Were you unable to attend our IV Forum? Read our summary to see what you missed! Fourth International Forum on Migration and Peace Summary The Fourth International Forum on Migration and Peace was held on June 20 and 21, 2013, at New York Law School in New York City. The central theme for discussion was “Human Security, Human Development and International Governance on Migration: The Commitment of Governments and Civil Society Organizations at Local, National and International Levels”. Delegates from all over the globe were invited, including foreign diplomats, civil society representatives, United Nations representatives, and religious figures. Over 200 attended, demonstrating the Forum’s vital importance to all those involved in civil society and immigration. The Forum was divided into two days, which was then organized to accommodate the speakers presenting. Time for audience participation and question and answer was also allotted for each panel. Day 1 Day 1, June 20, began with opening remarks from Father Leonir Chiarello, the Executive Director of Scalabrini International Migration Network, who organized the Forum. Fr. Chiarello welcomed delegates and emphasized the Forum’s goal to “create a better governance for international migration”. Mercedes del Carmen Guillén Vicente, the Assistant Secretary for Population, Migration and Religious Affairs of Mexico, spoke during opening remarks, as did Jan Eliasson, the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Nicholas DiMarzio, the Bishop of the Diocese of Brooklyn, and Alfredo Goncalves, the First Councilor and Vicar General of Missionaries of St. Charles Borromeo, Scalabrinians. With the conclusion of the opening remarks, the first panel, “Economic Security and Social Security: the Challenges of Inequality and Social and Economic Integration of Migrants” began. Moderator Mario Hernández, the Director of Public Affairs of Western Union, introduced the topics and the panel. First to speak was Luis Fernando Carrera, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala, who emphasized the universality of immigrant history: “We all have immigrant blood”. Fatima Shama, the Commissioner from the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs of New York, presented next, discussing how the city of New York had taken initiatives to promote inclusion and equality among immigrant groups. “New York City,” Shama told attendees, “aims to be the most immigrant-friendly city in the world.” After Shama, Olaf Jacob, the South American Coordinator for Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, presented, discussing the fight for immigrant equality. Lastly, Maria Tangonan, the Kairos Youth Coordinator of The Filipino Pastoral Ministry, told attendees of her own personal experiences immigrating to the United States from the Philippines, as well as her struggle finding fair treatment from her employers: “The moment immigrants complain about their employers, we get the axe.” After breaking for lunch, the Forum reconvened for its second panel of the day: ”Human Security, Human Development and Human Rights: Trends and Challenges for International Migration Policies”. Moderator Ruti Teitel, the Co-Director of The Institute for Global Law, Justice & Policy at New York Law School, introduced the topics and the speakers. First to speak was Mercedes del Carmen Guillén Vicente, the Assistant Secretary for Population, Migration and Religious Affairs for Mexico, who discussed how global policy can protect immigrants: “How can governments pay special attention to women and children migrants?” The next featured speaker was Emilio Álvarez Icaza, the Executive Secretary of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, who discussed his personal experiences with immigration in the larger global context of international policy. The third speaker was Donald Kerwin, the Executive Director of the Center for Migration Studies of New York, presented on state and government migration law: “Laws that separate families do not honor the rule of law”. Speaking forth was Colleen Thouez, a Senior Research and Training Advisor at the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, who discussed immigration reform: “A human rights based approach (to migration) is rational”. The final speaker was Ilma Paixão, the general manager of the Langer Broadcasting Group, and a special invitee of SIMN and the NGO Committee on Migration. She also shared her personal experiences as an immigrant and immigration advocate in the United States: “I became the victim of hate crimes because of my immigrant status”. After a short coffee break, the Forum resumed with the third and final panel of the day: “South-South and South-North Migration: Policies and Civil Society Participation”. Moderator Father Flor Maria Rigoni, Director of Casa del Migrante Albergue Belén Tapachula, in Chiapas, México, welcomed panelists and introduced the topics for discussion. First to speak was Paulo Sérgio de Almeida, the President of the National Immigration Council for Labor Ministry of Brazil, who presented on the immigration policies of Brazil: “Current immigration policies in Brazil have lessened unemployment to less than 6%”. The second speaker was Jorge Martínez, a researcher at the Population Division of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, who discussed immigration in Southern and Latin America: “Almost 30 million Latin American and Caribbean immigrants exist internationally". Next to speak was Gabriela Rodríguez, the Director of Centro Internacional para los Derechos Humanos de los Migrantes in Costa Rica as well as the Former United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrants. She discussed causes of migration within a global context. The fourth and final speaker was Nimbe Gonzalez, the Director in Department of Social Services at the Casa del Migrante Tapachula, who presented on the relationship between poverty, fear, and negative perceptions of migration. Day 2 Day 2, June 21, opened with the first panel of the day, “North-North and North-South Migration: Migration Policies and Civil Society Participation”. Moderator Austin T. Fragomen Jr., a partner at Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP, introduced speakers and the topics for discussion. First to speak was Joseph Chamie, Former Director of the United Nations Population Division, who presented current migration data and trends and their development over recent years: “By 2050, I estimate that there will be half a billion migrants”. The next featured speaker was Charles Wheeler, the Director of National Legal Center for Immigrants for the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, who discussed the history of American immigration policy. The third speaker on the panel was Sara Campos, an independent writer and consultant, a former staff attorney with the National Immigration Law Center and Director of the Asylum Program for the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights in San Francisco. She too spoke on American immigration policy: “Because the US government did not act on immigration reform, states like Arizona took matters into their own hands". The last speaker was Cecilia Imaz, a Professor-researcher from the National University of Mexico, who discussed American-Mexican immigration, past and present. After a short coffee break, the last and final panel of the Forum began, titled “Toward an International Governance of Migration: Citizenship and the Inclusion of Migrants”. Moderator Bela Hovy, the Chief of the Migration Section of the Population Division at DESA, welcomed speakers and introduced the topics for discussion. First to speak was Mårten Grunditz, the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Sweden to the United Nations, who discussed the UN’s role in shaping immigration and migration policy. The next speaker was Yanerit Morgan, the Deputy Permanent Representative of Mexico to the United Nations, who discussed the international communities’ response to global migration trends. Third to speak was Michele Klein Solomon, the Permanent Observer of the International Organization for Migration to the United Nations, who spoke on treatment of migrants and perspectives on immigration: “To make migration work, we have to treat migrants as active agents of change”. The next speaker was Fatima Shama, who returned to the Forum for its second day, this time to speak on the inclusion and discrimination of migrants: “The immigrants of yesterday are the discriminators of today”. The last speaker of the Forum was John Bingham, the Coordinator of Civil Society Days of the Global Forum on Migration and Development. He presented on civil society and governance in relation to migration. After the closing of the final panel, Father Leonir Chiarello again took to the podium to share his thanks for all those who attended and participated in the conference, as well as all those whose support was integral to its success. He reminded the crowd: “Migrants are key actors in global development by building inter-cultural bridges”. With this moving sentiment, the Fourth Annual Forum on Migration and Peace came to an end.
Posted on: Mon, 24 Jun 2013 15:06:18 +0000