This archive report was first published on 17 December 2019.
On December 16, 2019, a group of major companies made significant pledges to support refugees in accessing education and employment. The companies, including Ikea, Lego, and Vodafone, made the commitments ahead of a global conference aimed at supporting the millions of people forced from their homelands.
According to the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR), the companies pledged a total of $250 million toward education and training in jobs and entrepreneurship to aid refugees in becoming more self-sufficient. Ikea, in particular, pledged to support 2,500 refugees through job training and language skills in 30 countries by 2022, backed by a five-year commitment of 100 million euros ($111.5 million U.S.).
“I think we owe the refugees today to make sure that the narrative throughout the whole world becomes a positive narrative. It is good business to do good,” said Tolga Oncu, retail manager at Ingka, which owns most of Ikea’s stores.
Other companies, including Vodafone and Lego, also made significant pledges. Vodafone expanded its digital education programme, which brings online teaching tools into refugee camps in east Africa, and aims to reach 500,000 young refugees by 2025. Lego pledged $100 million toward play-based learning tools for children displaced by crises in Africa in cooperation with the International Rescue Committee.
The drive was aided by actors Cate Blanchett and Ben Stiller, who appeared in a social media campaign that highlighted stories of successful refugees.
