Stepping Up: Ukrainian refugees, changemaking and how to make Europe a better place for all

365 changemakers from Czechia, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia shared their challenges and their vision for the future of the ecosystem. The report celebrates the way they rose to the occasion and draws a picture of how Europe can and should step up: how to engage refugees if we want to go beyond crisis relief towards re-framing refugees as changemakers. 

Stepping Up report highlights the diversity of the solutions offered by those changemakers and their self-perception, the issues of mental health and access to funding. It addresses such barriers as harmful narratives and propaganda and outlines the mindset shifts that need to take place in order for refugees to be seen as a positive force and valued for their contribution. 

CHANGEMAKERS ON THE MAP

We collected and analyzed respondent’s personal details like location (capital city vs. rural areas), gender, and age group. Information about their work was also critical for this mapping, such as whether they work in the public or private sector, what their organization’s target audience is, the type of support they provide, and more.

BARRIERS AND CHALLENGES ON THE WAY

One thing we know from experience across the world is that when large groups of people move and enter into new communities with an important level of vulnerability, this situation often exposes or brings visibility to system failures that were already present, but now become urgent. The barriers that were most mentioned by respondents come from all levels. Lack of funding | Role of authorities | Mental health challenges | Workforce issues and lack of awareness | Prejudices and narratives

EMERGING OPPORTUNITIES

There are many forces pulling the changemakers both down and up. Exposing fragilities of the systems, showing need for policy changes and mindset shift, people on the move bring opportunities for changemaking for the good of all. Besides the obstacles, the respondents observe factors that help their work and, in a way, motivate them. Strong community | Sence of urgency for action | Untapped future potential | Good will | Positive narrative

KEY CONCLUSIONS

The report concludes with five key recommendations to strengthen the changemaking ecosystem in Europe for refugees and migrants.

There is a need for more leadership from underrepresented communities such as those with a migrant background, women, and youth. These leaders bring invaluable insights and resourcefulness, but often face additional barriers including funding challenges and isolation. Therefore, stakeholders must intentionally identify and support these leaders, potentially through dedicated funding mechanisms and diversity checks in organizational leadership structures
New resources are required urgently to support changemakers aiding refugees, particularly long-term financial support to sustain organizations and their leaders. A shift in focus from emergency relief to long-term investment is crucial, and funding must be accessible, flexible, and focused on key long-term topics such as migration narratives and community support.
There must be more connection spaces to foster significant personal and professional connections between changemakers and the communities they work in. This involves networking and co-creation opportunities, as well as deeper connections to overcome feelings of isolation.
The narratives surrounding migration need to change, focusing on contributions and hope rather than pity or compassion. This involves building empathy, countering propaganda, and celebrating success. Migrants need to be seen as the changemakers they are.
Pointing forward, organizations need to intentionally activate more changemakers and provide support to them and their organizations. This involves developing specific strategies to cultivate changemaking within organizations and communities, and dedicating resources and effort towards this.

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