APMRN
Update No. 4 - March 1997
Articles in
this Issue:
Japan
Foundation Sponsors APMRN Workshops
The APMRN
Secretariat was recently awarded a grant totalling US $22, 574 from the
Japan Foundation for a series of migration workshops in China and
Indonesia. In consultation with the Indonesian and Chinese Networks,
the Secretariat submitted a proposal in November 1996 to the Japan
Foundation Asia Centre to fund four workshops in each of the countries.
The
workshops will be held in the latter half of 1997 and will bring
together migration researchers and officials to identify key issues and
develop priorities for research. One output of the workshops will be
the development of a national bibliographic database on migration
literature which is expected to be published by mid-1998. The grant
money covers domestic travel arrangements for the workshop coordinator,
wages for support staff, workshop materials and publication costs.
Dr. Huang
Ping from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences will be coordinating
the China workshops, and Dr. Agus Dwiyanto from the University of
Gadjah Mada will coordinate the Indonesia workshops.
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APMRN
Coordinating Committee Meeting
The
Coordinating Committee of the APMRN met in Manila on the 7th of
February this year to discuss Network planning. Working Party and
Research Group coordinators, the Secretariat and the Chair of the
Network considered various initiatives of the APMRN and evaluated its
overall activity.
Funding was
a key theme of the meeting. A number of funding proposals had already
been submitted from the APMRN Secretariat and from individual country
teams. The Committee agreed that more approaches to donor agencies
should be developed.
The
Coordinating Committee compiled a list of tasks for the Network to
continue building the APMRN base, including development of a training
and education questionnaire for all Network members; compiling a list
of appropriate donor agencies; developing an expert symposium on Asian
migration; and the need for common themes to be drawn together from
each of the national project proposals and issues papers to develop
collaborative research projects.
The
Coordinating Committee will be planning the 2nd International meeting
of the APMRN, which is now expected to occur in early 1998. A detailed
report of the Manila meeting is available from the Secretariat. (end)
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National
Project Funding
A number of
national project proposals have been forwarded to UNESCO- MOST in Paris
for access to their funds-in trust. To date, the Indonesian proposal
has been successful in attracting funds, and the Secretariat is
awaiting a response on the Korean proposal. The aim of the national
proposals is to secure money available from UNESCO member governments
with the assistance of MOST. The national project proposals can be used
as follows:
- National
institutions can submit them directly to their own governments and to
NGOs working in their country;
- the
MOST-Secretariat will submit them to UNESCO-MOST national governments
represented to obtain funds-in-trust;
- they can
be used as the basis of applications to international donor
organisations. In coordination with research group teams, international
comparative projects can also be prepared from the national proposals.
Other
Funding Initiatives
Wellcome
Trust
The International Secretariat has been corresponding with the
Population Studies Program Director of the Wellcome Trust, one of the
largest non-governmental research funding bodies. They have encouraged
us to make an application. Since the Wellcome Trust is specialised in
health and environmental issues, we consider that an application in
these fields is most likely to succeed. Accordingly, the Secretariat
has asked the Research Group on Population Mobility and the Environment
to prepare a proposal. The Convenor, Professor Richard Bedford, has
indicated that he will do this and has suggested cross-national study
which explores some of the longer-term implications of mobility
(especially short-term movements) for environmental change in three
contrasting Asia-Pacific countries, all of which have placed
considerable emphasis on tourism as a "growth" industry and all of
which face problems of reconciling the contradiction that the rapid
growth in short-term mobility which they want for economic reasons is
actually compromising their physical (as well as cultural)
environments. An empahsis on the Pacific environment would be an
important part of the proposal.
Ford
Foundation
The
Secretariat sent the new international proposal to the Ford Foundation,
in November 1996. Dr Ali Kazancigil of the MOST Secretariat, has also
written to the Ford Foundation. The proposal was unsuccessful, but may
be adapted and resubmitted within a specific country proposal.
IOM
The
International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has agreed to grant the
APMRN Secretariat with $5,000 for operating costs. The IOM gave a
similar amount last year. While the IOM is not in a position to provide
more funding, APMRN members should contact their IOM country or
regional office. Discussion with IOM officals some time ago suggested
that the organisation would be prepared to utilise the experience of
Network members for funded project work in some countries.
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UNESCO-MOST
Funding
While there
have been some problems securing a sufficient grant from MOST to hold
the 2nd APMRN conference for this year, the Secretariat has been
advised that money will definitely be available from 1998. In fact,
UNESCO's overall budget was increased which means more funds are
available. The original plan was to hold the 2nd Conference in
September, possibly linking it with the Sociology Conference in Kuala
Lumpur. Unfortunately, plans will now have to be revised, but it is
likely that the APMRN conference will occur early in 1998, possibly
February. (end)
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Philippines
Network National Convention
The
Philippines Migration Research network held their First national
convention in February. 3 papers were presented on migration patterns
and migrants skills, violence against female migrant workers, and a
paper on the Philippines Migrant Workers Act. The convention included a
number of Government and NGO officials who were asked to respond to the
presentations. The keynote address was given by the Labor Secretary,
Hon. Leonardo Quisumbing. Overall, the convention was a success
highlighting the strong links the PMRN has with the community and
government sectors. The Filipino Network expects to release its
annotated bibliography of migration literature in August this year.
