Refuge and Hosting – Paths towards Inlcusion
September 28th – October 1st, 2022. City of Fafe, Portugal
The 32nd AEMI Conference will be hosted by the Museu das Migrações e das Comunidades (Museum of Migration and Communities; MMC) in Fafe, Portugal. As a pioneer of migration history in Portugal, MMC started as a virtual museum in 2001. In 2008, MMC has been located as a museum for visitors in the Municipal House of Culture in Fafe.
Refuge and Hosting – Paths towards Inclusion
Flight, forced migration and displacement have had a strong impact on migration since the 19th century and are becoming of increasing importance. In 2020, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reported that there were 82.4 million forcibly displaced people worldwide.
Shifting of state borders, consequences of climate change and struggles for mineral resources are amongst many causes which drive millions of people to flee their homes every year. Political persecution, violence, discrimination and unstable public order cause people to seek refuge elsewhere. After the summer of migration in 2015-16, which brought 2.6 million refugees to Europe mainly from Syria, Afghanistan and Somalia, the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 started a new wave of forced migration and flight within Europe.
All over the world, compulsory migration affects people of all ages. These people seek refuge and opportunities to live their lives in peace and freedom. The challenge for receiving countries is not just to provide documents, but to give access to education, healthcare, the job market, culture and political life in the receiving spaces – to empower individuals to live their lives. In this respect, shaping coexistence in diversity is one of the greatest tasks of all.
The 32nd AEMI Conference will focus on historical and contemporary forced migration and inclusion. It will consider topics such as the reasons for flight, the paths of refugees out of Europe, to Europe and within Europe, the reception of refugees and the challenges facing host societies. The conference will focus on both the perspective of host countries, with their legal frameworks for reception, care and integration of refugees, displaced persons and asylum seekers, and the perspective of those who have been forced to migrate, with their options for seeking refuge, their strategies for organising their lives in a foreign country and their needs and aspirations.
The conference promotes an interdisciplinary dialogue and knowledge sharing regarding forced migration; a pressing challenge in European society today. The conference will include contributions from archives, libraries, museums, research institutes and universities, as well as from networks and migrant-led organisations.
There are five potential formats for presentations:
- Single speaker presentation: An individual presentation that can include any artistic or cultural discipline. This will be allotted 15 minutes.
- Panel presentation: A self-contained panel on a particular theme, comprising of three presenters. This will be allotted 45 minutes.
- Workshop: This can take several forms; the critical element is a commitment to interactivity and audience participation. Each workshop will be allotted 30 to 45 minutes.
- Round-table: A discussion with statements and dialogue between 2 to 4 experts on a chosen topic. This will be allotted 30 to 45 minutes.
- Artistic presentation: A presentation of a documentary, film, music, live performance or artistic intervention reflecting the theme of the conference.
If you would like to be an active part of the conference, please send an abstract of 200-300 words, which should include your chosen presentational format, and a short CV in English by Wednesday, 1st of June 2022 to: museu.migracoes@cm-fafe.pt
The conference is designed to encourage interdisciplinary dialogue and create an optimum learning environment. To open the conference for contributions from students and young professionals from archives, museums, universities, NGOs and scientific institutions related to the conference’s topic, AEMI provides a grant of 600€-700€ per contributor to cover costs for flight and accommodation.
If you want to apply for the grant, please include an additional letter of motivation to your application and send it directly to the AEMI board: aemi.secretary@online.de.
The language of the conference is English. Conference participation is free of charge for AEMI members. Non-members are welcome to participate at the conference. Special events and the general annual assembly are restricted to AEMI members only.
Conference presentations will be delivered at the Municipal Auditorium of Fafe (www.cm-fafe.pt).
Should you have any further queries, please contact Daniel Bastos: museu.migracoes@cm-fafe.pt.
