The unprecedented flows of migrants approaching Europe was (and still is) confronting the European Union and its Member States with a series of complex challenges. It raises fundamental questions about the social and cultural fabric of European societies. Ingenuity, vision, as well as political will and an efficient use of resources are required if we are to find ways to deal with this on going, unabated crisis.
In April 2016, there had been no systematic effort to understand why some approaches were working and why some were not was missing. So in April 2016, through our Social Innovation Europe project, we hosted a 2 day gathering bringing together policymakers, foundations, academics, social entrepreneurs, and local communities. We did this in order to showcase some of the most innovative projects that had the potential to contribute improving the long term, sustainable integration of migrants in communities across Europe and to prompt a cross sector discussion on innovative ways to tackle this urgent and immense challenge. Leading specialists who joined us for the event included global design expert Ezio Manzini,who shared his recent research on the contribution of design in reframing migration, and Rosario Sapienza from Impact Hub Siracusa.
Insights
·Ezio Manzini (DESIS Network) on Reframing Migration – The Contribution of Design
Rozario Sapienza (Impact Hub Siracusa) on Context and Complexity – Mediterranean Perspective
