MIGRATION, BORDER CRIME AND HUMAN RIGHTS: THE PROBLEMS OF IDENTITIES AND REPRESENTATION IN AFRICA AND DIASPORA

An International Conference Organized by the Conflict and Gender Rights Research Forum and Dominican University, Chicago, Illinois in Collaboration with University of Nigeria, Nsukka; Faculty of Law, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka; Veritas University, Abuja, Nigeria; and Dominican University, Ibadan, Nigeria 
October 3-5, 2019
Dominican University, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Conference Theme: 
Reframing migration and human rights; border crime and international security in the discourse of globalization and human development.

Call for Papers

Migration, identity and states boundaries are increasingly becoming important concepts that dominate international debates in the Social Sciences. Largely viewed from social and historical perspectives, migration is framed as transition or territory of political, social, and economic mobility (I. Chambers, 2008). Recent scholarship underscores the construct with diverse representations on locationalities, individuals, groups and states’ identities (La Barbara, 2008). The era of war, conflicts, poverty, overpopulation, and climate change usher, yet new perspectives of transnational/regional mobility. In Africa, for example, several examples abound with the situations of refugees and internally displaced persons in states like Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Burundi, Somalia, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo, and South Sudan. The emerging issues urge for new meaning and reconceptualization on migration, its laws and policies.

With prevalence of war and armed conflicts across Africa and Asia, contemporary political debates and media hype link migration with transborder activities such as banditry, human trafficking, smuggling, proliferation of arms, money laundering and terrorism. Such representation and media framing provoke controversies on issues of identity and human rights. Regardless of the innovations brought by the Conventions on the Status of Refugees (1951) and the recent 2003/2004 Regulations on Asylum’s Rights, the overwhelming questions on migration and human rights are yet to be addressed. Several examples thrive with the situations across the west, east and central Africa, where hundreds of migrants lose their lives, seeking rights of movement across borders. The distance between the borders and the dreamed safe ports pose different problems on identity, deserving global attention and deconstruction. The real identities of hundreds of migrants [mainly across African and Asian] that die or miss their paths crossing the Mediterranean or Sub-Saharan, or those that end their journeys on gruesome torture in detentions remain largely invisible in international discourse. Notwithstanding the interventions by the 2013 UN General Assembly High Level Dialogue (HLD) on International Migration and Development, the fundamental principles on the promotion of human rights equality and sustainability of migrants across the world are still controversial and almost untenable. The World Migration Report of 2018 indicate that the prospects of the 2013 UN HLD and the UN Resolution 58/208 of 2017 on Migration and International Development are yet to translate into action. Statistics of 2018 revealed that there are over 68.5 million refugees scattered across the world with Africa ranking the highest (Report on World Refugee Day, 2018). The basic tenets of universal human rights are challenged while the principles of social and economic globalization are fantasized in the rhetoric of international security.

In the light of these issues, our conference opens debate on migration, human rights issues and the problems of representation. Knowing that forced or voluntary mobility foregrounds alienation, sometime trauma and pain, it becomes pertinent to re-examine how these elements are constructed in political, legal and social discourses. Chimamanda Adichie’s Americanah; and Dave Egger and Valentino Achak Deng’s What in the What reveal how transnational mobility affect not only an individual migrant, but the entire society—the migrated and migrating communities. In view of these, our conference seeks to re-evaluate the intersectionalities between mobility, identity, rights and security. We explore the connections between the imaginary and transitory spaces, the visible and the invisible sites of transit. The aim among others is to re-accentuate the important linkages between migration and human rights; migration, crime and international security; migration, globalization and human development.

We welcome contributions across disciplines. We invite scholars, migrants, non-governmental organizations, politicians, law and policymakers, social workers and students to participation. We welcome abstracts/proposals on the following/related sub-themes:

• Migration and Problem of Definition
• Conflicts, Displacement and Border Crossing in Africa
• and Re-presentation
• Framing Border Crossing, Social Identity and Crime
• Migration and the Problems of Human Rights
• Rights to Asylum in Border-Crossing
• Laws of International Security and Rights of Movement
• Border-Crossing and Challenges to International Security
• Migration, Border Crime and Representation
• The Humanitarian Situations of Refugee and Internal Displaced Persons in Africa
• The Roles of NGOs and Humanitarian aids Workers
• The Politics of Migration and Cross-Bordering
• Cross-Bordering, Identity and Regional Diplomacy
• Sub-Saharan Trade, Migration and the Question of Migration and International Policy
• Migration and Economic Globalization
• Migration and Political Globalization
• Migration and Contemporary Immigration Laws
• Migration in African Literature
• Migration and Arts

Interested contributors should submit their abstracts of 100–150 words (including the heading and key words) not later than 30th July 2019. Abstracts and full papers should be submitted to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.Selected articles would be published as a Special Issue on peer-reviewed Impact Factor Journal. The conference registration fee is: $100.

Important Dates

30th July 2019: Deadline for submission of abstract
10th September 2019: Deadline for submission of full paper
3-5 October 2019: Conference at Dominican University, Riverside, Chicago, US

Contact:

The Conference Director

Dominican University
7900 W. Division Street
River Forest, IL 60305 USA
Telephone: (708) 366 – 2490

CONFERENCE FEE: $100

ACCOMMODATION:

Holiday Inn Express & Suites
Chicago West O'Hare Airport Area
Reservation fee- @Conference Discount Rate: $89 per night
Contact: +1 866-238-4218