Session IV: Multi-stakeholder-partnerships to demystify prejudices about Migration
Guiding Questions:
- What efforts have governments taken to promote a balanced public discourse about migrants and migration? What frameworks and mechanisms have they established in order to improve public perceptions of migrants and migration? How have they been effective?
- How can governments and other concerned stakeholders work better with the media in promoting a more evidence-based communication about migrants and migration, and addressing misperceptions and misconceptions?
- What role could migrants and varied social partners (including schools, employers, businesses, academics, trade unions, civil society, etc.) play in demystifying prejudices about migrants and migration?
- What partnerships can be formed – at the local, bilateral, regional and international levels – to try to improve overall global public perceptions about migrants and migration? Moderator: Mr. Mohammed Charef, Président of L’Observatoire Régional des Migrations: Espaces et Sociétés (ORMES)
Speakers:
Dr. Kathleen Newland, Migration Policy Institute
She is Senior Fellow and Co-Founder of the Migration Policy Institute and a Member of the Board of Trustees. Her work focuses on the governance of international migration, the relationship between migration and development, and refugee protection.
Prior to MPI’s establishment in July 2001, Ms. Newland co-directed the International Migration Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment. Earlier, she was a Lecturer in international political economy at the London School of Economics (1988–92) and Special Assistant to the Rector of the United Nations University (1982–87). She has worked as a consultant to the International Labor Organization, the International Organization for Migration, the Office of the Secretary General of the United Nations, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and the World Bank.
Mr. Mohamed Boussraoui, United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), Steering Committee member, GFMD Mayors’ Mechanism
Mr. Boussraoui is the Director of Programmes at the United Cities and Local Governments UCLG, since its creation in 2004. Mr. Boussraoui brings about 29 years of expertise in urban planning, decentralised cooperation, and local governance in international organizations.
Director of Programmes in charge of Water, Resilience and migration issues; he is also responsible for institutional relations with Sub Saharan Africa and Arab World Members.
He graduated in 1985 from University of Paris XII, in urban planning and urbanism and he obtained his post graduate diploma in Urban Environment from Architecture School of Paris.
Ms. Juliana P. Dobos, Deputy Director, Multilateral Engagement, International and Intergovernmental Relations for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Ms. Juliana Dobos has worked for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada since August 2010. Since March 2017, she has been the deputy director responsible for Canada’s engagement with a variety of multilateral fora, on migration related issues.
Between 2007 and 2010, she worked for the Department of Canadian Heritage, on Canadian Government initiatives promoting development through sport (2007-2009) and on policies and programs related to youth (2009-2010).
Before joining Canada’s federal public service in 2007, Juliana worked for UNICEF in Rabat and her responsibilities included planning, monitoring and evaluation of UNICEF’s programs in Morocco (2005-2007).
Ms. Dobos obtained her undergraduate degree from the Babes Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, and her Master of Arts in International Affairs from the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, Ottawa, Canada.
Ms. Clara Skupien, Project Officer, International Catholic Migration Center, Coordinator of the GFMD Civil Society
Clara Skupien is a Project Officer for the International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC). She is one of the main focal points for the GFMD Civil Society Days and works for the secretariat of the Civil Society Action Committee. Both projects are hosted by ICMC.
Ms. Skupien helps ensure a smooth communication and coordination between civil society organizations at the global, national and local level, internally as well as with other stakeholders.
With a background in international history and experience in journalism, communications and international coordination, she has worked directly with migrants in Geneva and for the Swiss government in New York.
Ms. Mbemba Florelle Vera, on behalf of the young people on the move
Mrs. Mbemba Florelle Vera lives in Rabat, Morocco as a refugee since 2016. She is representing the young people on the move and is delighted to share her experiences, opinions and ideas during the development of this workshop. She is currently studying Arabic.
Ms. Maria Teresa Rojas, Director of programs for the Open Society Foundations’ International Migration Initiative.
She has previously held several other positions at the Open Society Foundations’ International Migration Initiative, which she established as the founding director in 2010, including director of the US immigrant rights portfolio, deputy director of the US Justice Fund, and associate director for communications.
Ms. Rojas has a varied background in management and communications in the nonprofit and public sectors, and has successfully structured and managed start-up operations. As the first general manager of New York City’s Crosswalks Television. Network, she built five municipal cable channels from the ground up and instituted unprecedented television coverage of local government proceedings. She has been a television producer, radio correspondent, writer, and a New York Emmy nominee.
Rojas holds an MA in public administration from Baruch College, the City University of New York, and a BA in communications from Rutgers University. She is currently a member of the Advisory Committee of the Andrew & Renata Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law at the University of New South Wales, and a member of the Migration Advisory Board of the International Organization for Migration.
Discussion