Responsible action research. Co-defining solutions to forced migration and communication flows

The present paper expounds the results of an international workshop whose main objective was to reach a system mapping and create a collective refugee R&I project applying the principles of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) as part of a current H2020 research project. Fostering a transition towards responsible research and innovation systems (FoTRRIS) is a EU Horizon 2020 project with the aim of offering efficient RRI methods for researchers, citizens, organizations and policy-makers. FoTRRIS creates and implements transition arenas that move from mere Research and Innovation to Responsible R&I. This project supports knowledge actors to collectively set research agendas that respond effectively and in societally robust ways to local manifestations of global challenges, such as forced migration. In this workshop, we applied system thinking using the MISC methodology formulated by Anne Snick, in addition to diverse and validated creative methods to collect and reformulate numerous ideas and proposals related to the to the asylum procedure. Twenty relevant participants representing civil society, business organizations, public administration agencies (including UNHCR and the government of the City of Madrid), NGO’s and refugees had the opportunity to enlarge their perspectives and co-define a transdisciplinary project concept. The application of FoTRRIS methodology gave as result a compilation of potential leverages and existing barriers according to the priorities of refugees and asylum seekers, as well as an inventory of research topics and innovation activities mainly related to technology, communication and media; but also, proposals considering integration, legislation, citizen initiatives, education, public awareness and conceptual interventions.