Cohere

Everyone has a right to a future on their own terms, especially refugees 👊

[Cohere @WeAreCohere_Org]

🟡 Join the Next Gathering Point for Sudan and South Sudan

📅 Wednesday 29th July

🕐 4PM East Africa | 3PM Sudan (CAT) | 2PM UK | 9AM New York

Join us for the Gathering Point on Sudan and South Sudan, featuring frontline updates from two key grassroots partners: Roots of Generation (ROG) and Charity Youth Organisation (CYO).

Roots of Generation will share updates from the South Sudan–Uganda–Kenya border region, where massive displacement is severely straining host communities. Returning families are finding their homes destroyed and land occupied, leaving thousands of children out of school. They will highlight urgent protection risks across the border, including trafficking attempts, intercommunal violence, and displacement caused by flooding and border disputes.

Charity Youth Organisation will report from El Geneina, West Darfur, where hundreds of displaced families are sheltering in overcrowded local schools after fleeing intense fighting. Facing critical shortages of food, safe water, and medicine, CYO will share how local teams are responding as aid blockades, funding shortfalls, and ongoing conflict make community-led response a vital lifeline.

🔗 Register: https://t.co/Q1tyTJ31jJ

✨ Support: https://t.co/lD0UKWLaLD
#Solidarity #Sudan #GatheringPoints #StandWithSudan #Cohere

[Cohere @WeAreCohere_Org]

What’s the biggest barrier to equitable partnerships in humanitarian aid? It’s not a lack of frameworks—it’s mindset. 💡

In ep 9 of Are We All Listening?, Cohere's CEO Edmund Page & Same Skies Co-founder Julia Frei unpack what true partnership with RLOs looks like.

🎧 Listen: https://t.co/SnmuGuTVuN

[Cohere @WeAreCohere_Org]

A month ago, we launched What If We Told You… - a campaign bringing together the voices of refugee leaders from across East Africa to challenge assumptions about aid, agency, and who gets to lead change.

Behind the campaign sits a much longer story. In this blog, Cohere's Brand & Communications Director, Chrissie Thompson, reflects on ten years of working alongside refugee-led organisations, and how years of listening, learning, and building trusted relationships shaped the ideas behind What If We Told You…
"Listening is not the same as sharing power, and consultation is not the same as leadership."

If you haven't had the chance to read it yet, we'd love to hear your thoughts.

🔗 https://t.co/qJQrFzGzXT

Start with trust.

#WhatIfWeToldYou #RefugeeLeadership #Agency #RefugeeLed

[Cohere @WeAreCohere_Org]

𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗜𝗙 𝗪𝗘 𝗧𝗢𝗟𝗗 𝗬𝗢𝗨...
"𝗪𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗱 – 𝘄𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱."
George Dralagar is a leader at Youth Voices Community - YVC, a refugee-led organisation based in Nairobi, Kenya.
In this video, George explains why meaningful participation goes beyond being consulted.
"We lead from the front. We want direct funding to come to us, not to sit around the table where we'll engage in tokenistic conversations. We want to lead because of sustainability, because we aspire to be integrated in our ecosystem where we'll not leave our community but promptly respond to our community's needs wherever possible."
What If We Told You… shares the perspectives of refugee leaders challenging assumptions about aid, agency, and who gets to lead change.
Start with trust.
#WhatIfWeToldYou #RefugeeLeadership #Agency #RefugeeLed

[Cohere @WeAreCohere_Org]

𝗜𝗻 𝗲𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝟵 𝗼𝗳 𝘼𝙧𝙚 𝙒𝙚 𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙇𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜?, Edmund Page speaks with Same Skies co-founder Julia Frei about the origins of their work alongside refugee-led organisations in Southeast Asia and Africa, and the lessons both organisations have learned from over a decade of partnership with refugee leaders.

Drawing on two decades of experience the conversation explores agency, trust-based relationships, refugee leadership, philanthropy, power, scale, impact measurement and the future of humanitarian action. Julia reflects on how Same Skies emerged from Australia's offshore detention regime, why the organisation chose to work alongside refugee-led initiatives from the outset, and what it means to build partnerships based on mutual learning rather than control.

The discussion also examines how funding can both strengthen and distort relationships, the limitations of traditional aid models, the role of ally organisations, and why trust, empathy and human relationships may become even more important in an age of artificial intelligence.

A thoughtful conversation about what humanitarian action might look like if it placed agency, inclusion and relationships at its centre.
Listen to episode 9 here: https://t.co/SnmuGuTVuN

[Cohere @WeAreCohere_Org]

WHAT IF WE TOLD YOU...
"We need your trust more than your money."
Racheal Nyibol is the founder of Refugee Mental Health Network, a refugee-led organisation based in Kampala, Uganda.
She explains why trust—not donor demands—is key to serving her community.
Start with trust.

[Cohere @WeAreCohere_Org]

🟡 𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗚𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗴𝗲𝗲-𝗟𝗲𝗱 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗧𝗢𝗗𝗔𝗬 (𝗪𝗲𝗱, 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝟭𝟱) 𝗮𝘁 𝟭𝗣𝗠 𝗨𝗞 | 𝟮𝗣𝗠 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗚𝗢 | 𝟯𝗣𝗠 𝗘𝗔𝗧!

Mental health is key to learning, yet displaced students face immense trauma. We’re diving into community-led mental health & psychosocial support with insights from:

1.Bright YEACE Foundation

2.GEESI Development & Humanitarian Initiative

3.Planning for Tomorrow

Come share your experiences in our open discussion. All are welcome!

📍 Zoom

🎟️ Register: https://t.co/HgJRgOAYoP

[Cohere @WeAreCohere_Org]

WHAT IF WE TOLD YOU...
"When we lead, change actually lasts."

Paul Kithima is the leader of Bondeko Refugee Livelihoods Center, a refugee-led organisation based in Kampala, Uganda.

In this video, Paul explains why lasting change starts with the people closest to the challenges.
"Every time solutions are being designed, being ideated within the communities that are facing that, that's where the right solution can be found and the impact will last."

What If We Told You… shares the perspectives of refugee leaders challenging assumptions about aid, agency, and who gets to lead change.

Start with trust.

[Cohere @WeAreCohere_Org]

🟡Join the Climate Resilience Gathering
📅Monday 13th July
🕐 1PM UK | 3PM East Africa
🌍 All are welcome — wherever you are in the world.

How do the communities hit hardest by climate change respond? They lead. Join the Climate Resilience Gathering tomorrow as we spotlight Spirit of Peace and Solidarity (SPS), a refugee-led organisation in Rwanda's Mahama Camp. Facing severe dry seasons and soil degradation, the SPS team is turning challenges into opportunities.

Hear firsthand how they restore soil via organic farming, transform waste into livelihoods, and secure food through smart kitchen gardens and greenhouse farming.

Register here: https://t.co/SXt3mwGYSW

[Cohere @WeAreCohere_Org]

Over the past month, we’ve shared some of the voices behind What If We Told You…
Refugee leaders have spoken about trust, expertise, agency, and leadership. They have challenged assumptions about what humanitarianism looks like, and who gets to shape it.

This film brings those voices together.
Because these messages are about more than aid. They are about recognising the agency, dignity, and leadership that already exists within refugee communities.

The future of humanitarianism isn’t more aid. It’s more agency.

Start with trust.

[Cohere @WeAreCohere_Org]

WHAT IF WE TOLD YOU...
"We are the experts of our own lives."

Sandra Ndayishimiye, founder of WOPEDE, explains why refugee communities should be trusted not only to identify challenges, but to shape the solutions.

"They have the vision of what their future looks like. Therefore, when we take charge with them, to be part of the solution, we have a great way to succeed."

What If We Told You… shares the perspectives of refugee leaders challenging assumptions about aid, agency, and who gets to lead change.

