Since 1970, the number of people living in a country other than where they were born has tripled.
Whether seeking better opportunity or fleeing natural disaster, conflict, or climate change, migrants usually face a host of challenges — in their new home, the home they left behind, and in the journey along the way. Time and time again, they’ve responded to those challenges with innovative solutions that change society for the better. It’s no wonder that when migration to Europe trended upward, entrepreneurialism in the region skyrocketed.
Yet too often, migrants are not seen as changemakers, but as people to be helped. How do we shift the narrative? And how can people from different backgrounds break barriers together? Ashoka’s Maria Merola spoke with four leaders: Alejandro Daly, Analsabel Valarino, Sergio Saravia, and Mariana Brilhante. Watch the full session here. Here are our highlights.
Owning the narrative
In this conversation, three of the four speakers come from migrant backgrounds themselves. In settings like conferences, that’s often not the case, Ashoka’s Kenny Clewett pointed out. He reflected on a past experience when he scanned the seats in a room full of 200+ people working on migration issues, and spotted only 5 people who were migrants.
In contrast, Alejandro’s work to measure and combat xenophobia is rooted in his organization’s identity as an organization of young migrants claiming their rightful seat at the table. Hear how they’ve mobilized 100,000 people:
Breaking through with stories
Through SPEAK, Mariana is putting locals and newcomers together for cultural and language exchange. The magic happens through relationship: People get to know the other person and their story, and even start changing each other’s lives.
As migrants, says Mariana, “the story is very close to us.” Her goal: “We need to make the story close to everyone.”
For evidence of empowerment, just look at how the movement is spreading. Mariana points out that over half of SPEAK chapters are started by migrants themselves, eager to make an impact in their new cities.
Leveraging symbols
We tend to talk about stories more than symbols. But Alejandro offers examples proving that a symbol can encompass a thousand words. Hear about when his team partnered to station 500 shoes from Venezuelan walkers in Bogata’s main square — a statement to the government:
Technology, too, can be a tool to shift narratives for good, he says — but we must also learn to recognize and report the hate:
Solving cross-border challenges
The son of a migrant, Sergio Saravia couldn’t believe that migrants still had to spend valuable time and effort traveling to send money in the digital age. He and his team developed Remitee, a cross-border payment platform whose cutting-edge technology helps millions of Latin Americans, most of them unbanked, send money to be collected within minutes and instantly pay for things like utility bills or prepaid mobile phones. Determined to create this solution, he started with passion rather than a plan:
Opening entrepreneurship to everyone
Entrepreneurship can be the path to a better life, as AnaIsabel often sees in her work with women. Working with migrants in Peru, she’s focused on the women who are often underestimated and left behind when the men in their lives migrate. With entrepreneurial training and guidance, she’s seeing women become established and support one another along the way.
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About the Ashoka Changemaker Summit
The Changemaker Summit “A New Togetherness” is Ashoka’s yearly global gathering. It connects a vast community of social innovators and leaders from business and philanthropy to celebrate inspiring solutions, learn, and collaborate towards systemic change. Tune in every Thursday through December for conversations on Planet and Climate, Equity, and more. The culminating event on December 2 will be hosted in Turin, Italy. More information at https://acms.ashoka.org/
