2nd Global Conference
Migrations and Diasporas
incorporating Cultural Diversity as a special focus strand

Saturday 1st December 2018 – Sunday 2nd December 2018
Vienna, Austria

In the past few years, humanity has been confronted with what the UN calls “the largest humanitarian crisis since the creation of the United Nations”: starvation, war and political oppression have forcibly displaced a record number of over 65.6 million people worldwide, leading to major social and political turmoil across the globe. Refugees from developing countries such as Syria, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda and more are risking their lives in perilous journeys to escape certain demise, only to often find themselves trapped in precarious conditions in refugee camps across Europe, facing the ill sentiments of disgruntled locals. At the same time, the EU and USA are struggling to balance their immigration and asylum policies between their professed commitment to upholding human rights and the growing pressures from increasingly popular and vocal nationalistic movements.

All these recent developments have also added to the levels of uncertainty faced by the millions of economic migrants, in search of a better life. Developments built on nationalistic sentiment and aversion towards immigrants, such as the British Brexit or the attempted US travel bans and waves of deportations have made members of Diasporas reconsider their options and renegotiate their identities.

According to the UN and the International Organization for Migration, there are around 250 million migrants worldwide and the number is quickly rising. If they were to make up a nation, it would be the fifth largest in the world. Migration is becoming a more and more pressing social and political matter, one that will reshape the world as we know it and the way governments and societies decide to handle this crisis will be defining a new era for human rights and international relations.

Our second interdisciplinary Migrations and Diasporas conference seeks to build on the success of last year’s event and create a lasting network of professionals in all fields related to this topic, to isolate, discuss and explore the main issues, pressing matters and recent developments in this field of research and activity, to identify areas to be subsequently explored in further depth and to generate collaborative action that will lead to real, lasting change in the way migration and migrants are perceived and approached in institutional and informal settings.

Some of our suggested main issues to be approached include (but are not limited to):

• Defining and measuring migration – identifying and analyzing trends in migration, defining categories of migration and migrants, presenting relevant data and instruments in migration studies etc.
• The current refugee crisis – refugee situation, struggles, profiles, stories, efforts for integration, international responses, conditions in refugee camps, conditions for receiving asylum, policies, best practices, international responsibilities, human rights issues, media coverage etc.
• Global and local social responses to migration – attitudes towards refugees and/or economic migrants, social and political movements, debates and controversies based on immigration/emigration related issues
• Global and local implications of migration – social, political, demographic, economic, religious etc consequences for both the countries of origin and those of destination, for the migrants themselves and for Diasporas.
• The migrant – case studies, profiles, typologies, integration and identity issues, motivations etc.
• Sex, gender, and sexual orientation – the significance of these factors in the experience of the migrant; how are migration and diaspora experienced by women, trans and non-binary individuals, and those identifying as queer, for instance?
• Narratives of displacement – migration and diaspora stories, folklore, art, community building etc.
• Diasporas – community structure, struggles and achievements, diaspora relationships with the country of origin or residence, diaspora and power, diaspora social, economic and political contributions etc.
• Policy and politics – migration policy trends in Western societies and worldwide, impact and effectiveness of existing policies, necessary changes in policy, geopolitical ramifications of national and international migration policies
• Legal aspects of migration – legal vs illegal immigration, national and international migration laws, legal provisions for obtaining residency or asylum, migrants’ rights in theory and practice, legal status of EU citizens in post-Brexit UK, legality of US travel bans etc.; the examination of legal issues might also include a discussion of human smuggling and human trafficking
• Migration and the media – depiction of refugees, migrants and migration in the media, role of social media and new technologies in facilitating migration and maintaining relationships with the diaspora, role of the press in increasing/defusing social tension between migrants and locals etc.
• Looking into the future – scenarios for future trends in migration, evolutions of diasporas, challenges for the future generations of today’s migrants, future challenges for the countries of origin/destination etc.
• Professing in the Field of Migration and Diasporas – issues, hardships, frustrations, communication needs, big and small victories and bright, hopeful moments of professionals working towards the integration and aid of refugees or migrants in general, studying migration and migrants, drafting or applying migration policies or legislation, protecting country borders from illegal immigration etc.

