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Migration, Mobility and Development in Africa

Migration, mobilités et développement en Afrique

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Published on Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Summary

The MIGDEVRI conferences aim to establish meaningful exchanges between researchers, practitioners and public officials around migration and sub-regional mobility within the ECOWAS community. It focuses on South-South mobility that is largely neglected by scientific research to date.

Announcement

Argument

The MIGDEVRI (MIGration, DEVelopment and Regional Integration) program initiated by LASDEL for 2015-2016 aims to set up scientific and professional discussions among West Africa French-speaking and English-speaking world, on the links between migration, mobility and development, by putting emphasis on original and empirical researches. Each workshop is organised as a 3-days intensive workshop, for about 30 participants (researchers, high level scholars, public decision makers, etc.). The workshop is structured in four sessions:

(a) Migration policies of the host country:

(b) Migration and mobility practices in ECOWAS countries;

(c) Regional integration barriers;

(d) Ongoing researches in African related to these themes.

The program is based on a cycle of four multidisciplinary workshops that will take place in Benin (June 2015), Nigeria (3-26 November 2015, Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State), Burkina-Faso (13-17 June 2016) and Niger (December 2016); and includes junior residency fellowship for advanced students and young researchers interested in these topics in order to renew and develop their competences.

For more information on MIGDEVRI program and junior residency fellowships, please visit www.lasdel.net.

The MIGDEVRI conferences aim to establish meaningful exchanges between researchers, practitioners and public officials around migration and sub-regional mobility within the ECOWAS community. It focuses on South-South mobility that is largely neglected by scientific research to date. There are five research themes:

(i) South-South mobility and West-African higher education;

(ii) Mobility and informal sectors;

(iii) Mobility and sub-regional economic and financial exchanges;

(iv) Mobility brakes and hassles; and

(v) Mobility and family strategies.

Other related aspects of mobility and development may also be explored, such as the links between mobility and sub-regional security, their influence on local or national development, cross-border trade of women, women and mobility, etc.

Main themes 

1. South-South mobility and West-African Higher Education

Analysis of South-South mobility is prioritised to shift the excessive focus on African migrants '' invading Europe ''. Historical root-causes of intra-African mobility in colonial and pre-colonial periods may be discussed according to their contemporary changes. Student, professional and business mobility are examples of the interesting analysis fields: South-South student mobility is particularly important. Very little research has been carried out on the topic. However, student migration is historically embedded, and is likely to have evolved due to recent European migration policies and the generalization of Bologna reform (Bachelor-Master-Doctorate system). Emerging countries (i.e. BRICS) and Maghreb countries offer new opportunities that may lead to some changes in these mobility patterns. Sub-regional training dynamics and career transitions through mobility may also be discussed. Research on the impact of South-South mobility on the reconfiguration and flow of knowledge and competencies in West African Higher Education may be explored.

2. Mobility and informal sector

Informal aspects of West African economy will be explored through the impacts of migrants on daily economy production. Day-to-day informality production will be well documented with wide and concrete examples. The program will investigate such as the links between human mobility and informal economic activities, their implication on neighbouring countries, the infringement of laws, or stakeholders transnational networks which structure informal activities, etc.

3. Mobility and sub-regional economic and financial exchanges

This theme aims to analyse links between mobility and sub-regional economic and financial exchanges. For example, remittances are essential to understand new aspects of human mobility. This theme will help to question formal and informal aspects of these south-south fund transfers, their importance, the risk generated through remittances, etc. Some other aspects of financial and economic exchanges, particularly exchange activities at borderlands will also be discussed.

4. Mobility brakes and hassles

Mobility brakes and hassles will be examined both theoretically and practically through the day-to-day movement of people and goods in West Africa sub-region. Emphasis will be put on the role of women (tradeswomen or not) in mobility. Transnational activities such as small businesses, all kinds of traffic flows, and official policies could be analysed. Strategies to bypass official barriers, corruption, or local practices to skirt institutional and national arrangements could also be examined in different ways.

5. Mobility and family strategies

It has been widely observed that many migrants move first as individuals and later arrange for their families to join them. The number of families living apart is increasing. We invite contributions that explore the different strategies migrants adopt to create a family life when they settle in new destinations. What are the conditions under which different family members may move? When does the separation of couples caused by migration result in divorce? How do these family strategies vary for internal and international migrants, or if the project is engaged by a male or female? 

6. Others sub themes

Other related aspects of mobility and development may also be explored, such as the links between mobility and sub-regional security, their influence on local or national development, cross-border trade of women, women and mobility, forced mobility, children trafficking, trade, forced or voluntary mobility of children to Nigeria, mobility in the oil or mining regions, adventures migration, etc.

