26th Canadian Ethnic Studies Association Biennial Conference: Immigration Politics, Refugee Crises, and Ethnic Dynamics in a Changing World Order: Canada and Beyond
Thursday 3 – Saturday 5 November 2022, Halifax, Canada
As we are nearing the end of the first quarter of the 21st century, there are a number of major developments on the global scene that call for a continued scrutiny but also a nuanced vision on ethnic dynamics and immigration issues.
First, the issues of immigration policy, border security, rising ethnic tensions, new and ongoing regional and national political conflicts, multiple displacements and escalating refugee crises dominate the news in many different countries – from the United States, Canada, and Mexico in North America, to the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Greece, and Ukraine in Europe, and to China, Australia, Myanmar, and New Zealand in East Asia and Oceania. This dominance has been so pronounced that the immigration/ethnic issues are frequently ranked among the topmost concerns in various nations, and the positions about those issues often determine the political directions and election results in different countries.
Second, there has been a global rise of a new right-wing populist wave, with direct implications for issues such as the meaning and possibility of citizenship, identity / sense of belonging, freedom, human rights, and justice. This is happening alongside a new wave of refugees surfacing as a result of an increased number of regional conflicts and proxy wars over geopolitical and economic interests, environmental disasters, and so on.
Third, despite the conservative and exclusionary politics in various western countries, citizens’ groups and solidarity movements have emerged or strengthened existing voices that support inclusion and integration of migrants and refugees.
Fourth, the COVID pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the discovery of mass burial sites of Indigenous children in Canada have revealed some of the deep-seated ethnic sentiments, racisms and other systemic inequalities once again.
Lastly, the new technological advancements (e.g., the emergence of a ‘cyber world order’ and the use of Artificial Intelligence in immigration decision-making) have resulted in both possibilities but also new challenges for immigration policies.
Altogether, these developments have radically changed the world we live in and have created a new world order; hence, highlighting the need to revisit our existing conceptual and methodological toolboxes in the field of ethnic studies and immigration research. This conference provides a forum to discuss the above issues.
The 26th Canadian Ethnic Studies Association’s conference will be held in person at Saint Mary’s University which is located in the historic port city of Halifax, Nova Scotia, a vibrant, fastest growing urban community in Canada of about 448,000 people. Halifax is Atlantic Canada’s major educational centre and home to five universities, with a long history of immigration, settlement and diversity. Saint Mary’s University is located in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq.
Find out more information and book your place here: https://cesa-scee.ca/cesa-2022-conference/
This event will be held at Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, N.S., Canada