14:30     Opening and welcome address
Hamida Taamiri, Coordinator of KOMMIT (Committee of Migrant Self-Organisations in the District of Bautzen)

14:40  Introduction „Struggles for Asylum in Germany: A Review of the Last 40 Years“

The right to asylum has been at the centre of debates on migration in Germany since the 1980s at the latest, due to its historical significance and symbolic power. Racist political-media discussions are usually opposed by committed civil society actors – such as self-organised migrant organisations that draw attention to the concerns of various communities affected by restrictive and discriminatory migration and asylum policies. A review of the last 40 years will show how the problematic situations of migration, asylum and racism as well as responses to them have changed and what we can learn from them today.

Dr. Tanita Jill Pöggel, German Centre for Integration and Migration Research (DeZIM e.V.)

15:15     Panel discussion „Equal rights, equal opportunities, equal treatment? Experiences of migrated people in Saxony – similarities and differences“.
Panelists:

• People who migrated to Saxony at different times

• Carolin Helmecke (specialist lawyer for migration law)

  Moderation: Rudaba Badakhshi, Leipzig (regional coordinator at DaMigra)

   

16:30 – 17:00      Break and Networking
Snacks and drinks will be provided

17:00  Workshops

WS 1:  Needs and problems of migrant communities

Workshop for people with their own migration history

Paolo Le van and Devika Herrmann (Dachverband sächsischer Migrant*innenorganisationen e.V.)

As the umbrella organisation of migrant organisations in Saxony (DSM), we support not only our members, but all migrants and migrant organisations in Saxony. We want to talk about the problems and issues that migrant communities in East Saxony are facing. We want to discuss solutions and build sustainable support networks. It doesn’t matter whether it’s questions of self-organisation, problems with the administration, applying for projects or larger issues. What cannot be discussed and solved locally we will take to the next level.

WS 2: Cooperation between „old“ and „new“ migrants
Workshop for people with their own migration history

Ely Almeida, Alexis Vidal Cabezas (LAG pokuBi Sachsen e.V.)

What can you expect in this space?
A constructive discussion of the different perspectives, the acceptance of „being different“ and a constructive approach to differences.
„Cooperation works best when each group/team member is valued and feels part of the group. This requires a benevolent atmosphere and appreciation of everyone involved. In this space you will have the opportunity to get to know each other, share your thoughts, formulate goals of cooperation and discuss ways you want to go together.”

Ely Almeida: Black, (pronoun: she): Is a trainer and staff member of LAG pokuBi Saxony.
Alexis Vidal Cabezas: Woman of colour, in Germany for 13 years. Trainer and staff member of LAG pokuBi Sachsen e.V.

WS 3: Scope for politics, administration and majority society to work for equal rights
Moderation: Hasina Amirat, Dave Schmidtke (Saxon Refugee Council e.V. [registered association])

In the workshop, currently existing structures for political participation for refugees in Saxony will be presented and their mechanisms of action compared. There are state-wide and local institutions in the form of migration and integration advisory councils, which have already been able to demonstrate the first successes of migrant participation in political processes. In addition, we want to make clear that the administrations in Saxony act in very different ways and show in which regions scope for migrants is already being used and where this is not happening.

Hasina Amirat, counsellor for people in the asylum procedure in the ACT project of the Saxon Refugee Council and member of the State Advisory Council for Integration.
Dave Schmidtke, Press and Public Relations/Politics and Networking Officer at the Saxon Refugee Council.

18:30  Outlook and conclusion

19:00 End

Overall moderator: Rudaba Badakhshi, Leipzig (regional coordinator at DaMigra)

Note: Before and after the event there is the possibility to visit the exhibition „Weiß-Schwarz REBOOT“ of the Entwicklungspolitisches Netzwerk Sachsen e.V. (ENS) [Saxony Development Policy Network registered association] at the venue.