6th International Refugee Advisory Panel (IRAP) Conference on Forced Migration

The International Association for the Study of Forced Migration (IASFM) will organize the 6^th IRAP conference on forced migration in coordination with the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme. The conference will be held in Gaza on 13-16 December 1998. For information on themes and registration, see the "Announcement and Call for Papers" below, and visit the IASFM homepage at: http://www.uni-bamberg.de/~ba6ef3/iasfm.htm

The International Association for the Study of Forced Migration (IASFM) will convene the sixth International Research and Advisory Panel Conference on Forced Migration (IRAP) in Gaza from 13-16 December 1998. As was the case with the fifth IRAP in Eldoret, Kenya, the conference is being hosted in a focal area of forced migration during the Middle East Peace Talks. It will take place at Rashad El-Shawa Cultural Center in Gaza, Palestine.

Since the first meeting in January 1990, IRAP has developed into the largest and most wide-ranging international conference devoted solely to forced migration issues in the world. Held every two years, the aim of the conference is to provide an interdisciplinary forum for intellectual exchange and communication among academic researchers, refugee professionals and policy makers, and to stimulate debate on research priorities and policy issues. Discussion at the 6th IRAP conference will concentrate on a number of key themes, on which offers of research or discussion papers are urgently sought:

Within each theme, regional case studies from Palestine or other focal areas of the worldwide problem of forced migration are sought. Also aspects like gender, age (i.e. unaccompanied minors), ethnicity and sexual preference should be presented and integrated into the discussions. After an opening session on 13 December, in which two international experts (one researcher, and one policy-maker) discuss the international developments regarding the right to asylum and the discussion on a right to remain, each of the following three days will be wholly or partly devoted to one of the themes listed above. In each case, plenary sessions to be addressed by invited keynote speakers will be followed by parallel workshops providing a forum for discussion of submitted papers, or allowing for round-table discussion on particular issues or regions. In addition to these formal sessions there will be a series of specialist workshops on issues such as regional activities, teaching, public policy, etc., at the initiative of conference participants. A range of optional excursions will also be available at the end of the conference.

A meeting of the assembly of IASFM members will take place discussing the reports from the board, the IASFM policy plan, future activities and rules of the association. At this meeting, members will elect the officers for the next term.

The host of the 6th IRAP, the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme, is a Palestinian non-governmental institution, established in 1990. GCMHP aims to offer comprehensive community-based mental health services. Research and training constitute an important part of GCMHP. Numerous research projects have been completed and many are still being carried out. The GCMHP hosted several international conferences such as the Third International Conference on "Health and Human Rights" in October 1997. For details, please visit http://www.gcmhp.net.

They should be sent until July 1st to: Karin Geuijen, Chair of the IRAP Programme Committee, University of Utrecht, Dep. of Cultural Anthropology, P.O. Box 80.140, 3508 TC Utrecht, The Netherlands (tel +31-30-253-4103, fax +31-30-253-4666). EMail: K.Geuijen@fsw.ruu.nl

(2) PRE-REGISTRATION: the cost of registration is US$ 120 (after September 1st US$ 150) for the conference fee (US$ 100 for IASFM members until September 1st). Because of difficulties of arranging transport and accommodation on an individual basis, it is recommended that participants register for full-board with meals and normal beverages (coffee/tea) and transfers from Tel Aviv airport to Gaza. All those fully registered will be met at the airport and transported to the conference center in Gaza. The cost of registration for full board at the conference hotel is US$ 380 (US$ 85 per day, arrival Dec. 12, departure Dec. 16). A limited number of grants for participants from developing countries will be available (please contact the address below for details on application procedure). To pre-register for the conference, please fill in the form below, and return to: Husam El-Nounou, Public Relations Coordinator, Gaza Community Mental Health Programme, P.O. Box 1049, Shuhada Street, El-Rimal Gaza City, Palestinian Areas via Israel (tel 972-7-824073/-965949/ -825700, fax +972-7-824072, EMail: pr@gcmhp.net)

A full programme and invoice for the balance of the registration will be sent to all those who pre-register in due course. Pre-registration will guarantee your accommodation in Gaza and registration at the conference, and help us to plan numbers.

(3) IASFM Membership: If you are working in the field of forced migration as researcher or practitioner and you are not a member of the International Association for the Study of Forced Migration, you are cordially invited to join. As IASFM member, you will get information on current activities automatically at the earliest possible stage, and you are entitled to vote in real and virtual (via eMail or mail) membership assemblies according to the IASFM statutes. In addition, IASFM members can subscribe to the Journal of Refugee Studies at a discount rate of approx. 20% below the regular subscription, and there is a discount enrolment fee of the IRAP conferences for IASFM members. The current annual membership fee is US$ 30. If you would like to receive further information on the IASFM or you wish to join the association, please contact the IASFM secretary: Wolfgang Bosswick, european forum for migration studies, University of Bamberg, Katharinenstr.1, D-96052 Bamberg, Gemany, tel: +49-951-37041, fax: +49-951-32888, EMail: wolfgang.bosswick@sowi.uni-bamberg.de).The IASFM WWW home page is found at: http://www.uni-bamberg.de/~ba6ef3/iasfm.htm.

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