Seminar Events: Conceptual Problems in Forced Migration, Oxford and UEL

‘Conceptual Problems in Forced Migration’

CMRB is very pleased to announce the schedule for the ‘Conceptual Problems in Forced Migration’ series, jointly organised with the Refugee Studies Centre (RSC), Oxford.

Seminars will take place at 5.00pm on Wednesdays, in either the UEL or RSC location.

The RSC location is: Seminar Room 1, Department of International Development, 3 Mansfield Rd, Oxford, OX1 3LA.

The UEL location is: Room EBG.08, East Building, Docklands Campus, London E16 2RD. Docklands Campus is adjacent to Cyprus Station, Docklands Light Railway..

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The Refugee Studies Centre with the University of East London Wednesday

Seminar Series:

Conceptual Problems in Forced Migration

Seminars will take place at 5.00pm on Wednesdays, in either the UEL or

RSC location, as indicated.

The RSC location is Seminar Room 1, Department of International

Development (ODID), 3 Mansfield Rd, Oxford, OX1 3LA

The UEL location is Room EBG.08, East Building, UEL Docklands Campus,

London E16 2RD

 

19 Jan:

Refugees, exiles and other forced migrants in the late Ottoman Empire

Dawn Chatty (University of Oxford)

Location: RSC

 

26 Jan:

Citizenship, autochthony and the question of forced migration

Nira Yuval-Davis (University of East London)

Location: RSC

 

2 Feb:

Reconciling integration and return: Rethinking Palestinian Refugeehood

Ruba Salih (School of Oriental and African Studies)

Location: UEL

 

9 Feb:

‘Collective amnesia’ – refugees and the problem of History

Philip Marfleet (University of East London)

Location: RSC

 

16 Feb: Refugees and the definition of Syria

Benjamin White

Location: RSC

 

23 Feb:

Citizenship and residence: rights, mobility and refugees

Catherine Long (University of Oxford)

Location: UEL

 

2 Mar: Is deportation a form of forced migration?

Matthew Gibney (University of Oxford)

Location: RSC

 

9 Mar:

Refugees, the state and the concept of home

Helen Taylor (University of East London)

Location: RSC

 

16 Mar Refugees, states and the ‘security’ agenda

Khalid Koser (Geneva Centre for Security Policy)

Location: UEL

 

Seminars are subject to change, please visit www.rsc.ox.ac.uk or email

rsc@qeh.ox.ac.uk for updates.  Further details also available on the CMRB website at:  http://www.uel.ac.uk/cmrb/seminars.htm#imagingmigrants

Please send all replies to: rsc@qeh.ox.ac.uk

Secularism, racism and the politics of belonging: a conference on race, religion, and public policy

A quick reminder for the upcoming conference to be held at UEL on Thursday 27 January, 2010.  Full details are below and in the attached flyer:

Secularism, racism and the politics of belonging: a conference on race, religion, and public policy

Information and conference schedule

Welcome to the conference on Secularism, Racism and the Politics of Belonging, organised by the Centre for Research on Migration, Refugees and Belonging (CMRB), and Runnymede Trust: Thursday 27 January 2010.

Location: Docklands Campus, University of East London, University Way, London E16 2RD.

The campus is adjacent to Cyprus Station on the Docklands Light Railway. Trains from Canning Town (Jubilee Line) run at five-to-10 minute intervals: the journey takes some 30 minutes from Central London. Full details and map at:  http://www.uel.ac.uk/campuses/docklands.htm

Refreshments and Lunch: will be provided for all participants.

Resources: organisations are invited to bring literature and other resources. Display tables will be provided.

Record of proceedings: presentations will be recorded on video, with permission of participants.

Themes: discussion will be wide-ranging but the organisers ask you to consider your contributions on a number of key issues:

•           how matters of faith are constructed in relation to old and new forms of racism;

•           implications of ideas about ‘faith communities’ for citizenship and social solidarity;

•           the place of religion in equality legislation and legal pluralism;

•           debates about religious traditions and dress codes;

•           effects of particular forms of religious education, including faith schools.

The conference aims to engage participants in a discussion which encompasses secular, religious, academic and activist discourses.

Further details on the CMRB website:  http://www.uel.ac.uk/cmrb/news.htm

CARA Event at UEL

The Council for Assisting Refugee Academics (CARA)  would kindly like to invite you to an upcoming event

‘Academic Freedom in the 21st Century’
15th April , 5:30-6:30pm
University of East London, Docklands campus, East Building G08

A panel discussion of three academic refugees, chaired by Mark Stephens,  Index on Censorship.

Wherever there is a dictatorship or totalitarian regime, its first quarrel is with those who oppose. They are often found in universities, places where teaching and research should flourish. Around the world, university lecturers and researchers can face persecution, imprisonment and torture for challenging those in power. The three speakers will discuss the personal threats and difficulties in carrying out their academic work in Rwanda, Cameroon and Iraq.

