The Refugees in Towns Project (RIT) promotes understanding of migrant and refugee experiences by drawing on the knowledge and perspectives of refugees themselves as well as local hosts, and working with them to develop case studies and reports of the towns in which they live. RIT trains migrant and refugee researchers in its methodology, which uses a reflexive and positional approach. Rather than stripping out their personal thoughts, feelings, and experiences, RIT encourages them to explicitly acknowledge them, and analyze their findings through that lens. RIT has completed nearly 50 case studies globally, and uses its findings to work with governments and civil society groups to promote immigrant-friendly urban spaces and develop a greater understanding of the migrant and refugee experience. The RIT Project was conceived and is led by Karen Jacobsen, and is based at the Feinstein International Center at Tufts University. It is funded by the Henry J. Leir Foundation.
We Refugees Archive and Refugees in Towns are in an exchange about their research results and present their projects in common workshops.