Since joining the Giving Pledge, Israeli billionaire Yuri Milner (the mind behind the short book Eureka Manifesto) has funded several philanthropic projects. For almost a decade, his Breakthrough Foundation has supported scientific causes like the Breakthrough Initiatives and the Breakthrough Junior Challenge.
In 2022, Yuri Milner and his wife Julia launched Tech For Refugees, a new initiative that has committed $100 million to support relief efforts on a global scale.
How Technology Can Help Refugees
The world is currently experiencing a refugee crisis, with the highest number of people displaced from their homes ever recorded. The United Nations Refugee Agency reported 100 million displaced people in 2022. More than a quarter were refugees seeking safety in foreign countries.
Technology has the power to transform refugee relief efforts by:
- Coordinating logistics to ensure people in crisis areas receive essential medical aid, food, and goods.
- Improving refugees’ quality of life through access to online education and entertainment.
- Connecting refugees with shelter providers.
Tech For Refugees currently works with Spotify, Flexport.org, Airbnb.org, Welcome.US, and the International Rescue Committee (IRC) to deliver aid, shelter, entertainment, and additional support to those in need. These organizations work across various crisis zones, including Ukraine, Pakistan, and the Horn of Africa.
Over six months in 2022, Flexport.org coordinated 348 shipments to 6 countries hosting Ukrainian refugees, providing relief for 5.3 million people. Meanwhile, Airbnb.org has offered free, temporary housing to approximately 100,000 refugees fleeing Ukraine.
Tech For Refugees is also supporting the IRC and Welcome.US to help them grow their tech-enabled platforms. These platforms, Signpost and Welcome Connect, serve refugees and citizens who wish to support displaced people.
Technology companies and non-profits can become partners to help Tech For Refugee expand its reach and further serve global needs.
Yuri Milner’s Science Philanthropy
Julia and Yuri Milner signed the Giving Pledge in 2012, promising financial support to mainly scientific causes. In his Giving Pledge letter, Yuri Milner describes the decision as a commitment to the shared future of humanity.
The same year that they joined the Giving Pledge, Julia and Yuri Milner created the Breakthrough Foundation. In addition to Tech For Refugees, Yuri Milner’s Breakthrough Foundation supports the Breakthrough Prize, the Breakthrough Junior Challenge, and the Breakthrough Initiatives.
The Breakthrough Prize
The Breakthrough Prize is the world’s largest scientific award. Each prize is $3 million and presented in the fields of mathematics, the life sciences, and fundamental physics. Additional prizes honor early-career researchers’ contributions to these fields.
The Breakthrough Junior Challenge
The Breakthrough Junior Challenge is a global video competition that challenges high school students to think creatively about science. Founded in 2015, the Breakthrough Junior Challenge rewards winners with prizes worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The Breakthrough Initiatives
In 2015, together with Stephen Hawking, Yuri Milner announced the launch of the Breakthrough Initiatives. The multi-million-dollar space science programs have reinvigorated the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI). They are also helping advance interstellar travel projects.
Eureka Manifesto: Yuri Milner’s Vision for Humanity
Yuri Milner wrote Eureka Manifesto: The Mission for Our Civilization in 2021. In the short book, he argues that, without a shared mission, human civilization will struggle to thrive. Eureka Manifesto proposes a vision of humanity united across nations and cultures by a quest to explore and understand the Universe.
Tech For Refugees aligns with this vision by providing critical assistance and hope for refugees. According to Yuri Milner: “If we can help rebuild their lives, we are really building our civilization.”
