On June 4, 2026 leaders from academia, government, civil society, and international organizations gathered in Berlin for the official launch of the Joint Initiative on Migration, a new partnership between the Centre for Fundamental Rights at the Hertie School and The Gere Foundation.
The initiative was created with an ambitious objective: to deepen our understanding of the root causes of migration and displacement and contribute to more effective, sustainable, and human-centered responses to one of the defining challenges of our time.
The launch event featured remarks from Richard Gere, Founder and Co-Chair of The Gere Foundation, and Reem Alabali Radovan, Germany’s Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, alongside leading experts working at the intersection of migration, public policy, human rights, and international cooperation.
For The Gere Foundation, the initiative represents an important step in its ongoing commitment to human dignity, social justice, and building bridges between communities, institutions, and nations.
Looking Beyond Borders
Migration is often discussed through the lens of borders, security, and crisis management.
The Joint Initiative on Migration seeks to broaden that conversation.
Instead of focusing solely on migration flows, the initiative explores the interconnected political, economic, social, environmental, and humanitarian factors that influence why people are forced to leave their homes and seek a new life elsewhere.
Conflict, inequality, governance challenges, environmental degradation, , lack of economic opportunity, and human rights violations all play a role in shaping migration patterns. Yet these underlying causes are too often overlooked in public debates and policies, focused primarily on managing consequences rather than understanding origins and shaping solutions based on fixing root causes.
Through research, policy development, strategic dialogues, leadership training, and practical implementation, the initiative aims to connect knowledge with action and foster new approaches to migration governance.
At its heart lies a simple conviction:
To address migration effectively, we must first understand its causes.
Richard Gere: A Human Story Before a Political One
Throughout more than four decades of humanitarian work and advocacy, Richard Gere has consistently championed causes rooted in human dignity, compassion, and justice.
For him, migration is not simply a political issue or a policy challenge.
It is, first and foremost, a human story.
Speaking at the launch in Berlin, Gere stressed the importance of moving beyond fear, division, and simplistic narratives in order to engage with migration in all its complexity.
His reflections echoed a principle he has defended throughout many years of activism:
“People are not asking for special treatment. They ask for dignity.”
That idea lies at the very foundation of the Joint Initiative on Migration.
Whether people are forced to leave their homes because of conflict, persecution, environmental pressures, or economic hardship, every migration journey begins with a deeply human aspiration: the search for safety, opportunity, and a better future.
Gere also reminded participants that history repeatedly demonstrates the resilience of individuals and communities when faced with adversity:
“History teaches us that cultures survive because people refuse to surrender.”
That resilience can be found in migration stories around the world today—stories of courage, adaptation, hope, and determination.
For The Gere Foundation, understanding those stories is an essential first step toward creating meaningful and lasting solutions.
From Research to Action
Hosted by the Hertie School’s Centre for Fundamental Rights, the initiative has been designed as a platform for collaboration.
Its work will bring together academics, policymakers, international organizations, civil society leaders, and emerging changemakers to better understand migration and develop innovative responses to its challenges.
The initiative will focus on:
- Understanding the deep causes of migration and displacement.
- Exploring the relationship between migration, development, and governance.
- Promoting evidence-based policymaking.
- Strengthening dialogue between sectors and regions.
- Building international networks of cooperation.
- Supporting future leaders committed to humane and sustainable solutions.
This multidisciplinary approach reflects a growing recognition that migration cannot be addressed through isolated measures or short-term thinking approaches.
Lasting progress requires cooperation, knowledge, innovation, and leadership.
The Courage to Rethink the Future
One of the central themes of the launch was the need for new forms of leadership.
The Joint Initiative on Migration was created on the belief that today’s migration challenges require no reactive policies, but rather long-term vision and the courage to rethink established assumptions.
As Richard Gere has often emphasized in his lifelong public advocacy, meaningful progress begins when people are willing to engage, collaborate, and stand up for shared values.
Reflecting on decades of work defending human rights and vulnerable communities, he reminded audiences that change depends on people choosing to act rather than remaining as passive observers.
That spirit is reflected throughout the initiative itself: a commitment to bringing together different voices, disciplines, and perspectives in pursuit of solutions that are both practical and deeply human, rooted in compassion and a genuine sense of responsibility towards oneself and the others..
A Shared Commitment to Human Dignity
The Joint Initiative on Migration marks the beginning of a long-term collaboration between The Gere Foundation and the Hertie School.
Together, both institutions share a commitment to advancing research, encouraging dialogue, and helping shape migration policies that are more effective, more sustainable, and more deeply rooted in human dignity.
At a time when migration is increasingly framed as a challenge to be contained, the initiative offers a different perspective: one grounded in understanding, responsibility, and shared humanity.
Because behind every migration story there are lives, aspirations, challenges, and hopes for a better future.
Because migration is not a crisis to manage. It is a shared human reality to understand.
And because, ultimately,
We Are All In This Together.
