From Migration Policy to
Refugee Solutions
Multilingual international development consultant advancing migration governance, refugee protection and policy across four continents.
Capability Statement
Meet Rai Friedman
Policy Expertise Rooted in Field Reality
Rai Friedman is an international development consultant and migration governance specialist with over eight years of experience across Africa, South Asia, and Canada. She works at the intersection of policy, research, programme delivery, and advocacy, supporting governments, UN agencies, NGOs, academic institutions, and refugee-led groups on displacement, protection, socio-economic inclusion, and rights-based policy reform.
Her work is shaped by a dual perspective: advising institutions at the policy level while also working directly with displaced communities through her NGO, Global Rights Defenders. She brings experience leading donor-funded programmes, policy and legal analysis, advocacy strategies, and capacity-strengthening initiatives in complex and hardship settings, with a focus on grounding institutional responses in field realities and community knowledge.​
Areas of Expertise
Project Design & Management
What I Deliver:
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Project conceptualization and design
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Grant proposal development
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Implementation planning and oversight
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Stakeholder coordination
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Risk management and adaptation strategies
Ideal For:
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Organizations launching new migration or human rights initiatives
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Funders seeking implementation partners
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Multi-stakeholder collaborations requiring coordination
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Recent Example:
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Founding and leading the NGO Global Rights Defenders where we have contributed to projects in East Africa, UN agencies & human rights bodies, and more.
Migration Policy Development & Analysis
What I Deliver:
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Comprehensive policy assessments and gap analyses
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Policy framework development aligned with international standards
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Legislative review and recommendations
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Internal and public policy procurement analysis
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Implementation strategies and roadmaps
Ideal For:
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Government agencies developing or revising migration policies
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International organizations harmonizing regional approaches
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NGOs advocating for policy reform
Recent Example:
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Developed forced migration policy and advocacy strategy for international organization, integrating protection frameworks with practical implementation pathways.
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Research & Monitoring Evaluation
What I Deliver:
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Mixed-methods research design (qualitative & quantitative)
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Survey design, data collection, and analysis (SPSS)
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Literature reviews and academic synthesis
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Results-based management frameworks
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Key Performance Indicator development
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Data visualization and reporting
Ideal For:
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Organizations requiring evidence-based program evaluation
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Academic institutions conducting migration research
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Funders seeking impact assessment
Recent Example:
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Leading multi-year research project examining socio-economic inclusion barriers for refugees in Kenya, combining surveys, focus groups, and policy analysis.
Capacity Building & Training
What I Deliver:
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Customized training curriculum development
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Facilitation for refugees, youth advocates, and NGO representatives
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Train-the-trainer programs
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Webinar and workshop design and delivery
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Mentorship programs for emerging human rights advocates
Ideal For:
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Organizations building internal capacity on refugee rights
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Universities seeking expert lecturers
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NGO networks requiring standardized training
Recent Example:
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Designed and delivered training modules for UNHCR and Connected Learning in Crisis Consortium on refugee-led solutions and community engagement.
Public Speaking & Thought Leadership
What I Deliver:
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Keynote presentations and panel participation
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Podcast hosting and production
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Webinar facilitation and moderation
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Expert testimony and briefings
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Media commentary and analysis
Topics Include:
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Refugee-led solutions and community empowerment
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Climate-induced displacement and climate refugees
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Migration governance and human rights protection
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Gender equity in forced migration contexts
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Youth engagement in refugee advocacy
Recent Example:
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Served as Rapporteur for Voices Rising: Refugee-led Solutions Conference in Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya, synthesizing insights from refugee leaders across East Africa.
Geographic Expertise & Impact Highlights
Primary Regions:
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East Africa: Direct field experience in Kenya (Kakuma Refugee Camp), research on regional migration patterns
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Middle East: Policy and advocacy work addressing forced displacement
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Europe: Collaboration with institutions on migration governance
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North America: Policy analysis and training for Canadian and US organizations
Cross-Regional Focus:
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Climate-induced displacement, Gender Equity, Socio-economic integration, South-South migration corridors, and urban refugee integration
By the Numbers
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8+ years in migration governance, refugee rights, policy, and international development
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40+ staff and volunteers led across programmes, partnerships, and organisational delivery
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100+ refugees trained in Kakuma and online in project management, grant writing, and public speaking
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10+ INGO partnerships coordinated alongside engagement with UN agencies and government stakeholders
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4 continents of experience across Africa, Asia, and North America
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Impact Highlights
Bridging policy and practice: Advise governments, UN agencies, NGOs, and refugee-led organisations while staying grounded in direct engagement with displaced communities.
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Advancing rights-based solutions:Lead work on migration governance, refugee protection, socio-economic inclusion, and policy reform, linking institutional strategy to lived realities.
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Driving collaboration: Coordinate partnerships across governments, UN agencies, INGOs, academic institutions, and community-based actors to strengthen delivery and impact.
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Leading with strategic and operational depth: Bring executive leadership across programme design, implementation, reporting, governance, team management, and donor-funded delivery.
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Generating evidence for action: Design and lead research, policy analysis, and monitoring systems that produce practical recommendations for programmes, policy, and advocacy.
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Strengthening locally driven approaches: Support capacity building, partnership development, and advocacy that centre the leadership and knowledge of displaced communities.
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Delivering in complex settings: Bring field experience from Kakuma, Ethiopia, and Rajasthan, with the ability to work in sensitive and resource-constrained environments.
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Advancing inclusion: Integrate gender justice, protection, and equity into policy, advocacy, and programme design.
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Building influence: Contribute to international forums, policy dialogue, and thought leadership on migration, refugee rights, and inclusive development.
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Turning complexity into action: Produce clear, decision-ready briefs, reports, submissions, and strategy documents that help institutions act with clarity and accountability.
Clients & Partners
Working With the Best Clients and Partners.
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"Rai Friedman provided invaluable support in helping us develop our forced migration policy and advocacy strategy. Rai's expertise and commitment to finding durable solutions made a real difference."
Voices Rising Team
Kakuma Refugee Camp
"As I have worked with Rai, I have personally witnessed the lengths she would go to in order to overcome challenges or barriers. Rai is a quick learner, is knowledgeable, and is persistent in her efforts to achieve her goals."
Daisy Amdany,
Executive Director, CRAWN Trust
"Rai's dedication to her Kenya based project, as well as the YEDI accelerator course was truly remarkable. Her unwavering commitment to her obligations and passion and dedication to improving human rights are qualities I truly admire."
Oleg, York Entrepreneurship Development Institute
