2017 Prize Laureate
David Lubell
Welcoming America / Welcoming International, Founding Director
“As a Jewish American, nothing could make me feel more connected to my values and to my history than working to welcome immigrants and refugees to this country. One of Judaism’s central teachings is to ’welcome the stranger,’ to offer shelter to those in need and to accept those whom we perceive to be different from us. We must honor this heritage by welcoming those who continue to arrive from other lands, and by exhorting our country to live up to its own ideals of equality and inclusion for all who call America home.”
David Lubell is the founder of Welcoming America, established in 2009, an organization that works with over 200 cities and towns across the U.S. to transform communities into inclusive places where everyone thrives. By building opportunities for immigrants to successfully integrate economically, socially, and civically, Welcoming America has a presence in more than 190 communities, guiding local governments and non-profits in implementing policies and practices that help immigrants, refugees, and entire communities reach their full potential. Currently, more than 48 million Americans—one in every nine people—live in a Welcoming Community. The organization's trailblazing social change model is unique in its holistic focus, recognizing that our differences as Americans are the source of our strength, while helping communities eliminate institutional barriers and address the concerns of long-time residents.
Prior to founding Welcoming America, Lubell established and served as Executive Director of the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC), which became a model for immigrant rights organizing and inspired Welcoming Tennessee, the precursor to Welcoming America. He now works as a consultant to social movements, including as a Senior Climate Mobility and Cities Fellow with ICLEI, the world's largest sustainable cities network, helping catalyze movements supporting people displaced by climate disasters. He leads the Welcoming International Initiative, partnering with entities in Germany, Australia, New Zealand, and the U.K. A graduate of Wesleyan University with a master's from Harvard Kennedy School, Lubell has received fellowships from Ashoka, Draper Richards Kaplan, and Harvard, and is a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader. In 2014, the White House honored Welcoming America as "Champions of Change," and the organization received the UN Alliance of Civilizations Intercultural Innovation Award.
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