tilburg law review 19 (2014) 212-222 brill.com/tilr Networking for Change The Development of the European Network on Statelessness and Perspectives on Developing Other Regional and Global Statelessness Coalitions Chris Nash International Protection Policy Coordinator, Asylum Aid Coordinator, European Network on Statelessness info@statelessness.eu Abstract Until recently, there was no regional civil society alliance dedicated exclusively to addressing statelessness. This changed with the advent of the European Network on Statelessness (ENS), which has attracted fifty non-governmental organization (NGOs) members since its public launch in June 2012. Aside from vindicating the need for such a coordinating body in the region, the development of ENS also offers several useful perspectives on how networks can serve as effective generators for change and as forums to help overcome a historical lack of awareness of, or even indifference to, the plight of stateless persons. This article explores the importance of awarenessraising and the gains possible through finding diverse and multiple entry points to approach the issue. It reflects on these lessons and the challenges that remain, including their potential to help inform an emerging discussion around the need to develop an international coalition of actors dedicated to combatting statelessness. The article concludes that only through working together will it be possible to make real progress towards achieving the recently articulated ambition by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to eradicate statelessness within a decade. * The author has worked in the refugee and migration field for over 15 years, initially as an asylum lawyer and then in various policy, advocacy and management roles, including at Amnesty International, the Refugee Council of Australia and the European Council on Refugees and Exiles. © koninklijke brill nv, leiden, 2014 | doi 10.1163/22112596-01902021