(end)
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Joint
APMRN and US SSRC Workshop
The US
Social Science Research Council (SSRC) is currently running a large
project designed to develop interdisciplinary theory and methodology in
migration studies. The SSRC held a very successful workshop including
many leading US social scientists in Florida in January 1996. Stephen
Castles attended from the University of Wollongong. The SSRC now seeks
cooperation and interchange with scholars working on migration in Asia
and the Pacific.
In April
1996, the SSRC approached the Secretariat to jointly organise a
Workshop on Economic Incorporation of Migrants in Asia. This will
include equal number of US and Asia-Pacific scholars. The Secretariat
suggested that the Workshop should be held conjunction with the
Research Group on International Migration and Entrepreneurial Activity.
The Convenor, Professor Wong Siu-lun, agreed to this, but has since had
to withdraw from his Convenor role. Professor Ron Skeldon has agreed to
help organise the Workshop on behalf of the Research Group.
A planning
meet ing was held in Miami on 24 February 1997 to work out the
objectives, agenda and organisational issues for the Workshop.
The meeting
included Josh Dewind for the SSRC; Prof. Alejandro Portes, US convenor;
Stephen Castles for the APMRN Secretariat; Ron Skeldon for the Research
Group. The US SSRC will cover the costs of the planning meeting, and
will contribute approx. US$ 20 000 to the costs of the Workshop. One
possibility is to hold the Workshop in conjunction with the next
International Meeting of the APMRN. This would reduce costs and make it
possible for more colleagues to attend. The Workshop is now planned for
February 1998. (end)
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New
APMRN Contacts for Korea and Malaysia
The Korean
network has a new convenor - Professor Hyunho Soek, Dep't of Sociology,
Sung Kyun Kwan University, Seoul. The network there includes the Korea
Labor Institute, Pai Chai University and Seoul National University.
Meanwhile,
the Malaysian team has a new participant. Prof. Shamsulbahriah Ku Ahmad
has taken over from Assoc. Prof. Tey Nai Peng as coordinator of the
Population Studies Unit within the University of Malaya. The PSU has
expressed its continued support for APMRN activities. Prof. Azizah
Kassim, from the Dep't of Anthropology and Sociology, remains as the
other contact for the Malaysian network. Prof. Kassim is also convening
a session on international migration at the upcoming Sociology
conference in Kuala Lumpur, in September this year. (end)
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Secretariat
addresses UN Commission on Population and Development
Professor
Stephen Castles, Director of the APMRN International Secretariat,
addressed the United Nations Commission on Population and Development
(UNCPD) when it met in New York from 24-28 February 1997. This
Commission was set up to help implement the decisions taken at the
International Conference on Population and Development held in Cairo in
1994. International migration was a central theme at the Cairo
Conference, and the UNCPD is working to improve global cooperation on
this issue. Delegates to the UNCPD represent governments, international
agencies and non-governmental organisations.
Professor
Castles was invited to attend the New York meeting as part of the
UNESCO delegation. He gave an overview of the work of the APMRN. He
explained the Network's role in developing research cooperation on
international migration in the Asia Pacific Region.
One result
of the New York UNCPD meeting was the decision to hold a UN Technical
Symposium on International Migration in 1998. This meeting of experts
will hopefully be a preliminary stage to the major intergovernmental
conference on migration called for at the Cairo Conference. UNESCO is
participating in the Steering Committee for the Technical Symposium,
and the APMRN will help organise the session on 'Integrating Migrants
Economically, Socially and Culturally'.
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Australian
Migration Research Network Workshop
On April
19th & 20th, the Centre for Multicultural Studies, University of
Wollongong hosted a workshop on Research Issues in Asia-Pacific
Migration. The workshop was designed for members of the Australian
division of the APMRN to present current research or work in progress
on migration and ethno-cultural diversity in the Asia-Pacific region.
Over 30 people attended, including some of Australia's foremost
migration and ethnic relations experts. A grant by the Academy of
Social Sciences of Australia funded the workshop.
13 papers
were delivered and covered regional issues such as: Emigration dynamics
in developing countries in South Asia; internal migration of minority
nationalities in China; international labour regulation and the
relationship between the ILO and WTO. Issues such as social service
needs arising from settlement, corresponding social and political
rights and concepts of citizenship and the State, also featured
Papers on
aspects of Asian migration to Australia included the role of Asian
ethnic small business "entrepreneurs" in employment creation; urban
settlement of asian migrants in Sydney; and educational experience
& participation of ethnic minorities in Australia.
As this was
only the second official meeting of the Australian Network in over 12
months, the workshop highlighted the importance of linking researchers
- especially under the current funding climate. Papers from the
conference will be published by the Australian network.
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