Category: Latest News
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Celebrating the contribution of migrants: Championing business success and community engagement
If immigrants across the EU were as active in self-employment as 30-49 year old native-born men, there would be an additional 1.3 million self-employed immigrants (OCDE, The Missing Entrepreneurs 2023). Migrants indisputably contribute greatly to both their origin and their destination countries, yet they face heavy barriers to reach their full potential as entrepreneurs. Today…
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Building Inclusive Cities: Highlights from Bologna’s Integrating Cities Conference
Photo Credit: Eurocities ‘Bolognesi. Dal primo giorno’. (‘Bolognese. From the first day’). These are the words that welcome you to the city of Bologna, written boldly on a red banner at the front of the city hall.
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The diversity investment gap: Is Europe overlooking migrant entrepreneurs?
By Vanessa Cotterell Project Coordinator at UNITEE The European Union stands at a critical point in its economic and financial strategy, as it navigates the challenges and opportunities of the green and digital transitions, alongside a new political term for the European Commission and Parliament. Investment, competitiveness, and resilience have resurfaced as key policy buzzwords…
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We are going to the Integrating Cities Conference: Shaping Our Cities with Migrant and Local Communities
The power of municipalities in the integration of migrant communities is not to be undermined. But how can cities become more inclusive? This week, we are heading to Bologna, Italy, to attend the “11th Integrating Cities Conference: Shaping Our Cities with Migrant and Local Communities” , which is part of the UNITES (Urban Integration Strategies…
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Is the new Commission committed to inclusiveness?
The upcoming days will shape the next five years of the European Commission. Back in August, EU member states nominated their candidates for the next European Commission. Now, from 4-12 November, the Commissioners-designate who were assigned to various portfolios by President Von der Leyen will undergo hearings conducted by Members of the European Parliament. Let’s…
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Non-inclusivity is slowing down Europe’s economic growth, and this needs to change
As the world becomes more interconnected, diverse and interdependent, inclusivity is no longer just an ethical issue but an economic necessity. The cost of non-inclusivity – the failure to include marginalised groups in key aspects of society – results in significant losses in terms of economic productivity. Non-inclusivity comes at a high price for Europe’s…
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WTO Public Forum Wrap-up: To be more competitive, we must be more inclusive
For those passionate about inclusivity in business, last week’s WTO Public Forum was hard to miss. 4400 people gathered in Geneva, Switzerland to attend the 138 sessions organised by the WTO. This year’s was particularly significant for those working to make entrepreneurship more accessible, as one of the conference’s sub-themes was ‘Digitalisation as a catalyst…
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Entrepreneurs as a key to peace: how fragile states can benefit from inclusive entrepreneurship
Could entrepreneurs be the key to promoting peace in conflict-stricken areas? Let’s take a deep-dive into the recent study published by Seth D. Kaplan, a professor at John Hopkins University, and Adrian Magendzo, professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of Kentucky, which explores the impact entrepreneurship can have on peace processes in fragile states.…
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Three Refugee Entrepreneurship Success Stories in the EU
Many refugees in Europe face challenges in their journey to becoming entrepreneurs. Refugees often have limited access to capital due to a lack of credit history, face bureaucratic restrictions on starting work while waiting for their asylum application to be accepted, and language barriers that make communication and marketing difficult. To celebrate World Refugee Day,…
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Challenging Hate: A Conversation with Shada Islam
Brussels, June 18, 2024 – Europe has a problem with hate speech. People are increasingly comfortable voting for parties that actively use exclusionary and inflammatory rhetoric, from Islamophobia and anti-migrant messaging to threatening gains in reproductive and LGBTQI+ rights. Far-right and formerly fringe parties have steadily gained support. In countries including France and Belgium, these…