Forced migration is a multilevel wicked problem, containing humanitarian, geo-political, financial, governance and many other aspects. In this paper we address in which way and under which circumstances local initiatives can... [ view full abstract ]
Forced migration is a multilevel wicked problem, containing humanitarian, geo-political, financial, governance and many other aspects. In this paper we address in which way and under which circumstances local initiatives can become a starting point in tackling this global wicked issue.
In the contemporary response to refugees arriving in European countries we perceive two opposing trends.
First we find a very loud political and media debate. On the one hand a lot of resistance is voiced against the acceptance and integration of refugees in local, national and European societies. Three clusters of arguments dominate: those on economic, social-cultural/identity, and security aspects. On the other hand arguments are brought forward which are based on human rights and caring for individual refugees. It seems that this political and media debate is stuck. Both sides keep on talking and debating and repeating their points of view amounting to a ‘dialogue of the deaf’.
All over Europe the other trend in the responses to refugees arriving has been very different, more pragmatic and fruitful: we see a lot of local initiatives and experiments to welcome refugees and assist them in the integration process. Instead of talking and debating, the way forward in this trend seems acting: collaborative innovation to make things happen on a local level and see how far this gets us. These projects are initiated and organised by small local groups of citizens, often co-producing with formal civil society organisations, social entreprises, business and local government, especially mayors. Local government often facilitates, co-ordinates and/or funds these initiatives. At this local level it seems to work just fine.
In this paper we will explore what is the role of these local initiatives in developing a more ethical and sustainable European/international answer to the multilevel wicked problem of forced migration. In order to take the 'next step' in the refugee domain, two related issues seems to be in need of clarification and development:
1. How can these local initiatives become sustainable and scaled: how can they learn from each other, how can systematic links between local initiatives be established at the international level, how can they get sustainable funding?
2 what type of governance could be feasible to facilitate this process, given the fact that there is no government at the European/international level? So, in which way can multilevel wicked problems be addressed in an institutional void?
We answer these questions by building upon recent work we did on this topic (Geuijen, Moore, Cederquist, Ronning, Van Twist 2016; Noordegraaf, Douglas, Geuijen 2016). To do this we utilize insights form the literature on collaborative innovation (e.g. Sorensen & Torfing), network governance (e.g. Ansell & Gash 2007), public value management (e.g. Moore 2013) and political philosophy (e.g. Barber 2013, Dryzek 2006, Fung 2013).
In this way we add to the field of studying wicked problems a focus on multilevel wicked problems including the international level, while studies until now have mostly focused on wicked problems in local or national governance.
