Beyond Borders Applications – First Deadline July 29th

Applications for Beyond Borders, the core program of RADIUS’ Refugee Livelihood Lab, are now CLOSED.

What is Beyond Borders?

Beyond Borders is an applied learning experience of 11 full days over the course of five months for change-makers, new and experienced leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs who are passionate about breaking through boundaries to create practical solutions for refugee livelihoods.

Participants will radically reimagine what is possible, designing social businesses or projects that enhance refugee communities’ social and economic inclusion in Surrey, BC.

The underlying question participants are working to answer is this: how might we go Beyond Borders in current approaches to co-create pathways by which refugee communities can move from survival to meaningful livelihoods?

We invite people with different experiences and perspectives to apply, including people with lived experience as refugees and other racialized newcomers who are:

  • leaders
  • entrepreneurs
  • academics
  • students
  • settlement workers (both frontline and / or management)
  • advocates
  • policy makers
  • employers and business service leaders; and
  • and others who see refugee economic and social inclusion as central to their work

Can you answer YES to these questions?

  • Do you have a passion for addressing challenges such as credential recognition, English language barriers, discrimination, poverty and social/economic exclusion of refugee communities?
  • Do you have ideas about refugee communities’ social/economic inclusion that you want to put in action but have not yet found a way?
  • Do you believe in the value of collaboration with the people most affected by these issues AND people with access to institutional power?
  • Are you willing to invest in your personal leadership and growth?
  • Are you able to commit a minimum of 11 days over five months to this process? (scholarships and income replacement are available as needed)
Participants will receive support and training in systems thinking, user-centred design, ideation and prototyping in order to co-create new ventures. Together we will:
  • Critically Map the existing system, sensing and exploring with new tools, new eyes
  • Re-imagine refugee social and economic inclusion in Surrey beyond survival, transforming limiting structures towards a life of meaning
  • Break down boundaries between people with access to institutional power and people with the power of lived experience being a refugee
  • Address challenges which may include credential recognition, poverty, trauma, English acquisition, transportation, reactive funding cycles & systemic discrimination
  • Draw on opportunities including a growing refugee youth population who believe they can make a difference, cultural pride and identity, existing skills, desire to contribute, and expanding markets in Surrey.
  • Go beyond what is known, cope with the uncertainty, let wise solutions emerge, and then act fast to put practical initiatives on the ground
  • Build your networks and transformative learning with a powerful group of people.
  • Develop project designs and business models which will provide deeper insight to the current problems and solutions.
  • Engage with organizational leaders, communities and policy makers who want to affect systemic change.
  • Actively lead and contribute to an area of personal passion.
The total commitment for the Beyond Borders program is 11 days between September and January. Beginning in March, participants will have an opportunity to extend their work to further develop and test social ventures developed in Beyond Borders.

Retreat dates are:

  • September 16-18
  • October 4-5
  • November 1-2
  • December 6-7
  • January 17th-18th
  • March-June 3 hours/week (optional) – to be announced.

Beyond Borders will be facilitated in English with interpretation supports as required. There will be a participation fee for those who have institutional support, and a scholarship program available.