Philanthropy, Humanitarian Work, and Social Impact Investing
Dr. Kälin is passionate about several important philanthropic and humanitarian causes and has long been a supporter of various environmental and humanitarian initiatives. His academic background and personal interests have, however, motivated him to become increasingly involved with the global issue of forced displacement and, in particular, with the global refugee crisis.
Since 2014, and through a partnership with the UNHCR, Dr. Kälin has been able to contribute significantly to the refugee cause — and in 2017 he established the Andan Foundation in Switzerland with a view to amplify the social impact of his personal commitment and raise awareness in support of refugees. He is a member of the Global Citizen Award Committee and, along with his family, is also privately involved in social impact investing.
Andan Foundation
Both at Henley & Partners and privately, Dr. Kälin has worked exceedingly hard to help provide meaningful and sustained support to refugees and displaced people. The Andan Foundation is a non-profit organization, founded by Dr. Kälin, to support families forced to migrate because of conflict or natural and environmental disasters. In 2019, Andan announced a partnership with MIT Solve, an initiative of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology that advances lasting solutions from tech entrepreneurs to address the world’s most pressing problems. The foundation has initiated and is sponsoring the USD 100,000 Innovation for Refugee Inclusion Prize. This prestigious honor will reward teams that use innovation to advance economic, financial, and political inclusion of refugees in their hosting communities.
Read more here
Andan and UNICEF Launch Event, Zurich
On 23 May 2019, Henley & Partners and the Andan Foundation jointly hosted an event in Zurich to launch an official partnership with UNICEF. The keynote speeches and panel discussion focused on innovative potential solutions to refugee issues, devised by private sector actors (or developed with private sector support) in a number of refugee hosting countries around the world. The panel included contributions from Bettina Junker (Executive Director, Committee for UNICEF Switzerland and Lichtenstein), Monique Morrow (Founder and President, The Humanised Internet, and President of the Vetri Foundation), and Sofiane Ammar (Co-founder and Chairman of the Chams Foundation). Guests included entrepreneurs, business leaders, and Henley & Partners clients and partners.
The Economist Magazine’s Third Sustainability Summit
On 16 October 2019, at the Economist Magazine’s Third Sustainability Summit for south-east Europe and the Mediterranean in Athens, Dr. Kälin was invited to give a speech about the current refugee crisis and the role of public-private partnerships in helping to tackle the problem. Speaking in his capacity as Chairman of the Andan Foundation, his response was as follows: that we need to move away from the antiquated notion of refugees as ‘objects of care’ and start empowering them. We need new forms of collaboration if we are to transform the global refugee crisis into a sustainable development opportunity. To that end, Dr. Kälin proposed the concept of ‘Refugee Cities’. The core idea is simple: to expand opportunities for displaced people by creating secure, self-governing communities in which people can settle and build a future. They can engage in work, start businesses, gain independence, and rebuild their lives. Read Dr. Kälin’s full speech on the ‘Speaking’ section of this website.
Zaatari Refugee Camp
In May 2018, Dr. Kälin was invited by the UNHCR to travel to Jordan to visit its operation in Amman and the Zaatari Refugee camp.
Global Citizens Event in Support of South African Refugees, Zeitz MOCAA, Cape Town 2018
In November 2018, Henley & Partners hosted an exclusive cocktail philanthropy event at the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary African Art in Cape Town. The event was supported by UNHCR High Profile Supporter Nomzamo Mbatha and attended by Dr. Kälin in his capacity as Henley & Partners Chairman, philanthropist, and global citizen. Musical entertainment on the evening was provided by esteemed Congolese musician Silvestre Kabassidi and his band, and proceeds were raised for the Adonis Musati Project, an extraordinary Cape Town-based organization that works to empower marginalized refugees and asylum seekers in South Africa.
UNHCR Gala Dinner, Dubai 2015
On 3 November 2015, Henley & Partners, in collaboration with the UNHCR, hosted a gala dinner in Dubai to raise funds for refugee registrations in UNHCR managed camps. The photos below are from a speech that Dr. Kälin made at the event.
Orphanage in Sri Lanka, 2018
On 5 December 2015, an orphanage for children who were displaced and lost their parents during the civil war in Sri Lanka hosted a special lunch celebration in appreciation of the support they received from Dr. Kälin.
Henley & Partners and UNHCR Partnership for Refugees: Field Mission
In 2016, Henley & Partners worked in partnership with the UNHCR to provide support that was primarily focused on funding refugee registration and identification documents. On this fieldtrip, delegates from Henley & Partners went to the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan to see first-hand what was happening on the ground and how the organization could best position itself to offer assistance.
Dr. Christian H. Kälin Speaks about the Henley & Partners – UNHCR Partnership
Offering assistance to refugees is an issue that Henley & Partners Chairman and Andan Foundation Founder, Dr. Christian H. Kälin, has long been passionate about. Watch Dr. Kälin speak here about how how this partnership came about and why he believes refugee issues deserve the world’s attention.