[URBANTH-L] Call for Workshops: 10th International Metropolis Conference, Toronto

[Angela Jancius]

CFP: 10th International Metropolis Conference
Toronto, Canada, October 17-21, 2005
Deadline for Workshop Submission: February 28, 2005

THE INTERNATIONAL METROPOLIS PROJECT

The International Metropolis Project aims to strengthen research, policy and
practice on issues related to migration, including migration flows and their
management, integration, and diversity. Its activities include conferences,
publications and co-ordinated exchanges that encourage dialogue, analysis
and innovative approaches to migration-related policy at all levels of
government. The Metropolis network brings together people from a range of
backgrounds and disciplines, with members from more than 20 countries and
international organizations who share a vision of interconnectivity among
migration research, policy, and practice.

The International Metropolis Project is committed to collaboration between
countries and, in particular, between those in the research, policy and
community sectors. The work of the Metropolis Project demonstrates this
commitment and is, in large part, the reason for its success. Through its
various initiatives, the Metropolis Project supports the development of
policy that is based on solid research, informed thought and a keen
understanding of the issues.
The 2005 Conference marks the 10th anniversary of the International
Metropolis Project.

OUR DIVERSE CITIES: MIGRATION, DIVERSITY AND CHANGE

The 10th International Metropolis Conference will feature some of the
world's key thinkers who will stimulate debate on questions such as:

How does increasing diversity affect the economic, social, cultural,
justice, and political aspects of the world's cities?

What are the benefits and challenges of diversity for our societies?

To what extent are national migration policies consistent with the interests
of the cities that become home to migrants?

What are our best available policy and program options? How can they be made
transferable from one setting to another?

What are the respective roles of national and local governments in ensuring
the best outcomes for all? What ought to be the role of international and
intergovernmental organizations in managing migration?

How can we more effectively take advantage of the wealth of research that is
being carried out worldwide on these issues?

The unwavering pace of international migration is dramatically changing the
world's cities. Immigrants, refugees, temporary workers, and migrants
primarily settle in urban areas where populations have become increasingly
diverse with respect to culture, race, language, religion, and ethnicity.
These forms of diversity intersect with those of gender, class, ability, and
sexual orientation, thereby producing a diversity of greater depth that
poses yet greater challenges for our societies.

While some cities have embraced this rapidly deepening diversity as a
strength, even as a competitive advantage, others are struggling with the
social and governance challenges that it presents.

Although national governments regulate entry to states, it is usually their
cities that must respond to the resulting social changes. When changes arise
from large scale migration over a long period of time and from a wide range
of countries, governments and service providers must work exceptionally hard
to develop the policy and program measures required for healthy and
successful nations and communities. All orders of government, as well as the
many organizations of civil society active in the fields of migration and
diversity, face a range of dilemmas in addressing integration, diversity
management, multiculturalism, and social inclusion. At the same time, they
face the delicate challenge of precluding social exclusion, discrimination,
marginalization, and profiling.

The Conference aims to take the discussion beyond the familiar rhetoric to
discern which policy and program measures can be beneficial and how they can
be implemented in order to achieve the desired results.

Registration: On-line registration will be made available in March 2005.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

The 2005 Metropolis Conference will be of interest to policy makers,
administrators and representatives from non-governmental organizations
(NGOs) as well as academic researchers. Metropolis wants to reach all those
with a professional interest in international migration and urban management
issues.

Graduate students and interested stakeholders in the private sector are
encouraged to attend this event. A special registration fee will be made
available for graduate students and NGO representatives.

Please note: The Metropolis Project does not have the financial resources to
support participants and workshop presenters. Participants and workshop
presenters need to secure their own funding to participate at this event.

CONTACT DETAILS

Metropolis 2005 Secretariat
You can reach the Metropolis 2005 Conference Secretariat at:
Tel: +1-416-392-4990
E-mail: metropolis2005 at toronto.ca
Robert Davis - Project Manager

ADDITIONAL CONTACTS
Dr. Howard Duncan
Executive Head, Metropolis Project
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
365 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, Canada
K1A 1L1
Tel: + 1-613-957-5916
Fax: + 1-613-957-5968
E-mail: howard.duncan at metropolis.net

Rosanna Scotti
Director, Strategic and Corporate Policy
Chief Administrator's Office, City of Toronto
11th Floor East
100 Queen Street West
Toronto, Canada
M5H 2N2
Tel: +1-416-392-8637
Fax: +1-416-696-3645
E-mail: rscotti at toronto.ca

ADJUDICATED WORKSHOP PROPOSALS

We invite you to submit your workshop proposal to an adjudicated review
process. We have set up a panel of experts who will evaluate each workshop
proposal on criteria such as quality, best fit with Conference theme,
overall program structure and representations of different viewpoints. The
panel will also look for a balanced representation of world regions and
gender.
Deadline for submission: Please submit your workshop proposals by February
28, 2005, by e-mail to: metropolis2005 at toronto.ca

Notification: You will be notified by the end of April 2005, if the
adjudication panel has accepted your workshop proposal.

SUBMISSION FORMAT
Workshop sessions will last three hours. In organizing workshops, please try
to ensure as far as possible that: you have broad representation from
academics, policy makers and NGOs
the workshop has an international comparative content  there is sufficient
time for a discussion of ideas.

Workshop title: Maximum of 10 words. Organizers: Please identify:
* Name
* Title, affiliation/institution
* Address
* Telephone number, fax number and e-mail address.

Presenters: Please identify:
* Name
* Title and affiliation/institution.
* Workshop description and Web-summary:

Please describe your workshop in a maximum of 250 words.
* Clearly state:
* Goals of the workshop
* Policy relevance and topic
* Comparative data
* Reference to best practices - locally, nationally and internationally.
Please prepare an abstract (maximum 50 words). These abstracts will be
printed in the Conference program.