We hope to see you there,

For further questions please email adi.cara@lsbu.ac.uk

Conference: Migration, the Media and the Message, 29-30 March 2010

Migration, the Media and the Message

Migrants using media to turn around the immigration debate

University of East London, 29-30 March 2010

A European conference jointly organised by the ‘Migrants and the Media Project’ (MMP) and CMRB for groups involved in media and cultural activities, which promote a positive engagement with the issue of migration.

Contributors to plenary sessions will include: Don Flynn (Migrants’ Rights Network), Nazek Ramadan, Aine O’Brien (FOMACS, Ireland) and Mica Nava (UEL).

Workshops include: FOMACS’ digital video-making and radio journalism (Ireland), CEPAIM’s ‘La Ruta Prometida ‘ exhibition (Spain), Mendek’s poster campaign (Hungary), Migrant Resource Centre’s ‘New Londoners’ journalism project (UK), Playback Theatre (UK), CRWI on women and the media (Greece).

For information, please contact: Cristina Andreatta at Migrants’ Rights Networkc.andreatta@migrantsrights.org.uk

Jewish Londoners Conference

When:           Sunday 15 February 2009
Where:          London Metropolitan Archives, 40, Northampton Road, London, EC1R 0HB
Time: 10am-4.30pm
Cost:           £30 / £20 (including lunch)
Booking:        Call on 020 7332 3851 or email ask.lma@cityoflondon.gov.uk

PROGRAMME

10  am          Arrival, Registration and Welcome

10.30 am Memory and The Jewish East End

Rachel Lichtenstein. Artist, archivist and writer, Rachel is the author of Rodinsky’s Whitechapel and co-author, with Iain Sinclair of Rodinsky’s Room. Her most recent publication is On Brick Lane, the first of a trilogy of books on London streets. This talk explores approaches to discovering and recording history through recollection.

11.15 am Responses to Mosley and the British Union of Fascists

David Rosenberg. David is a teacher and local historian who has done research on how different sectors of the Jewish community understood and responded to the threat posed by Mosley’s British Union of Fascists in the East End; how they helped defeat Mosley and what it revealed about the fault lines within the Jewish community of the 1930s.

12.15pm London Synagogues

Dr Sharman Kadish is Director of Jewish Heritage UK and AHRC Research Fellow and Part-time Lecturer in the Centre for Jewish Studies at the University of Manchester. She has written several books and numerous articles on Anglo-Jewish history and heritage, including Jewish Heritage in England: An Architectural Guide , published by English Heritage in 2006.

1pm Lunch (includes behind the scenes tour and a look at some original documents and a chance to view a reminiscence film )

2.30pm The Jewish Community and Freemasonry

Susan Snell is Archivist and Records Manager at the Library and Museum of Freemasonry. This talk explores the Jewish community in Freemasonry, with particular reference to the Jewish community in Jamaica and its interchange with Hoxton and other areas in London.

3.15 pm Benjamin Disraeli

Helen Langley. Helen is Head of Modern Political Papers in the Bodleian Library and the editor of Benjamin Disraeli: Scenes From an Extraordinary Life. This presentation will explore aspects of his life with consideration given to his being compelled to convert from the Jewish faith to Christianity at age 13, his London associations and his youthful visits to the Middle East.

4pm Tea and close

6th Annual Forced Migration Student Conference Call for Papers Call for Papers. “Refugees: Lives Pushed to the Margins?”

The 6th Annual Forced Migration Student Conference organised by postgraduates and hosted by the Refugee Research Centre at the University of East London on Saturday the 25^th and Sunday the 26^th of April.

Living a life in the margins or a marginalised life is a recurrent trope in the field of forced migration studies. Throughout the whole refugee experience from persecution and flight to settlement and integration, refugees find themselves pushed to the margins and often excluded. The marginalisation of various categories of forced migrants brings into question the effectiveness of protection regimes. Livelihood strategies of forced migrants are formulated at the very margins of society, some of whom are compelled to do so ‘outside’ the law. How do refugees negotiate identities that help them to combat social exclusion? Adopting a reflexive gaze, as researchers and aspiring academics we must ask ourselves how considerable and pertinent are the dialogues of practitioners and academics? Is academia to be confined to the sidelines or can it be more engaged with forced migrants? In which ways can the study of forced migration be related to wider global issues?

The conference invites papers that fit within the broad theme of the conference and forced migration more generally. We solicit papers that converge on the following sub-themes of the conference:

1)    Conversations and interdisciplinary dialogues (scholarly, policy, practitioners, NGOs)

2)    Sites of liminality and change (state; regional; local, trans-national; familial; individual)

3)    Conversations in issue-areas (development; human rights; migration; security; post-conflict)

4)    Sites of experience (gender; flight; re-settlement; camps; exclusion)

Postgraduate students (Masters/MPhil/PhD) are invited to submit abstracts for papers (no more than 250 words) and a personal profile (no more than 100 words). They should be sent, with full contact details, by 4pm on 26th January 2009 to: fmconference2009@googlemail.com

Posted in:  Refugee Studies and Conferences & Events.

