European Policy Dialogue Forum on Refugees and Migrants
The European Policy Dialogue Forum on Refugees and Migrants represents an annual platform that brings together key stakeholders working on the social inclusion of refugees and migrants in Europe. Acting as a convener for discussing the growing diversity and complexity of migration flows and migration dynamics, the Forum gathers diverse participants in interactive discussions that combine different perspectives and build bridges between various actors working with refugees and migrants around Europe. The Forum also supports new directions towards dialogue in migration policies and calls attention to the mission and experiences of grassroots organizations to contribute to the work of policymakers.
The 2nd European Policy Dialogue Forum addresses the current social inclusion processes of refugees and migrants in Europe. The Forum does not address border security or reforms in the asylum system; it deals with the question of how dialogue can contribute to the social cohesion and social inclusion of refugees and migrants in Europe. In doing so, the Forum concentrates on three specific topics:
- Strengthening social inclusion in education: including both formal and non-formal approaches. This topic addresses the difficulties that many refugees encounter in learning a new language and understanding a new culture. It deals with the challenges of teachers in addressing cultural and religious diversity in their classroom.
- Building trust in local communities: finding ways to enable interactions between refugees and the local host community to come together to learn from each other. This topic focuses on fostering mutual understanding and creating spaces where members of the host community can learn about other religions and cultures, reducing fear and prejudices against newcomers.
- Reshaping the narratives on migration: with a focus on the current negative perception about refugees. Instead of giving room for derogatory discourse and hate speech, ways of fostering tolerance and understanding are explored. Promising practices coming from media, academic research and policy initiatives are also shared to show how to better counter hate speech and discrimination.
The 2nd European Policy Dialogue Forum was to take place in Bonn, Germany; under the German presidency of the European Union, supported by the German Foreign Ministry and the European Commission Representation in Germany. The Forum has been moved online due to the uncertainties related to COVID-19 and will take place virtually on 3-4 November 2020.
For more details about the European Policy Dialogue Forum, please get in touch with the Project Manager of the Network for Dialogue, Dr. Aleksandra Djuric Milovanovic.
The International Dialogue Centre (KAICIID) established the Network for Dialogue platform, which brings together secular and faith-based civil society organizations from across Europe to strengthen dialogical approaches in the integration of refugees and migrants. KAICIID and the Network for Dialogue are organising the 2nd European Policy Dialogue Forum on Refugees and Migrants in 2020, under the title “Contributing to the social inclusion of refugees and migrants in Europe through interreligious and intercultural dialogue”.
This follows the successful organisation of the 1st European Policy Dialogue Forum on Refugees and Migrants, which gathered 60 participants in Athens, Greece, in October 2019. By bringing together both religious and secular views into the discourse on migration, the Forum succeeded in showcasing ways to foster the social inclusion of refugees and migrants in Europe.
Refugees face numerous hurdles in their new social, economic and political lives in their host country. Many difficulties are due to policies that do not always distinguish between the needs of specific groups versus the unique needs of each individual. Refugees, migrants and members of host societies need contact points and shared spaces to successfully integrate in their new environments. Dialogue can help foster mutual understanding and a two-way integration to better understand each other’s cultural context, including one’s religious background. Local and national initiatives can become positive examples for other cities and countries to learn about and embrace opportunities that help refugees enjoy equal rights and boost their integration. The social inclusion of refugees and migrants provides the means for disadvantaged groups to access resources and experience wellbeing.
The 2nd European Policy Dialogue Forum will bring together around 100 participants from various countries around Europe. In particular, policymakers, policy advisers, religious leaders, academics, and secular and faith-based civil society organizations will be taking part. Whether at the local, national or European level, participants are all working on the social inclusion of refugees and migrants.
Dialogue is a tool to foster an attitude of openness and understanding for diversity. By providing a space for dialogue, the European Policy Dialogue Forum enables participants to share experiences and harvest perspectives of current refugee and migration policies in Europe. This input contributes to collaborations between policymakers, religious leaders, scholars and civil society, and provides a means for developing policy recommendations. Divided into four days, the Forum will open with the introduction on the first day, followed by two days of in-depth discussions in three groups and will end with the closing plenary on the last day.