In partnership with the Irish Refuge Council (IRC), the Share Network is organising a Quality Sponsorship Network (QSN) roundtable on philanthropy and innovative financing for refugee sponsorship and complementary pathways, which will take place in Dublin on the 27th and 28th of October 2022.
The roundtable will gather key actors from the philanthropic sector (private or corporate foundations), innovative financing institutions, civil society and regional and local bodies, to explore how philanthropy and innovative funding solutions can help to secure and scale up Community Sponsorship initiatives across Europe and ensure that these can respond to new needs and contexts. The roundtable will have an interactive format, providing ample space for networking and exchange.
Since the first European community sponsorship scheme was launched in 2016, sponsorship programmes have expanded under highly diverse national and regional frameworks and partnerships, piloting new ways for private citizens and civil society to welcome refugees into their local communities. It is estimated that around 6,000 refugees from refugee camps and zones of conflict, have been brought to Europe under varied partnerships and frameworks (resettlement, humanitarian corridors, complementary higher education pathways) to Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain and the UK.
Firmly embedded as an objective under the Global Compact for Refugees (GCR), both global actors, the European Union and some national governments, have to date provided mostly ‘one-off’ financial support to increase engagement in community sponsorships. By far the largest part of the costs and resources to run community sponsorships programmes are provided by NGOS, faith-based organisations, churches and private citizens.
Community sponsorships are resource intensive and time-consuming programmes to implement, requiring both pre-arrival and post arrival activities and support. With Covid 19, the Afghan and Ukraine refugee crises, and skyrocketing housing and energy prices, the NGOs and individuals engaged in sponsorship increasingly lack the human and financial resources to address the multiple needs of arriving refugees.
There is therefore a need to bring in new actors with a willingness to engage in, support, and expand safe and legal pathways for people seeking sanctuary in Europe. In this context, private and corporate foundations are playing an increasingly important role with contributions that are multifaceted, combining operational and policy-oriented initiatives.
The Share QSN 1 ½ day roundtable on philanthropy and innovative financing will take stock of current examples and goals of philanthropy engagement, identify needs, and explore areas for future engagement. On the second day, participants will have the opportunity to explore the new area of innovative financing, including reflections around corporate social bonds that support access to education and employment, which are both integral to sustaining newcomers in their new communities.
You can find the agenda and the presentations here:
