Center for International Stabilization and Recovery: Global Humanitarian Week

Banking on Belonging: Why Investing in Refugee Entrepreneurs Benefits Everyone

Join JMU's Center for International Stabilization and Recovery on March 30 at 5pm in Zane Showker Hall 1112 as we welcome Dr. Christine Mahoney, Associate Professor of Public Policy & Politics at the University of Virginia as she discusses her new book, Banking on Belonging: Why Investing in Refugee Entrepreneurs Benefits Everyone. 

In the face of humanitarian aid collapse, a new movement is advancing solutions. 2025 marked massive declines in global humanitarian aid, driven by cuts in U.S. and global aid. This contraction comes as global wars drive displacement numbers over 100 million. In the face of extensive human suffering and a collapsing humanitarian aid system, new change makers have emerged: entrepreneurs, impact investors, and creative policymakers are developing new solutions to support refugees and the communities hosting them. This talk will highlight successful stories of private sector strategies to support those fleeing violence while building economies of belonging.