In 2019, during three days we focused together on and discussed mainly:
- Politics and migration;
- How and why people decide to migrate;
- Good governance as a way forward in migration;
- Migration in urbanizing world.
Participants had a chance to learn from international experts with hands-on experience in migration issues and to be a part of an interactive workshop by European Commission's Joint Research Centre where you experience making decisions about their migration journeys amidst certain migration policies.
During breaks and lunch time participants could try Escape Velocity virtual 360° reality where they put themselves into minds and shoes of several refugees. Andreas Fraunberger from Junge Römer production company was there to answer questions during the first seminar day. Devices were kindly provided by the UNHCR Austria.
FINAL AGENDA
Among lecturers in alphabetical order were:
- Blanca Tapia | Programme Manager at Communications and Events Unit, European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), Austria
- Boldizsar Nagy | Associate Professor, Central European University, Austria
- Giuseppe De Giorgi | Admiral (r) and former Chief of Staff of the Italian Navy, Italy
- Janne Teller | award winning novelist & former conflict advisor for EU and UNO
- Jill Helke | Director of International Cooperation and Partnerships Division, IOM Headquarters, Switzerland
- Kathrine Jensen | Policy Analyst at EU Policy Lab of the Joint Research Centre, European Commission, Belgium
- Lefteris Papagiannakis | Vice-Mayor for Migrants, Refugees and Municipal Decentralization, Municipality of Athens, Greece
- Mathias Czaika | Professor in Migration and Integration and Head of Department for Migration and Globalization, Danube University Krems, Austria
- Melissa Siegel | Professor of Migration Studies, Maastricht University, The Netherlands
- Montserrat Feixas Vihé | Regional UNHCR Representative for Central Europe, Hungary
- Nicolas Rollason | Partner and Head of Immigration Department at Kingsley Napley LLP, United Kingdom
- Ola Henrikson | Director, IOM Regional Office for the European Economic Area, the European Union and NATO, Belgium
- Peter Barnett | Head of Libraries, Advice, Health and Information Service, Coventry City Council, United Kingdom
- Richard Danziger | Director of IOM Regional Office for West and Central Africa, Senegal
- Vicki Squire | Professor of International Politics, The University of Warwick, United Kingdom
PARTICIPANTS
More than 70 participants included representatives of state and public administration, state implementation bodies, intergovernmental organizations, non-profit sector, think-tanks, academia and independent experts. Representatives of EMN National Contact Points from other EU Member States and Norway also participated at the seminar.
PUBLIC EVENTS
Like in previous years, we brought the topics of the seminar also to the public in the form of free evening events. The first one on 20 August at 8pm as a screening of the documentary film The Good Postman about the election for mayor of an almost deserted Bulgarian village on the Turkish border. See our Facebook event here.
The second event on 21 August at 7pm as a play HOME (Where is Yours?) by Nová Scéna Theatre, followed by a discussion with experts on how to talk about migration in an accurate and balanced way. See our Facebook event for more information.