Promoting the rights and voices of refugees and migrants

This project aims to enhance the protection and promotion of the rights of Venezuelan refugees and migrants in Brazil Chile Colombia the Dominican Republic Mexico Panama and Peru. It seeks to provide direct support to refugee and migrant-led organizations. Project activities include: (1) delivering a transformative leadership training program for refugee and migrant leaders including women; (2) implementing social media and communication campaigns to reduce xenophobia and promote social cohesion between migrants and host populations; (3) strengthening the capacity of refugee and migrant-led organizations to advocate for policies programs and practices that increase the protection of refugee and migrant rights; (4) facilitating the participation of refugee and migrant-led organizations in local national and regional migration forums and decision-making spaces; and (5) providing grants to community-based refugee and migrant-led organizations in order to improve their service provision to displaced populations. The project benefits 2 300 refugees and migrants from Venezuela (60% women) other nationalities and 19 refugee and migrant-led organizations. The project also indirectly benefits 700 000 refugees and migrants (65% women) across the 7 participating countries.

The expected outcomes of this project include: (1) increased influence and participation by refugee and migrant leaders particularly women in the development of local migration policies and programs; (2) enhanced collective action by refugee and migrant-led organizations to advocate for policies programs and practices that increase the protection and promotion of the rights of Venezuelan refugees and migrants; and (3) increased effectiveness of community-based initiatives that support Venezuelan refugees and migrants particularly women in their socio-economic integration into host communities.