New York, October 5, 2020 – The Scalabrini International Migration Network (SIMN) participated at the “2020 Catholic Immigrant Integration Initiative Conference, Building Communities of Hope and Belonging” on Thursday, October 1 and Friday, October 2, 2020. Due to the pandemic and out of abundance of caution, this year’s conference took place virtually.
The event was promoted by the Center for Migration Studies of New York (CMS) and the University of Notre Dame. This annual conference is part of CMS’s Catholic Immigrant Integration Initiative (CIII) which seeks to understand, expand and strengthen the work of Catholic institutions with immigrant communities.
The conference:
- Presented perspectives on the major challenges facing immigrants, refugees, their families and faith communities, at a time of multiple crises;
- Explored promising and successful programs and ministries with immigrants in parishes, legal services programs, elementary schools, universities, the workplace, charities, community organizing entities, hospitals, and other institutions;
- Examined how changing national and international immigration and refugee policies are affecting Catholic institutions, their members and those they serve;
- Explored how Catholic institutions can strengthen their work in promoting the integration, protection, and empowerment of persons with strong roots in sending and receiving communities;
- Feature an annual address – named after CMS’s co-founder, Fr. Lydio Tomasi, c.s. – on the theological vision underlying the work of Catholic institutions with immigrants and refugees; and,
- Featured local migrant programs and ministries in the University of Notre Dame regional area.
SIMN’s intervention in the conference included the network’s global perspective that comprehensively encompasses the response to the emergency and programs on effective integration for people on the move. “We have seen at this time of multiple crises for migrants and refugees how the current pandemic has brought to light the injustices, inequalities, and social gaps that widen with this situation. But on the other hand, it also shows again how migrants and their families continue contributing substantially to the development and economic, social, and cultural innovation of host societies,” said Sharon Granados, Development Associate at SIMN.