The Americas

Across the Americas, migration is reshaping societies. While it brings new opportunities, it also tests social cohesion and can fuel mistrust and exclusion between migrants and local populations. Without intentional action, these tensions risk deepening divides and weakening the social fabric of communities. 

Our approach combines dialogue, personal resilience, safe spaces, partnerships, and regional collaboration. Over the course of the program, we aim to:

• Facilitate inclusive dialogue spaces – establish at least four interactive spaces in the first year of the program where migrants and locals from diverse backgrounds engage in dialogue and collaborative activities. The goal is to increase trust and mutual understanding is anticipated, measured by pre- and post-program assessments.
• Strengthen migrant resilience – provide training and workshops focused on self-esteem, self-awareness, and healthy relational skills. Migrant participants are expected to show improved emotional regulation, greater self-confidence, and reduced feelings of isolation and anxiety.
• Create sustainable, safe spaces – pilot five facilitated dialogue sessions that allow participants to share needs, fears, and aspirations. The goal is for participants to increase their sense of safety and belonging within these groups.
• Culinary activities - as a part of cultural activities, which also include the use of art in many of its shapes and sharing stories of life to acknowledge the participants' capacity of resilience.
• Forge multisector partnerships – secure at least two strategic partnerships in the first year of the program with civil society organisations, government bodies, and private-sector actors. These partnerships will contribute to joint initiatives on social inclusion and trustbuilding.
• Strengthen regional collaboration – establish a Pan-American Trustbuilding Task Force, bringing together actors from across civil society, government, and the private sector. At least 20 members from across the Americas will be trained in TBP tools, with the aim of applying these skills in their communities to facilitate trust and dialogue. 

Though the program is just beginning, with initial focus in Brazil and Uruguay, the planned outcomes point towards meaningful transformation:

• Stronger connections between migrants and host communities.
• Improved well-being and resilience among migrant participants.
• Safe forums where difficult conversations can take place in a spirit of respect and dignity.
• Concrete, cross-sector partnerships that translate into practical action for inclusion.
• Regional collaboration that strengthens collective capacity to respond to migration challenges across the Americas. 

Migration across the Americas is one of the defining issues of our time. It is reshaping communities from north to south, bringing both promise and strain. If mistrust and exclusion are left unaddressed, divisions will deepen.

The Trustbuilding Program has demonstrated in other regions that it can transform division into dialogue, mistrust into collaboration, and exclusion into belonging. The Americas program will now apply this proven approach to the complex realities of migration across the region.

With support, we can:

• Expand the reach and quality of dialogue spaces and resilience workshops.
• Grow the network of trained facilitators across multiple countries.
• Secure sustained partnerships with key institutions across civil society, government, and business.
• Build stronger foundations in Brazil as a hub for regional growth.
• Ensure effective monitoring and evaluation to prove results and inform future action. 

Once several activities are underway, the program will collect personal stories and testimonies showing how lives and communities are being transformed, from greater resilience among migrants, to collective initiatives bridging locals and newcomers, to institutional leaders adopting trustbuilding practices.