Amel Association International (Amel) and Samusocial International (SSI), founded by Dr. Kamel Mohanna and by Dr. Xavier Emmanuelli respectively, call upon all stakeholders who share their values of dignity, solidarity and humanity, to join a Euro-Mediterranean Movement with persons in exile.
This call has been developed within the framework of a two-day seminar, held on December 5th and 6th 2017, in Athens.
This event was organized by Amel Association International and Samusocial International, in close cooperation with Amel France, and with the local support of CAMPFIRE Innovation, with the contribution of the Mediterranean Citizens’ Assembly Foundation (MCAF), the Melina Merkouri Center of the Municipality of Athens and the Institut français de Grèce.
The program of the seminar is still available at: https://amel.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Program-Seminar-Athens-Amel- SSI-.pdf
As highlighted by Dr. Xavier Emmanuelli, “this seminar is part of a “permanent” process to advocate for the humanization of the hosting of persons in exile, within the context of ongoing migration phenomenon”.
During this seminar, a continuation of a seminar held in Paris, in October 2017, 100 researchers, practitioners, officials and civil society initiatives gathered to share innovative practices and to discuss joint advocacy actions to promote new model of migrations, based on humanity, to host persons in exile.
The seminar provided a forum in which the participants had the opportunity to join breakout sessions, in which they were able to discuss challenges faced in the field in order to formulate collective solutions that could be replicated in the Euro- Mediterranean region. Furthermore, during round-table discussions, different recommendations were proposed, which included the following:
- – Define strategies to improve the involvement of all stakeholders, and particularly civil society initiatives, in the global dialogues on migration and refugee issues. For instance, calling upon governments and international organizations for a meaningful inclusion of grassroots organizations in the consultations related to the Global Compacts on Refugees and Migrants.
- – Develop networks of practitioners so that persons with specific needs, including unaccompanied minors, victims of human rights violations, disabled, etc. – can have an early access to protection and orientation to adapted solutions. For instance, working on fast-track solutions for unaccompanied minors to have family reunification within Europe.
- – Advocacy for the right to mobility for all without discrimination through South-North networks, involving grass roots organizations and other relevant stakeholders.
- – Ensure that persons in exile can access self-reliance tools (including language, employment opportunities, as well as other social rights) and enhance the inclusion of host community members at the earliest stage of the “integration” process.
As stated by Dr. Kamel Mohanna, “solidarity between North and South needs to be strengthened; a process which shall
continue beyond the seminar held in Greece, with new innovative actions in Italy and other Euro-Mediterranean countries”.
The recommendations of the seminar will be published in January 2018 and will include the call for the creation of a Euro- Mediterranean movement with persons in exile, which will be officially launched in Italy in spring 2018
