Parisa Pirooz
Refugees Are Not The Problem
TEDx Wolverhampton | June 27th, 2026
Talk Summary
In Refugees Are Not the Problem, Parisa Pirooz explores what changes when the people closest to the consequences are brought closer to the decisions. Drawing from her work across refugee camps, legal systems, and migrant-led organizations, the talk challenges institutions to move from managing communities to sharing power with them.
Key Takeaways
Lived experience is a form of expertise.
Better systems are designed with communities, rather than for them.
Integration becomes stronger when people have real influence over the decisions shaping their lives.
Institutions produce better outcomes when they move from consultation to co-creation.
The ideas in this talk reflect Creshendo’s approach to migrant-led systems change. Creshendo works with communities and institutions to co-create programs, strengthen leadership, and build more inclusive systems for integration and economic mobility.
