welcome
Millions of individuals are uprooted from their communities each year, adding to a growing number of people worldwide trapped along the path of displacement. Men, women, and children flee their homes to seek temporary refuge in locations within their own country's borders, or are forced to cross an international border to become refugees in another land. In the search for security, forced migrants may find themselves in refugee or IDP camps, urban settings, or rural villages. As the impetus for their fight either worsens or improves, they may be forced to accept permanent settlement in a second country, be offered an opportunity to resettle to a third country, or they may be repatriated back to their homes.
Countless challenges and opportunities are presented to forced migrants at these different stages of displacement, and drawing linkages between these experiences can lead toward improvements in research, policy, and practice. This conference will draw from the vast experience of professionals working at the different points along this spectrum, and provide a mechanism that encourages a more holistic approach to forced migration.
Rarely do professionals from the diverse sectors that work on forced migration issues have the opportunity to engage in discourse, and our goal is to encourage dialogue between academics, refugees, practitioners, government officials, representatives of international organizations, students, and community members in stimulating panel discussions that seek to create synergies and increased collaboration.
The four panel sessions - Health & Nutrition, Education, Security, and Livelihoods - will allow conference participants to explore thematic areas in detail, while simultaneously highlighting connections between the stages of displacement. The identity of individuals and communities affected by forced migration are intertwined with the experiences they accumulate in their journeys, and some of these issues will be explored in each of the panel sessions. Similarly, the definition of human rights will be expanded to move beyond a narrow concentration on civil and political rights, and questions related to the right to health, education, protection, and economic security will be addressed in the various panels.
Welcome! We look forward to your participation in this exciting event. For any questions or further information please contact rebecca.bankston@tufts.edu.