The conference will focus on various aspects of forced migration, such as durable solutions and the end of displacement, early recovery and stabilization, livelihood, social cohesion and transitional justice, conflict resolution and violence reduction, house land and property.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM), the University of Kurdistan Hawler (UKH), and Georgetown University's Center for Contemporary Arab Studies and the Institute for the Study of International Migration (ISIM), invite you to submit an abstract for the conference on “Migration and Displacement in Iraq”, in Erbil, Iraq.
Concept Note
Latest figures from IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) 1 show that as of December 2016, there are around 3 million of internally displaced individuals (499,334 families) dispersed across 106 districts and 3,690 locations in Iraq. The governorates hosting the largest IDP populations are Ninewa, Baghdad, and Dahuk, with about 1.2 million individuals, corresponding to 46% of the total IDP population. The extent to which these IDPs have reached durable solutions remains unclear. Studying coexistence and “temporary” integration or stability in place of displacement is one way to support the implementation of programs in a way that minimizes the economic pressure that IDPs pose on the labor market, education, health, and housing. Programming should in fact not focus solely on assistance to IDP but also considers the community as a whole. In addition, many communities of Iraqi refugees exist outside of Iraq, and over 200,000 Syrians have found safety in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq since 2012.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the University of Kurdistan Hawler (UKH) will host a conference on “Migrations and Displacement in Iraq” on 19th - 21st April 2017 in Erbil, Iraq. This co-hosted event is mainly financed by the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration of the US State Department. Georgetown University's Institute for the Study of International Migration and Center for Contemporary Arab Studies are co-organizers with IOM and UKH and are also cosponsors. We are seeking research presentations by individuals or institutions that address all aspects of issues of forced migration in and from Iraq, Iraqi refugees and IDPs, and durable solutions to displacement in Iraq.
The conference will provide a forum for the presentation and discussion of findings of completed or ongoing research studies that IOM and other individuals, institutions, and organizations are undertaking in Iraq or with Iraqi refugees. The interventions will touch upon different aspects of forced migration, such as durable solutions and the end of displacement, early recovery and stabilization, livelihood, social cohesion and violence reduction, conflict resolution and transitional justice. In this regard, the conference will advance the discourse on the progressive resolution of displacement and its implementation challenges.
Goals of the Conference
By bringing together local leaders, researchers, and development practitioners from leading national and international institutions, the event will provide an opportunity to consider approaches and solutions to internal displacement based on the opinions and perceptions of the population that is directly experiencing these events. The conference will provide an opportunity to discuss what can be done to alleviate the suffering of millions, always keeping in mind the principles of freedom and possibility of choice, and the respect of basic human rights. Considerations and evidence-based suggestions to guide humanitarian development and government funding and programming will all be on the agenda, thus marking an important milestone in the roadmap towards discussing and supporting the achievement of durable solutions for Iraqi IDPs based in evidence from research.
In particular, the conference will address a key consideration that should be stressed when approaching the resolution of displacement, i.e. that “ ... recognition of individuals, households and communities as agents of their own recovery is central, with outcomes taking place over time and usually not uniform, un-coordinated, spontaneous and continuous. The engagement of affected populations is critical to the initiation of creative solutions”
This co-hosted event is mainly financed by the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration of the US State Department.
Objectives of the Conference:
• To share research findings on IDPs and returnees with relevant stakeholders
• To meet and network with relevant stakeholders in the field and inform local institutions of the research work done by humanitarian and development actors
• To offer government counterparts information that can be used it to produce an evidence-based road map for the alleviation and progressive resolution of internal displacement in the country.
Focus Areas and Envisaged Results
The conference will focus on a variety of different aspects of forced migration, such as durable solutions and the end of displacement, early recovery and stabilization, livelihood, social cohesion and transitional justice, conflict resolution and violence reduction, house land and property, among other topics. The outcomes of the conference include short analytical papers of less than 5,000 words. Those authors whose papers are accepted for the conference will be sent more specific details for publication and requirements.
Interested individuals and organizations should submit a 250-word abstract, which includes their name, title, place of employment or study, by 17th February 2017. To submit your abstract online visit the official website.
Abstracts must be in Arabic or English, but presentations can be done in Kurdish, English, or Arabic. Please note that priority is for proposals that are based in rigorous research projects, and we will ask you to emphasize practical findings from that research that contributes to the growing literature. Authors of selected abstracts will be notified by 27 February.
Poster sessions for students in Iraq will be held, and abstracts of “poster sessions” are encouraged. Some funding for travel and lodging is available for Iraqi participants. Registration to attend conference will opened in early March.
For questions please contact: conference@ukh.edu.krd.
For more information please click "Further Official Information" below.
This opportunity has expired. It was originally published here:
http://iomiraq.net/article/0/migration-and-displacement-iraq-conference-19-21-april-2017-call-abstracts