Yenna is the International Organization for Migration's (IOM)
learning platform for Social and Behaviour Change (SBC)
and advocacy on safe migration.
The platform acts as a hub for resources and learnings related to the design and implementation of evidence-based, participatory and measurable community engagement activities and approaches that help guide safe migration.
IOM has increasingly been placing an emphasis on SBC insights, particularly in endeavours aimed at protecting vulnerable migrants, engaging with communities, or providing information to young people about migration.
Yenna complements IOM’s Migrant Protection Platform – a digital space for knowledge sharing and dialogue on migrant protection.
What is Social and Behaviour Change (SBC)?
Drawing on various disciplines – from sociology and psychology, to communication and behavioural economics – SBC encompasses any set of strategies and interventions that influences drivers of change and supports local action towards better societies. To learn more about SBC, check out our SBC Academy! IOM focuses on applying SBC insights to community engagement - the active involvement and participation of individuals, groups, and organizations in promoting and ensuring safe migration practices.
Different types of activities and approaches guide our community engagement work:
- Awareness raising and outreach
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Communities with high mobility – including communities of origin and return, host and migrants communities – need to be informed about risks, rights, and resources related to migration.
Campaigns, workshops, and information sessions that raise awareness can help individuals understand the dangers of irregular migration, including trafficking in persons and exploitation, while also highlighting legal pathways, available support services, and the importance of legal identity.
The Aware Migrants campaign was designed to raise awareness among migrants and their communities about the risks of irregular migration along African routes across the desert and the Mediterranean Sea. - Community conversations and dialogue
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Engaging community members in open dialogue and discussions creates safe spaces for sharing experiences, concerns, and ideas related to migration. This can be done through community meetings, forums, or focus groups.
Community conversations and dialogue provide insights to the specific needs and challenges faced by returned migrants and community members and helps develop targeted solutions. - Peer education
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Community engagement involves equipping returned migrants, local organizations, and community leaders with the necessary knowledge and skills to speak directly to their peers using active listening and storytelling approaches.
Peer communication can be a powerful strategy to change knowledge, attitudes and behaviours when it comes to migration.
IOM’s Migrants as Messengers was a peer-to-peer awareness-raising campaign that empowered young people in West Africa to make informed decisions about migration. - Local Partnerships
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Building partnerships between community-based organizations, local governments, civil society, and other stakeholders is crucial to promote shared ownership.
Through collaboration, we can coordinate efforts to better address the challenges of migration together. Collaboration also helps ensure that the voices and concerns of all community members and migrants are heard and incorporated into policy discussions.
IOM piloted a Community-Based Planning approach in Nigeria and Ethiopia where community and local government stakeholders identified local needs and developed initiatives to support the protection and reintegration of migrants and returnees. - Advocacy
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Engaged communities can play a vital role in advocating for policy changes and reforms that promote safe migration.
By voicing their concerns and experiences, community members can raise awareness among policymakers, influence legislative decisions, and drive improvements in migration governance.
This may involve lobbying for the protection of migrants' rights, advocating for safer migration routes, or pushing for an end to exploitative practices.
Each year, IOM runs a global campaign to promote gender equality and uses the month of March to push for better gender-focused migration programmes and policies.
YENNA was developed under the EU – IOM Joint Initiative and is now funded by the Government of the Netherlands through the COMPASS initiative
