Our main concern is the current standard narrative of "refugees": People who fled their homes are mostly not allowed to contribute to and co-create their communities. While some argue that life under refugee status is a 'temporary situation', the average time spent in exile is 17 years according to UNHCR.
WHAT WE TACKLE
Access to work and participation
After an extended period of background research, we went to Jordan and Lebanon to get first hand impressions, talk to the end-users of our initiative and to find answers to the contradictory information we found.
Initially we expected UP to be relevant in camps in low-income countries. We are still convinced of that, but recognized it's equally important and feasible in urban refugee situations (ie when people who had to leave their original homes for safety reasons have to organize their housing and food individually or through national decentralized refugee housing systems).
Need for the right to work for all refugees (not just at camps)
Europe in 2015
When we started working on this back in 2014, not many people in Europe seemed to particularly care for the issues surrounding forced migration.
In summer 2015 that changed. Due to the requirements of the Social Impact Award, UP was working out of Vienna at the time. We recognize the challenges European countries face but we urge for not forgetting the bigger picture: The vast proportion (86% in 2014, now probably some 80%) of refugees still live in lower and middle-income countries.
We appreciate and celebrate the openness from European governments and civic movements for innovative solutions and their recognition of a need to adapt and update laws. We currently work with several partners to help find ways to allow for participation and integration of newly arrived people.
If you are interested in pictures and more information from our needs assessment in Zaatari Camp (Jordan) and urban areas in Lebanon please get in touch via the contact page.