Archive for December, 2007

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Migration Studies in Ireland: Trinity, March 2008

Tuesday, December 18th, 2007

‘Migration Studies in Ireland: ­ An Interdisciplinary Postgraduate
Conference’ will be held in Trinity College, Dublin on March 27-28, 2008.

Organisers have issued a call for papers from postgrad students working on questions of migration, race, rights, public policy, inter/transculturalism
and the use of audio and visual media in social research. They welcome input from the fields of sociology, anthropology, cultural studies, linguistics, geography, education, social policy, lens-based practice, film and media studies, race, ethnicity and gender studies, among others.

This is the inaugural conference but will it occur annually and rotate location between the following convening partner institutions: University College Dublin (UCD); National University of Ireland, Maynooth (NUIM); University College, Cork (UCC); Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT); University of Limerick (UL); Dublin City University (DCU); Trinity College Dublin (TCD).

Abstracts should be sent to migrationstudiesireland@gmail.com no later than January 20.

US National Migration Week, Jan 6-12

Tuesday, December 18th, 2007

National Migration Week will take place in the US from January 6 – 12. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has published a website with resources for the week at the usccb.org website.

December 18 is International Migrant’s Day

Tuesday, December 18th, 2007

Today is International Migrants Day, as designated by the UN. The date was choosen because it was on 18th December 1990 that the UN adopted the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of all Migrants Workers and Members of Their Families.There are 37 countries that have ratified the convention on migrant workers’ rights. Ireland is not among them; few European countries are.

Visit the official International Migrant’s Day site.

See more information on the UN Migrant Workers’ Convention.

Foreign Affairs Minister outlines new relationship

Friday, December 14th, 2007

Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern has published an article outlining Ireland’s relationships with the Irish abroad. In “Ireland’s New Approach to its Diaspora”, available in full on the IrishEmigrant.com website, Minister Ahern outlines the changes that have taken place in recent years.

He notes that the Diaspora is vast:

The dimensions of our Diaspora are breathtaking. In the last US census, 36 million people declared an Irish link. The figures for Britain, Australia, Argentina, Canada and New Zealand are equally impressive. Large numbers are also to be found in South Africa and Zimbabwe, and increasing numbers of Irish-born people are living in Spain and other Mediterranean countries.

Minister Ahern also notes that changes in Ireland, including the peace process and economic success have allowed Ireland to re-evaluate the relationship with the Irish abroad. This has resulted in a tremendous increase in funding, up to €15.2 million this year, and increasing to planned spending of €34 million a year in the lifetime of the current administration. He details the spending in Britain, the US, Canada, Australia, Argentina, South Africa, New Zealand and Zimbabwe.

Minister Ahern concludes:

Regular newspaper articles and TV programmes show that there has never been so much interest at home in the Diaspora. Irish people are travelling abroad in huge numbers and meeting members of our Diaspora in many of the countries they visit. Our Constitution has been changed to reflect the new commitment to the overseas Irish, enshrined in the amended Article 2. New structures have been established by the government through the Irish Abroad Unit to coordinate our policy in this area and to provide funding, when appropriate, to projects relating to the Diaspora. It is a very exciting time with much happening. We have to ensure that we maintain the interest of our communities abroad in Ireland as the generations go by. I am confident we can meet that challenge. I am fully committed to maintaining this new outreach to our people – our global family – overseas.

See the entire article on the IrishEmigrant.com website.

Exhibition on Irish in Europe opens

Friday, December 14th, 2007

“Strangers to Citizens: the Irish in Europe, 1600 – 1800″ has opened at the National Library’s Genealogical Office on Kildare Street in Dublin.

The exhibition tells the story of the Irish who went to continental Europe from the time of the Flight of the Earls. It shows that the Irish left for a variety of reasons and had a myriad of experiences:

Following the wars at the end of the 16th century, the Irish began to migrate to continental Europe in a pattern which continued over two hundred years. Soldiers, students, priests, professionals, and merchants, were among the many thousands who emigrated, to Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Russia, and Sweden, and elsewhere. Over time migrants formed communities and eventually integrated into their host societies.

The exhibition features a number of images from institutions across the Continent, as well as original manuscripts illuminating the Irish experience. Digital installations allow visitors to explore topics in greater depth and also to look up individuals who served in the French and Spanish armies of the 18th century and who studied at Irish colleges in Paris, Leuven, or Toulouse.

The exhibition, which celebrates the 400th anniversary of the Flight of the Earls, will be open throughout 2008. Admission is free.

See the National Library website.

No recognition for gay couples a barrier to return

Tuesday, December 11th, 2007

An agency that works with gay and lesbian people says that the lack of recognition for gay couples is preventing many gay emigrants from returning home.

A report in the Irish Independent says,

The Gay Lesbian Equality Network (GLEN) said the issue of foreign partners of Irish nationals not being allowed to live or work here is their biggest problem area.

Spokesman Eoin Collins said the number of calls to the organisation on the issue in the past two years has doubled.

“Irish people who have a partner from outside the EU, such as Canada or the US, are having huge problems,” he said…

“It’s definitely turning people off returning to Ireland. They fear that if they do return, that their partners’ status will cause tension in the relationship.”

While the Government has ruled out gay marriage, it says it will introduce a bill establishing civil partnerships for gay couples next year.

See the full report in the Irish Independent.

See the GLEN website.

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