Social Development to co-host Regional Conference on International Migration
Pretoria-International migration is an increasingly prominent theme in public, policy and scholarly debates in Africa and across the globe. Movements of Africans within and beyond the continent have long been at the margins of these global discussions while migration is a cross-cutting developmental issue. Recent developments and policy pronouncements have brought a sharp focus on immigration and migration, particularly in the African continent in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (Agenda 2030) and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
Migration has become a contested global political issue as seen in countries such as the USA and EU member states. While the politicisation of migration issues has sharpened the criticism of strictly policy-driven research, knowledge of migration in Africa is still conceptually thin, empirically fragmented, and often disconnected from wider theoretical or policy debates.
With specific reference to South Africa, issues of migration have come to the fore with recent xenophobic attacks on foreign nationals. The National Development Plan (Vision 2030) emphasises the importance of prioritising migration and urbanisation so that the statistics and development plans, particularly in large metropolitan areas respond effectively to migration dynamics and governance.
Against this backdrop, the Department of Social Development in collaboration with the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and the African Centre for Migration and Society at the University of Witwatersrand will co-host an international conference under the theme: Southern Perspectives on Migration: Addressing Knowledge Production, Policies and Cooperation”, from 5-7 September 2018 at Sunnyside Park Hotel, Parktown, Johannesburg.
The conference is explicitly interdisciplinary, intending to break from strict academic and policy silos to promote cross-pollination and critical consideration of how information on migration is generated, considered and used in policy making. Another topical thematic focus area is the representation of migration issues in the mainstream media. For example, the conference seeks to explore media reportage and what connections exist between the media and the public in regard to the topic of migration, how people perceive and shape this relation, and what political influences are associated with it.
Of interest are also panel discussions on building inclusive cities and the integration of migrants in receiving and hosting countries, protecting the safety, dignity and human rights of all migrants, regardless of their migratory status.
The conference therefore presents a significant opportunity to improve knowledge and policy governance on migration to address the challenges associated with today’s migration in the African continent.
Members of the media are invited to attend and cover the event scheduled as follows:
Date: 5 to 7 September 2018
Venue: Sunnyside Park Hotel, Princess of Wales Terrace and Carse O’Gowrie Road, Parktown, Johannesburg
Time: 08h00-14h00
Media can RSVP:
Lumka Oliphant
Cell: 0834848067
E-mail: LumkaO@dsd.gov.za
