A Letter From the Refugee Self-Reliance Initiative’s Executive Director
Dear Members and Friends of the RSRI,
With deep appreciation and bittersweet emotions, I am writing to share that I will be transitioning out of my role as Executive Director of the Refugee Self-Reliance Initiative (RSRI) at the end of this month.
As I pivot to a new professional chapter responding to humanitarian and self-reliance needs in my local community, I can’t help but feel proud of the incredible work the RSRI has accomplished to help refugees become self-reliant and achieve a better quality of life across the globe.
Reflecting on my past three years with the RSRI, I am grateful to have worked closely with a fantastic team and global network of stakeholders committed to transforming the humanitarian sector toward approaches that build the self-reliance of refugees, other forcibly displaced populations, and the communities that host them. I strongly believe in the focus the RSRI has put on centering the dignity, self-determination, and wisdom of people grappling with the impacts of forced displacement in seeking sustainable solutions.
Since I was hired as the RSRI’s first Executive Director in 2022, we have reached numerous milestones and achievements as a global network. Together, we have reached over 2.5 million people with programming that puts them on a path to self-reliance.
RSRI Executive Director Kari Diener moderates a panel at the 2024 IRC Re:BUiLD Research & Policy Symposium in Nairobi, Kenya.
Some additional highlights include:
→ The RSRI Community of Practice (CoP): The rapid expansion of our CoP has resulted in a diverse global network of 350+ partners, NGOs, refugee-led and community-based organizations, host and donor governments, funders, academics, think tanks, UN agencies, and other multilateral actors engaged in supporting refugee self-reliance through their work.
Together with a team of facilitators and technical consultants, we’ve launched multiple technical working groups (TWGs), including the RSRI Research CoP, the RSRI Market Systems Development (MSD) TWG, the RSRI Climate Risks and Self-Reliance TWG, and the RSRI Refugee Leadership & Refugee-Led Organization (RLO) Engagement TWG.
This year, the RSRI also launched the RSRI Hub, a virtual convening space for members of the RSRI CoP to connect, share resources, and exchange ideas and opportunities across borders. Today, over 180 individual CoP members have joined this growing online community.
→ The Multistakeholder Pledge on Economic Inclusion and Social Protection (EISP): As co-conveners of the groundbreaking EISP Pledge launched at the 2023 Global Refugee Forum, the RSRI led 280 organizations, including 88 states and regional bodies, to pledge over $1 billion USD to improve self-reliance programming and policies.
Jean-Marie Ishimwe (R-SEAT), Kari Diener (RSRI), Simar Singh (RefugePoint), and Mary Wangui (RefugePoint) at the 2023 RLO Learning Exchange in Nairobi, Kenya.
→ The Self-Reliance Index (SRI): With the first-ever global tool for measuring the progress of refugee households toward self-reliance, the RSRI has changed how practitioners across the globe support refugees. Today, over 70 agencies in 34 countries have used the SRI to assess over 20,000 households, targeting populations for assistance, highlighting service gaps, understanding which program models are effective, and informing funding priorities.
→ Refugee Leadership: The RSRI has supported a network of refugee leaders and Refugee-Led Organizations (RLOs) across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East to advance self-reliance opportunities in their communities. Through convenings in Kenya, Uganda, and Ethiopia, a partnership with the Refugee-Led Research Hub (RLRH), and the launch of the RLO-Led Insights Fund, the RSRI has embraced and elevated key learnings from refugee leaders.
→ Donor Working Group on Self-Reliance: Launched in collaboration with the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation and the US State Department Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, the Donor Working Group on Self-Reliance brings together 20 foundations, governments and multilateral development banks to galvanize global support for self-reliance opportunities for refugees, other forcibly displaced and stateless people, and host communities.
RSRI Executive Director Kari Diener announces the launch of the Multistakeholder Pledge on Economic Inclusion and Social Protection (EISP) at the 2023 Global Refugee Forum (GRF) in Geneva, Switzerland.
→ Research and the RSRI Resource Database: The RSRI has been tackling the critical need for a stronger body of research surrounding refugee self-reliance and the policies and programs that support it by reviewing and summarizing the existing research, highlighting key gaps, conducting our own research, providing a platform for others to share their research through the CoP, and compiling relevant research in an RSRI-hosted online database, which now includes over 230 resources from a wide array of authors, countries, and publishers.
Looking back on what we’ve already achieved together and thinking about the possibilities that lie ahead makes me excited about the future. Collectively, we have built a strong foundation for the RSRI’s next stage of development and impact, and I look forward to seeing it evolve.
As a network, we intend to continue building on the achievements outlined above and expanding our reach in more regions, including Latin America and the Asia-Pacific. We will continue to deepen our partnerships with Steering Committee members and other organizations across the sector. We also plan to formally launch protocols for becoming an RSRI Network Partner, an integral part of our global community committed to achieving our shared vision of a world where refugees have the social and economic abilities to meet their needs in a sustainable manner and live with dignity.
The RSRI team in Naivasha, Kenya, 2025. From left: Ned Meerdink, Shelby Quackenbush, Alli Gillespie, and Kari Diener.
In a world of increasing displacement and decreasing humanitarian funding, I want to thank you for supporting the RSRI and the incredible work of our partners and co-founders, RefugePoint and the Women’s Refugee Commission. As our five-year strategy outlines, the RSRI is in a strong position to transform how the world responds to refugees and other forcibly displaced populations. It has been my great honor to help lead this network in creating the innovative and collaborative solutions needed to shift the humanitarian response paradigm and build a stronger future for refugees and other forcibly displaced people.
I invite you to stay in touch with the RSRI as we embark on this transition by signing up for our newsletter, joining our Community of Practice and the RSRI Hub, and following us on social media (Instagram, LinkedIn, X, and Bluesky).
The RSRI's critical work continues to evolve, and I know we all look forward to seeing what the future holds for the network in its next iteration.
With Gratitude,
Kari Diener
Executive Director | Refugee Self-Reliance Initiative
