The Refugee Studies Centre, International Migration Institute and the Oxford Diasporas Programme are organising a second international symposium on migration and forced migration in North Africa and the Levant on 20 March 2012 with the participation of international scholars, practitioners and policy makers. This second workshop will examine the extent to which the Arab Spring has shifted migration dynamics and migration and refugee governance.

The workshop will address the following questions:

  • How have varying processes of political, economic, and social contestation in North Africa and the Levant affected human mobility?
  • To what extent have events transformed or impacted the institutional behaviour and responses of international organisations and civil society groups working in the field of migration and refugee protection?
  • How have publics and governments in North Africa and the Levant positioned or repositioned themselves in relation to issues of asylum and migration?
  • What role have diasporas and transnational networks played during and after the uprisings?

Download the programme:http://www.rsc.ox.ac.uk/pdfs/arab-spring-programme.pdf

 Registration is free. If you wish to attend the event at the Oxford Department of International Development on the 20th March please contact Heidi El-Megrisi rsc-outreach@qeh.ox.ac.uk

Listen to the Arab Spring workshop live online

If you are unable to join us on the 20th you can listen to the Arab Spring and beyond workshop live online by visiting www.rsc.ox.ac.uk/events/arab-spring-workshop, from 11.15AM GMT Tuesday 20 March 2012. Make sure you download the programme (attached) first to check the times for each session as the broadcast will go offline during the breaks.   

Alternatively you can visit the Refugee Studies Centre page on the Mixlr website, mixlr.com/refugee-studies-centre where you can use a Facebook or Twitter profile to join an online discussion. If you’re on Twitter, you can also use the hashtag #rscarabspring.

An online facilitator will track your thoughts, comments and questions throughout the day and feed them into the discussion at the end of each session.

If you’re tuning in online, please be aware that although we will try to keep to the times stated, sessions may overrun resulting in changes to the programme.

 North Africa and displacement – FMR call for articles

In May 2012, to complement the Arab Spring workshop, the Forced Migration Review (FMR) team at the Refugee Studies Centre will publish a special issue of FMR on ‘North Africa and displacement 2011-2012’. Call for articles online at www.fmreview.org/north-africa/ Deadline for submission of articles for FMR is 2nd April 2012. If you are interested in writing, please email the Editors at fmr@qeh.ox.ac.uk as soon as possible.