Our main goal is to facilitate dialogue and spark innovative collaborations and discussions at an international level, in a dynamic and interactive setting.  Thus, we welcome participants from all relevant disciplines, professions and vocations (NGO personnel, aid workers, researchers, mental and physical health professionals, educators, human rights activists, counselors, social workers, policy makers, journalists, lawyers, politicians, business owners, military personnel, customs workers and members of the border patrol, labour specialists, historians, sociologists, psychologists, economists, anthropologists, ethnographers social media experts, artists and many more)

What to Send
The aim of this interdisciplinary conference and collaborative networking event is to bring together academics, professionals, practitioners, NGO’s, voluntary sector workers etc. in the context of a variety of formats: presentations, seminars, workshops, panels, performances etc.

300 word reviews of your proposed contribution (paper abstracts, proposals for workshops, collaborative works or round tables, overviews of artistic projects or any other relevant forms of participation you are interested in) should be submitted by Friday 8th June 2018.

All submissions will be minimally double reviewed, under anonymous (blind) conditions, by a global panel drawn from members of the Project Advisory Team and the Advisory Board. In practice our procedures usually entail that by the time a proposal is accepted, it will have been triple and quadruple reviewed.

You will be notified of the panel’s decision by Friday 22nd June 2018.

If your submission is accepted for the conference, a full draft of your contribution should be submitted by Friday 19th October 2018.

Proposals may be in Word, PDF, RTF or Notepad formats with the following information and in this order:
a) author(s), b) affiliation as you would like it to appear in the programme, c) email address, d) title of proposal, e) body of proposal, f) up to 10 keywords.

E-mails should be entitled:  Migrations and Diasporas Submission

Where to Send
Abstracts should be submitted simultaneously to the Organising Chair and the Project Administrator:

Jonathan Rollins: jrollins@arts.ryerson.ca
Project Administrator: viennadiaspora@progressiveconnexions.net

[TABS_R id=1298]

What’s so special about Progressive Connexions events?

A fresh, friendly, dynamic, format – we at Progressive Connexions are dedicated to breaking away from the stuffy, old-fashion conference formats, where endless presentations are read aloud off powerpoints. We work to bring you an interactive format, where exchange of experience and information is alternated with captivating workshops, engaging debates and round tables, time set aside for getting to know each other and for discussing common future projects and initiatives, all in a warm, relaxed, egalitarian atmosphere.

A chance to network with international professionals – the beauty of our interdisciplinary events is that they bring together professionals from all over the world and from various fields of activity, all joined together by a shared passion. Not only will the exchange of experience, knowledge and stories be extremely valuable in itself, but we seek to create lasting, ever-growing communities around our projects, which will become a valuable resource for those belonging to them.

A chance to be part of constructing change – There is only one thing we love as much as promoting knowledge: promoting real, lasting social change by encouraging our participants to take collective action, under whichever form is most suited to their needs and expertise (policy proposals, measuring instruments, research projects, educational materials, etc.) We will support all such actions in the aftermath of the event as well, providing a platform for further discussions, advice from the experts on our Project Advisory Team and various other tools and intellectual resources, as needed.

An opportunity to discuss things that matter to you – Our events are not only about discussing how things work in the respective field, but also about how people work in that field – what are the struggles, problems and solutions professionals have found in their line of work, what are the areas where better communication among specialists is needed and how the interdisciplinary approach can help bridge those gaps and help provide answers to questions from specific areas of activity.

An unforgettable experience – When participating in a Progressive Connexions event, there is a good chance you will make some long-time friends. Our group sizes are intimate, our venues are comfortable and relaxing and our event locations are history-laden and suited to the event. And for a little bit of extra magic, during our December 2018 conferences in Vienna, you will be able to get into the holiday spirit by visiting the famous Christmas Markets which will be open at the time of our event!

Ethos
Progressive Connexions believes it is a mark of personal courtesy and professional respect to your colleagues that all delegates should attend for the full duration of the meeting. If you are unable to make this commitment, please do not submit an abstract or proposal for presentation.

Please note: Progressive Connexions is a not-for-profit network and we are not in a position to be able to assist with conference travel or subsistence, nor can we offer discounts off published rates and fees.