To commemorate World Refugee Day 2007, Ashoka recognizes the role of Ashoka Fellows who are empowering refugees and internally displaced people around the world to create new homes and new lives.

These Ashoka Fellows are representative of social entrepreneurs who are building communities, alleviating suffering, and integrating disenfranchised people into new countries, economies and cultures. Ashoka takes this opportunity to raise awareness of their ground-breaking approaches and relentless commitment to creating a more just and prosperous world for all.

Pedro Pablo Ramos, Colombia
Corporacion Yadha por el Progreso Social
War and violence in rural Columbia have forced nearly 1 million youth to flee to sprawling city slums, where they are easy prey for gangs. Pedro Pablo has created a successful education program for refugee teenagers arriving in Bogota’s slums, offering them a realistic alternative to gangs, drugs and violence. Pedro Pablo's classes — a mix of art, job training and leadership — are taught by local citizens and give displaced youth the tools necessary to succeed at school, get good jobs and stay out of trouble.

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Abdelfattah (Abed) Abusrour, Palestine
Rowwad Center
As a child, Abed was exposed to Palestinian refugee camp violence on a daily basis. He found solace and self-expression in writing and performing plays with his friends. Today, Abed draws on this experience by offering arts and cultural programs to children in refugee camps through the Rowwad Theater. He uses these activities to teach acceptance of others and non-violent communication to youth, while educating parents and community members in the process. Additionally, Abed is spreading awareness of the refugee experience by touring internationally with his children’s theater group.

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Jane Leu, United States
Uwardly Global
In cities across America, highly educated immigrants and refugees are trapped in unskilled jobs, while the economy as a whole faces an impending skilled-labor shortage. Jane Leu has built Upwardly Global to create professional career opportunities for these skilled employees. By highlighting their international experience and multilingual capabilities, the organization generates demand among top corporations for immigrant and refugee professionals. The result is economic citizenship for refugees and a strong, diverse workforce prepared to compete in the global marketplace.

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Pratibha Shinde, India
Punarvasan Sangharsh Samiti
Indians living in areas flooded by government dam construction often lose their land and their livelihood, having no place to turn. Policies for helping these refugees differ markedly across state borders, making it easy for victims to fall through the cracks. Her Punarvasan Sangharsh Samiti organization is putting policy back in community hands by reactivating traditional tribal self-rule systems as a vehicle to negotiate land use, map relocation options and demand infrastructure amenities themselves. Her organization builds income-generation activities, grain banks and women’s councils.

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