Civil Society

The Open Society Foundations committed USD $133.7 million to combat devastation in the wake of coronavirus, prioritizing funding through public-private partnerships to support city governments in both response and recovery.5 A substantial portion of the funding was for urban immigrant and undocumented families, low-wage workers, domestic workers, caregivers, and those in the informal and gig economies who are at greatest risk from the pandemic, including direct, one-time emergency relief payments to up to 20,000 immigrant families in New York City.

Justice for Wage Theft is a campaign platform created by Migrant Forum in Asia calling for measures to protect migrant workers who have been denied wages and repatriated as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The platform contains:

• policy briefs and other information about the situation
• curated news articles
• a petition that visitors can sign
• a submission form that visitors can use to alert Migrant Forum in Asia to cases of non-payment of wages, benefits and dues
• campaign posters

‘Safer Migration’ (SaMI) project (Helvetas Nepal, funded by Switzerland) is a joint skill-upgrade initiative to ensure decent work in countries of destination. It provides skill training, including life skills and health, and certification for prospective migrant workers (9000 have benefitted from this programme between 2011 and 2018 of which 22% of women). Collaboration between CSOs, private institutions, the Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT) and Foreign employment board (FEB)

Norka-Roots training programme for vulnerable women with ‘Trivandrum Social Service Society (TSSS) CSO, provides facilities and training for women from most vulnerable groups via grassroots CSO networks to foster employment in destination countries, and in particular in GCC countries.

In Italy, the System for the Protection of Refugees and Unaccompanied Minors (SIPROMI) is a publicly funded network of local authorities and NGOs, which accommodates unaccompanied children and provides them access to the Italian social protection system, including legal support, legal guardianship, access to health, including psychological counselling, access to Italian language classes and to mainstream education programmes. In some contexts, opportunities for vocational training and job opportunities through partnerships with social cooperatives and the private sector.

As individuals and organizations in localities across the globe mobilize to support those displaced by war, conflict, and climate disasters, meeting immediate needs of migrants and refugees is critical. At the same time, building the infrastructure needed to support and engage migrants and broader communities in the long term is essential to ensure strong life outcomes beyond the initial welcoming period.

The pilot phase of MSDG was implemented from  August 2017 to December 2018, during which a Gambian Diaspora Strategy (GDS) was developed and incorporated in the Gambia National Development Plan (NDP 2018-21).

Founded in 1995, Youth Alliance has provided a healing space and given a platform to individuals who are most impacted by social inequities and harmful societal narratives. 

It aims to create opportunities and space for youth and families to be heard, engage, thrive, and lead. This youth-led programming empowers young people to work alongside their peers, families, and elders to create thriving communities and become leaders in their communities, and to effect change.

In response to the current crisis in Sudan, the consulting and research organization Shabaka runs the Sudan Crisis Coordination Unit to facilitate the coordination of resources and efforts among various groups and networks, including diaspora organizations, humanitarian aid agencies, local civil society organizations and government agencies to ensure an efficient response to the crisis and maximize the impact of available resources.