On the occasion of the hundredth anniversary of
1922, 2022 will be dedicated to the ‘refugee phenomenon’. The gradual inclusion
of refugees from Asia Minor, Pontus and other areas of population exchange was
an important part of the economic development and modernisation of the society
in Greece. Research has been conducted since the 1920s documenting the economic
contribution of refugees to the development of the host country (Aigidis 1928).
The keywords ‘development’, ‘refugees’ are conceptually and theoretically
charged terms because of the multiple and conflicting views and interpretations
often identified with the developmental policies which are sometimes applied to
expatriate populations in specific areas like Africa and Middle East.
The conference will focus on the
experience of 1922 precisely through the possibilities and perspectives that
opened in the Greek society and economy for a dynamic transformation. What were
the international and national policies and practices that supported this
transformation? What were the reactions of the society and the refugees
themselves? When, by whom and for how long are they considered ‘refugees’? What
are the short-term, medium-term and long-term assessments of the ‘refugee
factor’? At the same time, the experience of 1922 will be used comparatively to
open a discussion with relevant experiences from the wider south-eastern Europe
and the Mediterranean basin as well as the current policies and practices
implemented or proposed and treat refugees positively as a potential research
for development for the host country. What does the concept of ‘positive
example’ (success) mean in the case of a ‘refugee crisis’ (economic, social and
cultural integration)? How does it help us to understand and socially integrate
new categories of refugees into modern reality.
The conference will take place at University of
Macedonia -Thessaloniki in a hybrid way.
Proposed themes
-refugees and economic development
-inclusion policies
-inclusion and housing, urban and residential changes
-work and gender
-refugee capital and home countries
-inner migration and urbanisation
-refugees and cultural capital (case studies)
-comparative example, case studies
-international organisations, development aid and refugees
-education-language-host country
-museum, literary and artistic prints
Organisation: Department of Balkan, Slavic and Oriental
Studies, Laboratory of Culture, Borders and Gender, Department of Economics,
Laboratory of Economic and Social Research, Department of Music Science and
Arts, MA in “History, Anthropology and Culture in Eastern and Southeastern
Europe, MA in ” Human Rights and Migration Studies “
Scientific Committee: Eleni Gavra (Professor UoM),
Eftihia Voutira (Professor Emerita UoM), Fotini Tsimbiridou (Professor UoM),
Konstantinos Tsitselikis (Professor UoM), Eleftherios Tsοulfidis Professor UoM), Theodore
Panagiotidis (Professor, UoΜ),Theodosios Karvounarakis (Professor UoM), Eleni Sideri (Assist. Professor UoM), Eleni Kallimopoulou (Assist. Professor UoM), Eleftherios Tsikouridis
(Assist. Professor UoM), Alexandra Ioannidou (Professor UoM,
Ioannis Manos (Ass. Professor UoM), Nikolaos Zaikos (Ass. Professor UoM),
Stavroula Mavrogeni (Ass. Professor UoM),
Nikolaos Liazos (Assist. Professor UoM)
Organising Committee: Eleni Gavra (Professor UoM), Eleni Sideri (Assist. Professor UoM), Anna
Moumtzoglou (Special Tech. Staff, UoM), Styliani Letsiou (Adjunct Faculty, MA
in Human Rights and Migration Studies, Postdoctoral Fellow UoM), Dorotheos
Orfanidis (Postdoctoral Fellow UoM), Stefanos Katsoulis (PhD Candidate UoM)
Interested parties should send until 31/3/2022,
a title, a summary (300 words), 5 keywords and 1-2 reference titles, as well as
a short bio (5 lines) to refugeesanddevelopment2022@gmail.com.
Registration for the conference will be 50 euros.
For PhD. candidates will be 25 euros.
Attendance of the conference for the undergraduate and postgraduate students will be free of charge.
site: https://refugees-growth.gr/
