchange among those working at the grassroots level, including refugees themselves, and the governments and international organizations that help enable their efforts. Participants had the chance to discuss best practices, challenges and possible solutions. They, also, focused on the role of governments and international actors on enabling community sponsorship.

Participants called for improved dialogue, sustainable funding, and support for volunteers. The workshop concluded by acknowledging its own role in building a new community of sponsorship actors and stakeholders at the international level, and the vast potential of sponsorship to harness the capacities and goodwill of communities in receiving refugees.