RCJP was invited to speak at three panels for the Canadian Association for Forced Migration and Refugee Studies Annual Conference (CARFMS) on Interrogating Integration, held at York University May 14-16. One of our founders, Mustafa Alio, was a keynote speaker on Refugee Agency and Influence in Multiple Spheres. In the first panel, we discussed refugee agency and influence in multiple spheres, which emphasized the importance of creating programs that help refugees get employed & the necessity of working with and for refugees globally.
The second panel was about a newly published book entitled, Refugees’ Roles in Resolving Displacement and Building Peace: Beyond Beneficiaries. It discusses the roles refugees play in local communities, diaspora, conflict, and advocacy.
The third panel was about building partnerships that last, a reflection on the integration of critical post-colonial and localized perspective in refugee and forced migration studies. This panel emphasized the need to protect Indigenous people and refugees, and to create a bridge between these two key communities. It was an honor to both speak and hear what others had to say about these crucial topics pertaining to our own organization’s mission.