Immigration and the European Union
DASI Conference 2011
March 4, 2011
Concept
The student body of the Diplomatic Academy - a veritable mosaic of people from all over the world - has developed the idea of organizing a discussion forum to deal with the issue of immigration as it relates to the European Union. The 2011 edition of our traditional annual conference aims at effectively contributing to the public discourse, drawing public attention to the issue, by mobilizing a number of experts in the field, and posing pertinent suggestions for decision makers in regards to the topic of immigration and the European Union.
Immigration to the European Union has been on the rise since the end of the Second World War and today this issue is at the heart of political debate in Europe.
If carefully managed, it can be a positive factor for growth and success of both the Union and the countries concerned. Yet, many critics of large scale immigration draw attention to the negative aspects and claim that it is putting strain on the social fabric of countries, diluting their respective cultures and social cohesion, as well as, posing a security challenge. As such, immigration gives rise to a certain combination of opportunities, challenges, and threats. It is this set of issues that the conference will devote its full attention to.
We aim to do so by laying down the principal clusters of arguments in a broader forum for expert discussions, and subsequently breaking down into three more narrowly-themed panels:
1. Economic Issues
2. Multiculturalism Issues
3. Security Issues
Underpinning the charitable mission of DASI and its events, the proceedings from the conference’s entry fee shall be donated to The SWAT Relief Initiative, a DASI supported charity providing aid to the victims of the 2010 floods in Pakistan.
