IAMR ATHENS 2009 FLYER

From Manila 2008 to Athens 2009,

join Migrants and Refugees speak in their own behalf!

Join us again in the
Second International Assembly of Migrants and Refugees (IAMR 2)
in Athens, Greece ( November 1-4, 2009)

(This is a migrant and refugee assembly in conjunction with the Global Forum
on Migration and Development to be held in Athens, Greece on Nov. 2-5, 2009)

THEME:
Uphold and Advance the Rights of Migrants and Refugees Against Exploitation, War and Discriminatory Laws, Amidst the Global Economic Crisis! Oppose 'Fortress Europe' and the EU Return Directive!

WORKSHOP TOPICS:
1) The Impact of the Global Economic and Financial Crisis on Migrants
2) The Situation of Women Migrant Workers
3) The Precarisation (Marginalization/Exclusion) of Labor,
especially Migrant Labor, and the Relations with Unions
and the Social Movements
4) The Violation of the Rights to Asylum and the Plight of Refugees
5) The Urgent Issues of the Undocumented,
Their Criminalization and 'Fortress Europe'
6) Fighting Racism, Discrimination, Xenophobia and Fascism
7) The Continued Attacks and State Repression
on Migrants and Refugees under the so-called War on Terror
8) Political Empowerment and Participation for Successive
Generations of Migrants and Confronting Policies
and Problems in Integration
19) Engaging the United Nations and other International Bodies
within the Framework of Upholding and Advancing the Rights
and Welfare of Migrants and Refugees
10) Drawing Lessons and Celebrating Successful Campaigns on Migrant
and Refugee Rights and Welfare, and People's Resistance
11) Developing An Education Campaign/Program to Increase our
Capabilities and Skills to Arouse, Organize and
Mobilize Migrants, Refugees and Advocates

DEFEND AND ADVANCE THE DEMOCRATIC
AND BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS OF MIGRANTS AND REFUGEES!
MIGRANTS SAY NO TO GFMD!
STOP POVERTY AND UNEMPLOYMENT! FIGHT FOR GENUINE SELF-DEVELOPMENT!
END FORCED MIGRATION! CREATE JOBS AT HOME!
MIGRANTS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS!
NO TO THE OPPRESSIVE EU RETURN DIRECTIVE!
NO TO NEOLIBERAL GLOBALIZATION! YES TO PEOPLE'S INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY!
BAIL OUT THE PEOPLE, NOT THE BANKS AND BIG CORPORATIONS!
MIGRANTS, ADVOCATES AND ALL WORKING PEOPLES UNITE
AGAINST REPRESSION AND OPPRESSION!


Contact the IAMR2 Athens Secretariat at:

Grace Punongbayan
iamr2athens@gmail.com
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Cellphone Number: +31-6-33056411
Visit our Website: http://iamr2athens.blogspot.com/

Convenors: International Migrants' Alliance (IMA)-Asia-Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM), IBON International, Class March (Greece), ATIK, Migrante Europe (The Netherlands)

IAMR ATHENS 2009 BROCHURE

THE INTERNATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF MIGRANTS AND REFUGEES (IAMR)

The International Assembly of Migrants and Refugees (IAMR) is an assembly where migrants and refugees speak for themselves through their grassroots organizations supported by a broad spectrum of migrants rights advocates, progressive workers' groups and social movements.

The First IAMR held in Manila, Philippines last October 2008, embodied the autonomous voice of the migrants and refugees through their own gathering. It challenged the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) process and its agenda of promoting migration for development through remittances. The IAMR in Manila presented the true picture of modern slavery in labor migration and debunked the notion of development by exporting human labor.

THE GLOBAL FORUM ON MIGRATION AND DEVELOPMENT (GFMD)

The 3rd Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) will be held in Athens, Greece on November 4-5, 2009. The first was held in Brussels in July 2007 and the second in Manila in October 2008. The GFMD is a multilateral and state-led initiative under the aegis of the United Nations (UN). It purports to facilitate dialogue among sending and receiving countries, but in reality, the rich countries dictate the agenda and main thrusts in the GFMD. They impose their own self-serving concept of development and define the modalities in “managing” the flow of cross-border migration.

Two things make the GFMD in Athens particularly significant. It will take place in the midst of the worst global economic crisis since the Great Depression. It will also take place in Europe where migrant workers particularly the millions of undocumented face an uncertain future in an increasingly unfriendly environment with the imminent implementation in 2010 of the EU Return Directive.

THE SECOND IAMR IN ATHENS, GREECE

The Second IAMR will be held in Athens, Greece on November 1-4, 2009, in conjunction with the government-led GFMD and the Civil Society Organizations (CSO) meeting. The Second IAMR will focus on urgent migrant and refugee issues, particularly the situation and protection of the rights of undocumented migrant workers and refugees.

The Second IAMR in Athens, Greece will be a four-day gathering that will include plenary discussions, workshops, street mobilizations, bazaar, cultural solidarity, networking and most especially sharing of experiences and action plans among migrants, refugees and advocates.


THEME OF THE SECOND IAMR

Uphold and Advance the Rights of Migrants and Refugees Against Exploitation, War and Discriminatory Laws, Amidst the Global Economic Crisis! Oppose 'Fortress Europe' and the EU Return Directive!

OBJECTIVES OF THE SECOND IAMR

1) Bring to the fore the urgent issues and challenges facing migrants and refugees all over the world and take the progressive positions on such issues especially in the face of the worst global economic crisis since the Great Depression;
2) Challenge the EU claim of being an open and humanist society in the face of a growing list of draconian laws and measures being taken against migrants and refugees such as the EU Return Directive.
3) Expand and strengthen the International Migrants Alliance (IMA) as a militant and progressive alliance of organizations of migrants and refugees, and advocates of migrants rights;
4) Develop a broad international advocacy network that will continuously engage states and official multilateral bodies regarding issues and concerns affecting migrants and refugees;
5) Adopt a program of action/campaigns around general and specific issues on migrants rights and welfare.

TOPICS FOR THE WORKSHOPS

1) The Impact of the Global Economic and Financial Crisis on Migrants
2) The Situation of Women Migrant Workers
3) The Precarisation (Marginalization/Exclusion) of Labor, especially Migrant Labor, and the Relations with Unions and the Social Movements
4) The Violation of the Rights to Asylum and the Plight of Refugees
5) The Urgent Issues of the Undocumented, Their Criminalization and 'Fortress Europe'
6) Fighting Racism, Discrimination, Xenophobia and Fascism
7) The Continued Attacks and State Repression on Migrants and Refugees under the so-called War on Terror
8) Political Empowerment and Participation for Successive Generations of Migrants and Confronting Policies and Problems in Integration
19) Engaging the United Nations and other International Bodies within the Framework of Upholding and Advancing the Rights and Welfare of Migrants and Refugees
10) Drawing Lessons and Celebrating Successful Campaigns on Migrant and Refugee Rights and Welfare, and People's Resistance

11) Developing An Education Campaign/Program to Increase our Capabilities and Skills to Arouse, Organize and Mobilize Migrants, Refugees and Advocates

CONVENORS OF THE SECOND IAMR:

The Second IAMR is being convened by the following: the International Migrants' Alliance (IMA)-Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM), IBON International, Class March (Greece), ATIK, Migrante Europe (The Netherlands)

DEFEND AND ADVANCE THE DEMOCRATIC AND BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS OF MIGRANTS AND REFUGEES!
MIGRANTS SAY NO TO GFMD!
STOP POVERTY AND UNEMPLOYMENT! FIGHT FOR GENUINE SELF-DEVELOPMENT!
END FORCED MIGRATION! CREATE JOBS AT HOME!
MIGRANTS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS! NO TO THE OPPRESSIVE EU RETURN DIRECTIVE!
NO TO NEOLIBERAL GLOBALIZATION! YES TO PEOPLE'S INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY!
BAIL OUT THE PEOPLE, NOT THE BANKS AND BIG CORPORATIONS!
MIGRANTS, ADVOCATES AND ALL WORKING PEOPLES UNITE AGAINST REPRESSION AND OPPRESSION!

IAMR Athens, Greece Contact Details:

Secretariat
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Email: iamr2athens@gmail.com
Website: http://iamr2athens.blogspot.com/
Postbox: 15687, 1001 ND Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Grace Punongbayan, head of secretariat
Mobile: +31-6-33056411

Participation Form

Theme: Uphold and Advance the Rights of Migrants and Refugees Against Exploitation, War and Discriminatory Laws, Amidst the Global Economic Crisis! Oppose 'Fortress Europe' and the EU Return Directive!

PARTICIPATION FORM
(Please send back duly accomplished form by fax or e-mail by September 1, 2009)


1. Name of participant: ____________________________________________

2. Gender: _____ Age: _____ Nationality: ______________________________

3. Name of your organization (including acronym): _____________________________________________________________

4. Address: _____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

4. Contact Information: Phone: _______________________________________

Fax: ________________________________

Mobile: ______________________________

E-mail: ______________________________

5. Type of Organization:

_____ Migrant Organization
_____ Non-Government Organization, pls. specify what sector _______________________________________________
_____ Sectoral organization/Alliance/Federation, please specify what sector ________________________________________________
_____ Others, please specify ________________________________________________
______ Themes/Topics your organization is concerned with:
______________________________________________________________

______Workshop topics you are interested to participate in (please refer to program for list of workshop topics):
______________________________________________________________

6. Scope of Organization:

_____ International
_____ Regional
_____ National
_____ Others (pls. specify) __________________

7. Is your organization a member of a local, national, regional or international network or coalition? Which one(s)? _________________________________________________________

8. Are you being sent by your organization to participate? _____ Yes _____ No

9. Other information (for accommodation purposes):

9.1. Preferred room accommodation: _____ smoking non-smoking _____

9.2. Food preference: __________________________________________________________

9.3. Medical considerations (if any): __________________________________________________________

9.4. Other considerations (please specify): __________________________________________________________



Accomplished by:

________________________
(Print name and sign)

Date: __________________________________

You may send this form by fax or e-mail to:
IAMR2 Secretariat (Attn: Grace and/or Rio)
Fax:
E-mails : iamr2athens @gmail.com

“For many years, many have spoken on our behalf.
This time, we will speak for ourselves.”

IAMR 2 Athens Invitation

Dear Fellow Migrants, Refugees, Advocates and Friends:

We are once again cordially inviting you to join us in the SECOND INTERNATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF MIGRANTS AND REFUGEES (IAMR) in Athens, Greece, on Nov. 1-4, 2009. This assembly is OUR assembly, and will be held in the militant tradition of the first IAMR held in Manila, Philippines last October 2008.

Our IAMR is the MIGRANT and REFUGEE challenge to the inter-government-led Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) which is again holding its third session in Athens, Greece, on Nov. 4-5, 2009, to continue discussions surrounding migration and development.

Our objectives for the Second IAMR are:

1) Bring to the fore the urgent issues and challenges facing migrants and refugees all over the world and take the progressive positions on such issues especially in the face of the worst global economic crisis since the Great Depression;
2) Challenge the EU claim of being an open and humanist society in the face of a growing list of draconian laws and measures being taken against migrants and refugees such as the EU Return Directive.
3) Expand and strengthen the International Migrants Alliance (IMA) as a militant and progressive alliance of organizations of migrants and refugees, and advocates of migrants rights;
4) Develop a broad international advocacy network that will continuously engage states and official multilateral bodies regarding issues and concerns affecting migrants and refugees;
5) Adopt a program of action/campaigns around general and specific issues on migrants rights and welfare.

The theme for our International Assembly is - UPHOLD AND ADVANCE THE RIGHTS OF MIGRANTS AND REFUGEES AGAINST EXPLOITATION, WAR AND DISCRIMINATORY LAWS, AMIDST THE GLOBAL ECONOMIC CRISIS! OPPOSE 'FORTRESS EUROPE' AND THE EU RETURN DIRECTIVE!

As with the First IAMR, our international assembly in the picturesque city of Athens, Greece is a collaborative effort of several organizations, namely: the International Alliance of Migrants (IMA), Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants, IBON International, Migrante Europe and ATIK. IMA is the first-ever global alliance of more than a hundred grassroots associations, organizations, unions, networks and alliances of migrant workers, immigrants, refugees and displaced peoples.

Our International Assembly will include plenary and panel discussions, workshops, caucuses, solidarity and cultural bazaars and mass mobilizations.

There shall be a registration of Euro 150 for each participant to contribute for food, accommodation, conference materials and mobilization expenses.

The IAMR Athens Secretariat will send you more detailed information as soon as possible. Other information, such as the Participation Form, will be available for download from the IAMR2 Website.

We shall be looking forward to see you in November in Athens, Greece!

Sincerely yours,

Grace Punongbayan
Secretariat, IAMR Athens 2009
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Email: iamr2athens@gmail.com
Tel: +31-6-33056411
Website: http://iamr2athens.blogspot.com/