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Migration, Displacement and Education: Building Bridges, Not Walls

Mon, April 15, 3:15 to 4:45pm, Hyatt Regency, Floor: Atrium (Level 2), Waterfront D

Proposal

The 2019 GEM Report addresses a key topic in today’s increasingly globalized world. Recognizing the reality of diverse classrooms, schoolyards, communities, labor markets, and societies, the report looks at migration and displacement through the eyes of teachers and education administrators. While the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development outline an inclusive and equitable destiny, migration and displacement continue to elicit some negative responses in modern society. These are exploited by opportunists who see benefit in building walls, not bridges. It is in this environment that education’s role to “promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups”, a key commitment in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, takes a central position. Presenting some key findings and recommendations from the 2019 GEM Report, Migration, Displacement and Education: Building Bridges, Not Walls, this panel will highlight how education both impacts and is impacted by people on the move. Capturing both those that move voluntarily and are forced to move as well as those that remain in or move beyond country boundaries, the discussion will focus on the following questions, central to the Report.

• Who moves and how does education play a role in migration?
• How can education systems move beyond tolerance to combatting prejudice, stereotypes and discrimination?
• What structural factors generally constrain the education opportunities of those on the move?
• How and how well are teachers and education systems prepared to support an increasingly diverse student body?
• How can education transform attitudes toward migrants and refugees?
• What can education systems do to make migrants and refugees feel welcome and develop a sense of belonging in their host community?
• What formal and non-formal programs are being tried to ensure education for all?
• How can we ensure the voices of migrants and displaced people are included in decision making about their future?
• What is the role of aid in ensuring uninterrupted access to education for refugees?

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