CALL FOR PAPERS

Resisting Borders: A Virtual Conference on Refugee and Migrant Health, Mobility, Human Rights and Responsibilities

October 9-11, 2017

Refugees and many migrants have long suffered under constraints on their mobility, even in pressing or urgent circumstances. They are often forced to leave their homes for reasons beyond their control, including war and civil unrest, political and religious persecution, economics, or famine and other natural or man-made disasters. Once displaced, whether internally or externally, they may face pressing needs for food, water, shelter, and health care. Many governments, international agencies and non-governmental organizations often struggle with providing for their needs, particularly in resource-poor regions of the world. Other states, to varying degrees and using different mechanisms, create barriers to migration and threaten the rights and security of all migrants, deepening especially the vulnerabilities of those living precariously. The constant shifting of immigration policies under changing political conditions, moreover, makes mobility and stability elusive, arduous, even harrowing to attain.

To explore these and overlapping issues, in solidarity with these refugees and migrants we are hosting a no-travel virtual conference to explore the following questions:

·      What kinds of restrictions on movement and travel of refugees are ethically permissible and which are not? When if ever are such restrictions ethically justifiable for refugees with needs for health services?

·      Greater acceptance and humanitarian support is presented as being in tension with greater concerns for security, but how does this tension play out empirically and philosophically?

·      What are the implications of ethically justified and unjustified restrictions?  For example, in what ways do they create or perpetuate inequities?

·      What is the proper moral response of and toward states that opt to provide acceptance and support versus those that opt for restrictions on refugees and migrants?

·      What are the obligations of local governments and organizations to provide care for refugees and migrants with health needs?

·      What responsibilities are owed to refugees with health needs who are denied exit or entry, and by whom?

·      What are the obligations of ordinary citizens towards refugees and migrants? How do state policies affect these obligations?

·      What is the moral experience of those facing restrictions based on their nationality or status? How does the experience of those who endure constraints over time compare with that of those who confront them for the first time?

·      What effects do xenophobic policies and practice have on health and well-being of migrants and pro-migrant citizens?  What might count as fitting moral responses? What are the obligations of health professionals in particular to respond to such social determinants of health?

·      What is the moral experience of health and social service professionals who provide care and assistance to refugees and migrants awaiting immigration or deportation?

·      What is the moral experience of those carrying out state policies?

·      Are there lessons from history that can shine light on the ethical dimensions and significance of mobility restrictions on refugees and migrants, and on fitting moral responses?

We are especially interested in contributions from scholars and practitioners working in the areas of refugee health and/or international humanitarian law, immigration and security, health law and policy. Submissions from those who come from or work in regions facing travel restrictions are especially encouraged.

Interested participants should submit an abstract of 250 words no later than Saturday, April 15th, 2017. Abstracts should be submitted via email to the Organizing Chairs at [log in to unmask]

All abstracts should be in Word or RTF formats and contain the following information: a) author(s), b) affiliation, c) email address, d) title of abstract, e) body of abstract, f) type of presentation (oral paper or panel presentation), and g) 3 keywords.

Panel presentations should consist of three to four abstracts organized around a central topic of direct relevance to the conference theme.

Please use a plain sans serif 12-point font and abstain from using footnotes and any special formatting, characters or emphasis (such as bold, italics or underline).

More information will be forthcoming at http://resistingborders.com

Resisting Borders resistingborders.com A Virtual Conference on Refugee & Migrant Health, Mobility, Human Rights & Responsibilities (October 9-11, 2017)

Please circulate this call in your networks.

Thank you.

The organizing committee:

Lisa Eckenwiler, Samia Hurst, Sean-Philpott Jones,

Ayesha Ahmad, Ryoa Chung, Matthew Hunt, and Nina Wild