Start with trust.

[Cohere @WeAreCohere_Org]

WHAT IF WE TOLD YOU...
"We don't want to be included – we want to lead."

George Dralagar of Youth Voices Community challenges how we think about inclusion. Meaningful participation means letting refugee leaders shape decisions from the outset.

Start with trust.
#WhatIfWeToldYou #RefugeeLeadership

[Cohere @WeAreCohere_Org]

Join the Congo Gathering Point tomorrow at 3pm EAT. Stand in solidarity with eastern DRC as local partners brief us on the dual humanitarian crises of the Ebola outbreak and escalating violence in Fizi. 🌍👇

https://t.co/vjX4k568NF

[Cohere @WeAreCohere_Org]

🟡Join the Aggregation Gathering Point!

Legacy systems are strained, but refugee-led networks are stepping up to reinvent community protection. Join us to explore the power of grassroots networks.

📅 Thursday, July 9
🕐 15:00 EAT | 13:00 CET | 12:00 UTC

Speaker: Masooma Ramazan (APNOR)
🔗Register: https://t.co/FxBJpY0Zpn

[Cohere @WeAreCohere_Org]

WHAT IF WE Told YOU... "We are the experts of our own lives."
Sandra Ndayishimiye is the co-founder of WOPEDE, a refugee-led org in Kenya. Led by refugee women, WOPEDE empowers their community through skills training, mental health support, and peacebuilding—helping women become self-reliant and lead lasting change.

Sandra’s message reminds us that true expertise comes from lived experience and deep community knowledge, not just certifications. It’s time to challenge assumptions about aid, agency, and who gets to lead.

Start with trust.

[Cohere @WeAreCohere_Org]

WHAT IF WE TOLD YOU... “You don’t know what’s best for us.”
Chichi Dawla, founder of Kandaakiat in Uganda, explains why true impact fails without refugee-led planning. For meaningful change, we must involve refugee leaders from day one.

Start with trust. 👇

[Cohere @WeAreCohere_Org]

WHAT IF WE TOLD YOU...

​"Being 'helped' can still mean being controlled."

​Vestine Ihimbazwe, founder of Vestine Leila Network, shares why meaningful support means trusting communities to define their own priorities.

​Stop assuming, start trusting. 🙌🤝

​#WhatIfWeToldYou #RefugeeLeadership #Agency #RefugeeLed

[Cohere @WeAreCohere_Org]

"Refugees are no longer playing a role of service recipient, but they are now covering some gaps..."

In the latest Are We All Listening?, Tomorrow Vijana highlights a critical tension: refugees are driving local economies and solving community challenges, yet they still lack basic land ownership rights.

Listen to the full episode on why true integration requires supporting refugee leadership, not just temporary aid.

Listen to the episode here: https://t.co/aYtHf2G8MD

[Refugee Coalition for Climate Action (RCCA) @RCCA_Youth]

A refugee journey does not end with resettlement. In many ways, it opens another chapter of responsibility.

We are proud of our co-founder, Adelaide Nifasha, who was recently in Washington, D.C., from 8 to 10 June 2026, where she joined other refugee and asylum-seeker leaders to share lived experiences and speak about issues affecting displaced communities.

Before her resettlement to the United States, Adelaide was part of building @RCCA_Youth from Tongogara Refugee Settlement in Zimbabwe. Her leadership contributed to our work in climate action and environmental protection and gender equity.

Seeing her continue this work after resettlement reminds us that refugees carry leadership with them. Displacement does not take away ability. For many, it builds courage, purpose and a deeper sense of service.

For @RCCA_Youth, Adelaide’s story means a lot. It shows that refugee-led work can begin in a settlement, grow through community action and continue across borders. When refugees are given space to lead, they speak from experience and help open doors for others still waiting for safety, dignity and opportunity.

We celebrate Adelaide’s growth, her voice and her continued commitment to the communities she comes from and the communities she now serves.