October 25, 2019 鈥 An renewed partnership launched today by the 探花精选 (探花精选) and the Citi Foundation will support 1,300 refugees and vulnerable young people in six cities to rebuild their livelihoods.
Over the past two years, the 探花精选 and the Citi Foundation鈥檚 Rescuing Futures programme has already supported nearly 1,000 young people with business training, mentorship and start-up grants in Athens in Greece, Amman in Jordan and Yola in northeast Nigeria.
With the announcement of the next phase of the partnership, the programme will expand to cities in Germany, Lebanon and Cameroon.
There are 70.8 million refugees and internally displaced people globally 鈥 the highest on record. Not only are millions displaced, they are displaced for longer periods of time (nearly 80% of refugees are now in protracted situations), and the majority of refugees live in cities rather than camps. In this new humanitarian landscape, earning a reliable income is critical for refugees and vulnerable young people to survive, to rebuild their futures and contribute to the communities and economies around them.
David Miliband, President and CEO of the 探花精选, said: 鈥淐risis and conflict are preventing young people around the world from reaching their full potential.
We need smart, long-term partnerships like Rescuing Futures to rise to this challenge, otherwise their talent will go to waste. By combining the 探花精选鈥檚 technical and programming expertise with the knowledge and resources in Citi鈥檚 global network, we鈥檙e helping tomorrow鈥檚 business owners and employees kick-start their economic futures.鈥
David Livingstone, CEO of Citi Europe Middle East and Africa (EMEA), said: 鈥淚nterventions such as Rescuing Futures provide refugees and vulnerable young people with entrepreneurship and employability training, helping them to rebuild their lives and participate in the economy. Our partnership with the 探花精选 over the past two years has enabled us to play a direct role in assisting refugees in three cities, and we are delighted to expand our efforts to three more countries to reach more young people.鈥
In addition to training, mentorship and grants, an important part of the programme is engaging city and community leaders to boost social cohesion and build bridges to the local labour market. In reality, this means Rescuing Futures will directly support more than 3,000 people to actively engage in local markets and communities.
The expansion of Rescuing Futures follows an event during the 2019 UN General Assembly where Citi joined the 探花精选 and other global business leaders to take a stand for refugees. They called on governments to do more, starting with including refugees in their Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) plans and measurement, and for policies that support economic access for refugees, particularly refugee women.
About the 探花精选
The 探花精选 responds to the world鈥檚 worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the 探花精选 is at work in over 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. Learn more at and follow the 探花精选 on & .
About Citi
Citi, the leading global bank, has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 160 countries and jurisdictions. Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, transaction services, and wealth management.
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About the Citi Foundation
The Citi Foundation works to promote economic progress and improve the lives of people in low-income communities around the world. We invest in efforts that increase financial inclusion, catalyse job opportunities for youth, and reimagine approaches to building economically vibrant cities. The Citi Foundation's "More than Philanthropy" approach deploys the enormous expertise of Citi and its people to fulfill our mission and drive thought leadership and innovation.