A focus on the root causes of migration, including poverty and inequality, has increased the complexity with which we describe and respond to migration. Discussions of “rootedness” and “freedom to stay” have also emerged to refer to the multi-faceted conditions that allow members of a community to sustain themselves, so that they are not forced to migrate. A corollary, the “right to go” or the right to migrate addresses the need for sufficient legal pathways for human mobility. This session will continue the debate on the utility and challenges of these and other alternative narratives about migration by engaging multiple stakeholders–with sometimes differing opinions–from the Central America Research Alliance (CARA) and beyond. The session will also explore how rootedness and freedom to stay may help inform philanthropy, programs, and policy given the historical nature of human mobility and current migration trends.