Conferences and Events

New events from ODI: A long road home Thursday, 13 November, 17.00 – 18.30 Palace of Westminster, Committee Room 12, St. Steven’s entrance

Speakers Include: Sara Pantuliano, Margie Buchanan-Smith and Paul Murphy.

Sudan‘s peace agreement is approaching its most testing time. As up to two million displaced people attempt to re-settle in areas that are impoverished and ill-prepared, a number of colossal challenges present themselves. Action is urgently needed to address massive and rapid urbanisation, encourage civilians to disarm and provide opportunities for the sustainable use of natural resources, including land in urban areas. Infrastructure and markets need to be developed and equitable access to essential services must be put in place. This ODI meeting, hosted by the Associate Parliamentary Group on Sudan, will launch the second phase of a study by the Humanitarian Policy Group on reintegration in Southern Sudan and the Three Areas. The authors, Sara Pantuliano, Margie Buchanan-Smith and Paul Murphy, will outline the key obstacles faced by returnees and the strategies that must be put in place to support one of the world’s largest return and reintegration processes. Wendy Fenton, an independent consultant with over 20 years of experience working in Sudan, will act as a discussant at this event. Source: ODI. Further Information and to book a place, please visit: http://www.odi.org.uk/events/2008/11/11-long-road/index.html The following three events were listed on the Welcome To Your Library (WTYL) email digest. Further details of the WTYL project can be found here:

Asylum seeker and refugee seminars

(Source: IRR e-digest)

http://www.irr.org.uk/pdf/CWDC_leaflet.pdf

Tue 4 November, Coventry

Thu 27 November Sheffield

Tue 2 Dec, Southampton

The Children’s Workforce Development Council, working with Northumbria University and the National Foundation for Educational Research, have set up a series of seminars to understand the skills and knowledge of people working with refugee and asylum seeker families. The long term aim is to provide training for individuals or groups to fill skills or knowledge gaps in relation to work in this area. Anyone working in local authorities or voluntary organisations with this audience is invited to attend to share understanding and good practice. Booking form: http://www.irr.org.uk/pdf/CWDC_form.doc

Promoting integration of vulnerable migrant groups

http://www.ippr.org/events/?id=3264

24 November, ippr, London This is the third in a seminar series supported by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, and draws on the findings of the JRF’s Immigration and Inclusion Programme. It will focus on irregular migrants, transient labour migrants and asylum-seekers and refugees. Participants will receive copies of new ippr research on the integration of Bangladeshi, Iranian, Nigerian and Somali migrants. The seminar aims to:

• translate recent research on immigrant integration and social inclusion into policy recommendations
• consider the impact of policy interventions targeted at irregular migrants, transient labour migrants, asylum-seekers and refugees
• share work and to consolidate networks between researchers and policymakers
• disseminate best practice in migrant integration and social cohesion.

More information and details of speakers at weblink above. For further information or to confirm attendance please contact Holly Andrew, Migration and Equalities Team, ippr 0207 470 6170 or h.andrew@ippr.org

Fortress Britain: is immigration working? http://www.ippr.org/ipprnorth/events/?id=3221

1 December, Urban Café, Dance City, Newcastle Professor Andrew Geddes from Sheffield University will argue that immigration frenzies in the media and politics are largely missing the point. He will explore what he believes are more relevant questions on how to effectively manage migration, past, present and future. For more information email north@ippr.org

Moroccan Memories in Britain

http://moroccanmemories.org.uk/index.html

(Source: Community Archives & Identities blog)

Wealth of resources from the project run by the Migrant and Refugee Communities Forum. The following events taken from the Institute for race relations email digest, (http://www.irr.org.uk/):

e v e n t Demo against crisis in DRC http://www.irr.org.uk/2008/november/ha000015.html 11:00am, 8 November 2008 — Demonstration in Manchester to protest against deportations to the Congo. e v e n t Lesbian and gay asylum seekers http://www.irr.org.uk/2008/november/bw000012.html 1:00pm, 28 November 2008 — Training on issues faced by lesbian and gay asylum seekers when claiming asylum in the UK.

Posted in: Refugee Studies and Conferences & Events.

Supporting disabled refugees and asylum seekers

The launch of new research into disabled refugees and asylum seekers will be held at London City Hall on Friday 14th November from 9am-1pm.  The research has been commissed by the Research and Consultancy Unit at the Metropolitan Support Trust.

The event will be by invite only and further information can be found on the Refugee Support website.  Publicity for this event can additionaly be found via the Institute for Race Relations website.

Posted in: Conferences & Events.