Who Decides What Works? Lessons from Refugee-Led Solutions
Host: International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) & RefugePoint
What happens when solutions are designed with communities, not just for them? In a moment of political polarization, shrinking humanitarian space, and growing displacement, solutions for refugees demand more than technical fixes -- they require leadership rooted in lived experience. Drawing on RefugePoint and IRAP’s frontline work alongside refugee-led leaders, this session explores how proximate leadership can be embedded into systems to drive change that is both durable and scalable.
Speakers will share lessons from refugee-centered approaches to family reunification, economic mobility, and long-term protection, highlighting how shifting power toward affected communities strengthens resilience, improves outcomes, and helps navigate political headwinds. While grounded in refugee experiences, the conversation offers cross-sector insights for funders, policymakers, and social innovators seeking to build more equitable systems -- by investing in local leadership, rethinking who holds expertise, and designing solutions that last.
Speakers:
Cheryl L. Dorsey (Opening Remarks) — CEO and Co-Leader, Echoing Green
Bahati Kanyamanza — Global Partnerships Director, IRAP
Bahati Maganjo — Technical Advisor, Refugee Leadership and Refugee-Centered Programming, RefugePoint
Colin Thomas-Jensen — Director of Communications, Advocacy, and Impact, Aurora Humanitarian Initiative
Nasra Ismail (Moderator) — Founder and Principal Consultant, Generative Connections
This venue has a capacity of 50.