CENTRE FOR REFUGEE STUDIES: 8th ANNUAL STUDENT CONFERENCE
April 26-27, 2013
Identity & Belonging: Experiencing Forced Migration and the Role of Community, Participation and Collaboration
The Centre for Refugee Studies (CRS) Student Caucus is pleased to announce that the Annual Student Conference will take place on April 26th and 27th, 2013 at York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. This event offers graduate and upper year undergraduate students from different disciplines, as well as researchers and practitioners with a keen interest in migration and refugee issues, an opportunity to present and discuss research with likeminded individuals.
For millions of people around the world, the refugee experience is a daily reality. ‘Refugee’ as a construct is powerful, subsuming, often violent, and can at times displace identity and belonging. These individuals live in a variety of settings, amidst complex relationships and processes, and the interactions of individuals, communities, government, and civil society form a foundational part of the refugee experience. For refugees, (self) identities are constructed and negotiated through the multiplicity of these connections. Processes of identity negotiation from past to anticipated future can be assisted by communities, as well as partnerships which work towards more inclusive policies and services for displaced peoples. Challenges to belonging are manifested in numerous ways through gender, race, class, sexual orientation, (dis)ability, age, language, etc. Such challenges occur amidst a growing protectionist discourse, giving rise to negative imagery of an essentialized ‘refugee’, thereby having an adverse effect on the identity and belonging of refugee populations. Furthermore, academic research about displaced persons’ identity and belonging can encounter complex ethical dilemmas, including issues around participation, ownership, labeling, and a diversity of research practices.
Therefore, the goal of this conference is to explore the multiple meanings, contexts, communities and interactions characterizing identity and belonging of forcibly displaced persons. We hope to exchange research and ideas in order to better understand the complex and multi-faceted experiences of forcibly displaced persons from the perspective of the individual, communities, government, and organizations and to develop more integrated, collaborative durable solutions. This overarching theme seeks to embrace a comprehensive and interdisciplinary discussion of forced migration.
We welcome you to submit proposals on a wide range of topics, including but not limited to:
. Narratives about/from refugees and displaced persons . Experiences of partnerships and collaboration on refugee issues (resettlement, advocacy, protection, social service provision, etc.) . Intersectionality of identity, nation, and citizenship . Hierarchies and responsibility for the protection of refugees, i.e. government legislation, Bill C-31 . Overcoming barriers and challenges to belonging (gender, race, class, sexual orientations, (dis)ability, age, language, etc.) . Role of community in integration and belonging . Austerity and its impact on refugee claimants . Artistic and literary representations of forced migration and experiences of identity and belonging . Methodological and ethical issues of research with refugees and displaced persons
A selection of strong papers submitted to the conference will be considered for publication in the peer-reviewed journal, REFUGE. If you are interested in having your submission considered for publication, please adhere to the REFUGE author guidelines, requiring papers no more than 7,500 words, double-spaced and formatted according to the newest version of the Chicago Style Manual. More details about author guidelines and the journal can be found at www.yorku.ca/refuge
Submissions that fall under the category of visual, audio, and performing arts are also welcome. All acceptable art submissions will be exhibited at the conference location. Group/panel submissions are also invited.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR ABSTRACT SUBMISSION:
Individuals or groups wishing to participate in the conference MUST submit a 250-word abstract by: 11 April 2013 (extended deadline). Presenters who wish to be considered for publication in REFUGE must send their completed papers to crsstudentconference@gmail.com by April 20th, 2013.
Abstract submissions MUST be accompanied by the following:
1. Name(s) of presenter(s)
2. Key presenter e-mail address
3. Title of abstract
4. A short personal profile (no more than 150 words) 5. Indication of whether the presentation will be made by a panel or an individual 6. Indication of the type of audio-visual aids needed (i.e., projector, laptop, DVD player etc.)
For more information about presenting at the conference please contact crsstudentconference@gmail.com. Or you can visit: http://www.yorku.ca/crs.
FEES: Presenter: $10.00 Attendee: $15.00. Fees can be paid in cash upon arriving at the conference registration table. Should the cost of participating present a barrier for your participation, please feel free to contact us. For more information about registering for the conference and event details, please refer to our website: http://crsstudents.wordpress.com/.
Oxford Journals have published details of the latest articles for the International Journal of Refugee Law as an Advance Access Alert for the period 12 March 2013 to 20 March 2013. Details of the new articles are as follows:
Refugee Archives @ UEL 
You must be logged in to post a comment.