Submissions  

This Workshop is open especially for PhD students, master students and young researchers or lecturers who obtained their PhD not earlier than 6 years.

Abstracts of 500 to 1000 words abstract in French or English shouldclearly state the research question, methodology and field of study. Proposals focusing on the four main countries (Benin, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Niger), and comparisons of other African countries (including Portuguese areas) are welcome. Please include the author(s) name and institution. Working languages are French and English.

Contact : migdevri-infos@lasdel.net

Schedule workshop 1 (Benin)

  • Call Bid: 15 March 2015
  • Due date for proposals: 15 April 2015

  • Notification to authors : 25 April 2015
  • Date for complete papers: 25 May 2015

Schedule workshop 2 (Nigeria)

  • Call Bid : 12 August 2015
  • Due date for proposals : 15 September 2015

  • Notification to authors : 25 September 2015
  • Date for complete papers : 10 November 2015
  • Due date for presentations : 15 November 2015

Schedule workshop 3 (13-17 juin)

The new session will be held in Burkina-Faso  du 13-17 Juin 2016, Burkina-Faso.

This workshop will be focused in particular on scientific writing. 

  • Call Bid : 1st February 2016
  • Due date for proposals : 1st March 2016
  • Notification to authors : 25 March 2016
  • Date for complete papers :  10th May 2016
  • Due date for presentations : 15th May 2016

Workshop 1 Organisers (Benin)

  • Dr. Imorou Abou-Bakari (UAC/Lasdel Benin)
  • Dr. Marie-Laurence Flahaux (IMI Oxford, UK)
  • Dr. Elieth Eyebiyi (Lasdel Benin)

Workshop 2 Organisers (Nigeria)

  • Oluyemi Fayomi (Covenant University, Nigeria)
  • Oliver Bakewell (IMI Oxford, Angleterre)

Workshop 3 Organisers (Burkina Faso)

  • Salimata Kouame Traore (LAQAD-S, Ouaga II, Burkina-Faso),
  • Hubert Dabiré Bonayi (ISSP, Burkina-Faso),
  • Oliver Bakewell (IMI Oxford, England)
  • Elieth Eyebiyi (Lasdel Benin/Transpol).

Scientific committee

  • Imorou Abou-Bakari (UAC et Lasdel Benin);
  • Oliver Bakewell (IMI Oxford, UK);
  • Nassirou Bako Arifari (Lasdel Benin/  UAC Benin);
  • Dabiré Bonayi Hubert (ISSP, Burkina-Faso)
  • Sylvie Bredeloup (LPED, IRD-Dakar-AMU) ;
  • Elieth Eyebiyi (Lasdel Benin/Transpol Canada) ;
  • Oluyemi Fayomi (Covenant University, Nigeria); 
  • Marie-Laurence Flahaux (IMI Oxford, UK);
  • Eric Hahonou (Roskilde University, Denmark);
  • Lama Kabbanji (CEPED, UMR 196 Paris Descartes Ined IRD);
  • Frederic Lesemann (Transpol Montreal and RECIM);
  • Sylvie Mazzella (LAMES Marseille, France);
  • Angèle Mendy  (IMI Oxford, UK);
  • Boubacar Niane (GIRES, Université Cheikh Anta Diop, Senegal);
  • Jean-Pierre Olivier de Sardan (Lasdel Niger, EHESS/CNRS France); 
  • Martin Rosenfeld (ULB, Belgium);
  • Amadou Sarr Diop (GIRES, Université Cheikh Anta Diop, Senegal);
  • Abye Tasse (University of Nouakchott, Mauritania);
  • Gabriel Tati (University of The Western Cape, South Africa);
  • Salimata Kouame Traore (LAQAD-S, Université Ouaga II, Burkina-Faso);
  • Rasheed Olaniyi (University of Ibadan, Nigeria).
  • Pam Zahonogo (LAQAD-S, Université Ouaga II, Burkina-Faso)

Date(s)

  • Wednesday, April 15, 2015
  • Tuesday, September 15, 2015
  • Tuesday, March 01, 2016

Keywords

  • Mobility, Migration, Development, ECOWAS, Regional integration, migration, mobilités, développement, intégration régionale

Contact(s)

  • Migdevri Programme
    courriel : migdevri-infos [at] lasdel [dot] net

Reference Urls

Information source

  • Elieth Eyebiyi
    courriel : migdevri-infos [at] lasdel [dot] net

License

CC0-1.0 This announcement is licensed under the terms of Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal.

To cite this announcement

« Migration, Mobility and Development in Africa », Call for papers, Calenda, Published on Wednesday, March 25, 2015, https://calenda.org/323085

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