From: Raffaele Marchetti <[email protected]>
Dear all, Migration is to be one of the key themes at the ECPR-WISC Istanbul conference in August 2005 (you may find additional info below). The breadth of such a theme is an invitation to step back and take a fresh look at a phenomenon that is older than politics or international relations, and one which currently is at the top of national and international agendas. We would like to invite you to participate in a set of panels convened to examine migration and the issues it raises from first principles. At this early stage our intention is question whether political regulations and controls of migration are necessary, if so - whether they can be just and humane and if not, what an alternative might look like. We propose 3 panel: The Ethical-Political Nexus. Equality and universalism, whether as thick or thin concepts, are among the founding principles of democratic ideologies. Migration policies are founded on discrimination - the right of states to choose from among potential non-citizen entrants. This panel will offer a forum where scholars can examine the ethics of the current regime, question the basis of =91managed migration=92 model, or propose alternative principles of migratory justice. The next two panels offer platforms for the development of two different responses to the questions posed by panel 1: A Humane and Just Migration Regime is Possible. In this panel, migration experts are asked to outline different systems (national, regional, intergovernmental and supranational) for managing the migratory phenomenon that takes into account the interests of all actors involved: migrants (for whatever reason or combination of reasons), non- migrants (in sending, receiving and transit states), states and institutions. Open Borders is a Feasible and Desirable Option. This panel moves beyond some of the arguments raised in panel 1 for Open Borders and asks - how would it work? Among the questions to be raised might be - what are the challenges (politically, socially/culturally, economically) and how could they be addressed? What we envisage are 3 papers per panel, with a discussant chosen to question the arguments presented in each. Our goal is to move the debate beyond the well-known critiques of current regimes and to offer alternatives that challenge and stimulate. As you will see below, it seems there is likely to be a shortage of places, so we would like to put something together well before the February 2005 deadline. If you are interested, could you please email brief paper proposals to both of us ([email protected] and [email protected]) by September 30 (before term starts but when people are back from holidays). Please feel free to forward this email to anyone else you think may be willing to join the panels. We look forward to hearing from you. Best wishes, Raffaele Marchetti and Liza Schuster ____________________________________ In 1938, the League of Nations issued a call for a global convening of all IR scholars to come to grips with the nature of international relations, including theories, and methodologies. Instead, World War II began, and the call was never executed. However, 67 years later, we are going to convene a global meeting of IR scholars, and start this process all over again. It is occurring under the auspices of WISC, an umbrella organization of ISA's, of which our own ISA is a major partner. The conference will occur in Istanbul, in August of 2005. It is being co- sponsored by no fewer than a dozen different organizations, representing virtually the entire globe, with co-program chairs from Latin America, Europe, Asia, and North America. Our contribution is through Bob Kudrle, who will not only help program ISA participants but has also agreed to coordinate the program activities of the other program chairs. I hasten to add that this is not primarily an ISA project. We are only one of the partners, and as such, we don't want to or plan to overwhelm the global nature of participation. Therefore, we would like to limit the participation of our ISA members to no more than 300. So, if you are interested, either in proposing a panel or a paper, I would urge you to apply as soon as possible. We will limit according to quality of proposals, but also quantity of ISA members as well. ISA members with especially limited incomes, including some senior graduate students, we will have a limited number of travel grants available. They will not likely cover the entire cost of attendance, but will assist those in most need. However, for this international conference, our travel grants are available only to ISA members. If you are interested in participating in this unique venture, please look at the call for proposals at: http://www.essex.ac.uk/ecpr/events/wisc/proposals.aspx _________________________________ InterPhil List Administration: http://interphil.polylog.org/ Intercultural Philosophy Calendar: http://agd.polylog.org/cal/
