We are delighted to invite you to our upcoming workshop Diversity and Post-COVID-19 Lessons for Multicultural Societies.

 

The recent global pandemic has reshaped the way societies operate, especially in multicultural environments. As we emerge from the COVID-19 crisis, it is crucial to reflect on the lessons learned and explore strategies for fostering diversity and integration in our communities. This event brings together activists, specialists, and community leaders from around the world to share insights, experiences, and best practices.

Date: July 27 (Sat), 2024

Time: 14:30-16:30 (JST)

Format: online (register here: https://shorturl.at/O5L7B), English-Japanese interpretation will be available.

 

Our panelists are:

 

Claudia Schneider, an Associate Professor in Migration Studies at Anglia Ruskin University (UK). Claudia has led or co-led numerous projects in the area of social integration over more than 15 years, she is an international consultant in social integration projects and research centres in Norway, Sweden and Germany, facilitating the exchange of innovative integration practice across national borders. Claudia has published widely in the field of migration (forced and voluntary), transnationalisation and integration.

 

Marijanca Ajša Vižintin, a Research Associate at the Slovenian Migration Institute ZRC SAZU and an Associate Professor at the University of Nova Gorica (Slovenia). Her research interests are the inclusion of migrant students and the development of an intercultural education model, Slovenian emigration, Slovenian cultural associations and preserving Slovenian language and culture abroad. Marijanca is an author of The Role of Teachers in the Successful Integration and Intercultural Education of Migrant Children (Cambridge Scholars, 2022).

 

Om Dhungel, an Honorary Adjunct Fellow at the University of Technology Sydney (Australia) and a Consultant, Trainer and Practitioner of Strength-Based Approach to refugee settlement and community engagement. He is an active community leader and serves on different Committees and Boards including the NSW Health Ministry, NSW Police, Multicultural NSW and Blacktown City Council. Om is a co-author of Bhutan to Blacktown - Losing Everything and Finding Australia (University of New South Wales, 2023), discussing strengths-based approach to refugee settlement and community development, in addition to capturing his challenging life journey.

 

Daisuke Kawai, a Deputy Executive Secretary and Manager of Project Development at the Minoh City Association for International Exchange. He has been involved in providing life consultation services for foreign residents and supporting children with foreign roots. Currently he works alongside staff and citizen volunteers with diverse backgrounds and experiences to promote the creation of a multicultural community.

 

Nestor L. Puno, Vice-President at Filipino Migrants Center - FMC (Nagoya). FMC focuses on issues such as aging, the integration of second-generation Japanese-Filipino nationals, and the education of undocumented children.

 

Organizers / moderators:

 

Viktoriya Kim, an Associate Professor at the College of International Relations, Ritsumeikan University. She is a co-author of The Politics of International Marriage in Japan (Rutgers University Press, 2021) and "Integration of International Marriage Migrants: Russian-Speaking Female Marriage Migrants in Japan and South Korea" (Asian and Pacific Migration Journal, 2023). She specializes in international (marriage) migration, multicultural policies, and integration issues of migrants in Japan.

 

Maria Makabenta-Ikeda, an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Economics, Kyoto Sangyo University. Maria has done fieldwork to study the reconstruction efforts of Filipino migrants after the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. She is currently engaged in research on care communities in Japan as well as disaster risk reduction and community revitalization in vulnerable regions in the Philippines.

 

Co-organizer: Institute of Humanities, Human and Social Sciences (Ritsumeikan University)