Stories of Change

EPIM sees Impact as the ecosystem’s collective progress towards catalysing the social changes we want to see and our progress towards our Vision, through our 4-Pillar approach. This is what we aim to measure through our Learning Framework.

We do so through questions around our levers of change, using those to listen and sensemake individually and collectively, identify significant patterns, and take actions to adapt and improve based on what we have learned.

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Rethinking Inclusion and Belonging in Central and Eastern Europe: A Conversation with Lisa Marie Veyhl, Robert Bosch Foundation

In Central and Eastern Europe, inclusion is inseparable from democracy—requiring networks of trust, shared civic life, and the meaningful participation of migrants. With a €500,000 grant to EPIM’s Building Inclusive Societies work, the Robert Bosch Foundation is investing in the region’s democratic and social infrastructure, rooted in local partnerships and relational networks. In this conversation, Lisa Veyhl reflects on why belonging must be reimagined as a democratic imperative, and how collaborative philanthropy can strengthen inclusive futures across CEE.
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Rethinking Strategy Through Systems Mapping: A Reflection on EPIM’s Migration Governance Grantmaking Process

Migration governance in Europe is complex, interconnected, and ever-changing. At EPIM, we launched the first collaborative systems mapping process on this topic to better understand the dynamics at play and identify where change is possible. The result is not just a systems map, but a new way of working, one that informs our grantmaking and guides action through our strategy.
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Belonging through Place and Encounter: The Horizon Project in France

Since 2022, the Horizon Project has been reimagining underused rural spaces to foster encounters between long-time residents and newcomers with refugee backgrounds. After lessons learned in Callac, the initiative has taken root in a new community, combining trust-building, discreet communication and locally anchored leadership. With small, everyday actions and the renovation of a former school as an anchor site, Horizon is weaving connections that strengthen inclusion and resilience over the long term.
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Why Transform? A Changing Migration and Philanthropic Landscape

In this piece for the Center for Effective Philanthropy, EPIM's co-directors Sophie Ngo-Diep and Hrishabh Sandilya and former chair Raphaela Schweiger share EPIM’s transformation story and what it means to reimagine collaborative philanthropy in today’s world.
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Belonging as the Antidote to Polarisation – EPIM’s Annual Report 2024

Our 2024 Annual Report highlights how our approach focused on strengthening the social fabric and creating spaces for meaningful dialogue, while our partners innovated, acted, and led from the frontlines. Explore the milestones, learnings, and collective efforts that shaped our work this year.
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Yvan Sagnet and Gianantonio Ricci on Combatting Exploitation, Creating Fair Jobs and Fostering a Regenerative Agrifood System for all

We spoke with Yvan Sagnet, Co-Founder of NO CAP, and Gianantonio Ricci, Projects Director at Giuste Terre (former Chico Mendes), about their joint work on the Spartacus project. Together, the two organisations are tackling the systemic exploitation of migrant workers in Italy’s agricultural sector by combining direct support to workers with a sustainable alternative to the existing agrifood system.
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Ahmad Wali Ahmad Yar on Systems Mapping as a Cognitive Tool for Engaging with European Migration Governance

We spoke with Ahmad Wali Ahmad Yar, Postdoctoral Researcher at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and president of the Umbrella Refugee Committee in Belgium, about his role in EPIM’s systems mapping process. Since March 2024, Wali has helped analyse migration governance systems in Europe and identify leverage points to inform EPIM’s cluster strategy. He shared insights on how the map can serve as a powerful tool to drive transformative change across the continent.
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Natallia Allen on How Civic Participation Helps Build a Stronger Democratic Society and What Strategies Can Work To Achieve This

We spoke with Natallia Allen, co-founder of MigAct, about advancing civil society and enabling meaningful civic participation, especially for marginalised communities. Drawing on her own migration journey, Natallia works to create inclusive spaces in Prague where all residents, whether of migration backgrounds or Czech-born, can actively engage in civic life. Since 2024, EPIM has supported MigAct’s development in collaboration with AMIGA.
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Christina Antonakos Wallace on Building Belonging Beyond Borders

We spoke with Christina Antonakos-Wallace, filmmaker, cultural organiser, and lifelong activist, about her work challenging exclusionary narratives of migration, race, and nationality. As founder of With Wings and Roots and part of the Building Belonging collaborative, she tells stories that illuminate our inherent belonging. In 2025, EPIM is supporting Belonging Beyond Borders: A Global Network, an initiative of With Wings and Roots for new visions of migration.
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