Refugee and Forced Displacement Initiative (RAFDI)

The Refugee and Forced Displacement Initiative (RAFDI) provides evidence-based analyses that translate research into practice and policy impact. RAFDI seeks to expand the space for new perspectives, constructive dialogue, and sustainable solutions to inform policies and practices. Through public and private convenings, published research and analysis, and engagement with expert working groups, the Initiative aims to improve policy and programmatic approaches that privilege refugee agency, lived experience, refugee livelihoods and self-reliance, host-country integration, and the role of faith in global responses.

Challenge

As conflict-induced forced displacement continues to increase in scope, scale, and complexity, the need for sustainable solutions and innovative ways to support refugees and host countries has never been greater or more urgent. Of the more than 123 million people forcibly displaced from their homes due to persecution, armed conflict, violence, or human-rights violations, nearly 37 million are refugees.

The forced displacement crisis tests the core values that underpin international cooperation. The global humanitarian system is at a breaking point as resources required by host countries to meet the growing needs of refugees and other displaced people have not kept up. Increased competition among nations and heightened geopolitical tensions risk the erosion of multilateral response. Misinformation and disinformation exacerbate negative narratives that shrink the space for constructive dialogue. Moreover, lack of well-sourced data hampers the ability of policymakers and practitioners to make sound decisions and find sustainable solutions.

Approach and Focus

Drawing from a human development approach that puts people at the center of analysis, RAFDI is expanding the space for new perspectives and constructive dialogues that are informed by the lived experience and agency of people affected the most. It aspires to be a go-to forum for evidence-based analysis translating research into practice and impact. RAFDI dives deep into the complexities of the plight of forcibly displaced people from and within the Global South and their implications for the global community, focusing on protracted refugee situations, regional trends analysis, the policy environment in host countries, and the role of faith in refugee resilience as well as its intersection with forced displacement in general.