RATIONALE

Europe has had a long history with immigration, but the later 20th century saw a substantial increase. Following the Second World War, many Western European countries have started receiving large number of immigrants, both of European and non-European origin. While in the beginning the majority of immigrants were mainly economically driven (migrant/foreign workers), in recent years Europe has seen a wave of immigration driven by security reasons (people seeking asylum due to political and/or armed conflict). 
In this context, one who lives well (financial comfort, peaceful environment) could understand why another – who has to literally run for his life – is seeking better and safer conditions. Unfortunately, a large number of recent non-European origin immigrants are reaching out to the continent due the armed conflict at ‘home’ – coming mostly from Turkey, African and Middle Eastern countries.

Questions of how to accommodate this many refugees, whether it is safe to receive immigrants/refugees from countries which are not culturally, politically or religiously similar, to the European ones, or how to effectively stop the ‘refugee crisis’ have been present in the global political and media discourse. Yet, the main question remains: how can Europe – as an international actor – help these people at home, so that they don’t have to flee their land in search of a better place? Does Europe have enough leverage to solve conflict abroad and avoid having to receive more and more asylum seekers?

A first step in trying to answer these questions is to understand the conflict, together with its historical background, political, social and economic implications. In order to elaborate on the topic of EU involvement in external conflict, EYfHR is proposing to raise awareness on the developing unrest in Kashmir, with the help of human rights, legal and media experts.

Event Framework
The event will be divided into two sessions: a Panel Discussion and a Questions & Answers session, where the audience will be encouraged to directly take part in the debate. Each guest speaker will be invited to deliver a 10-15 minutes initial intervention, followed by a round of (maximum) 3 questions per speaker from the public. The interactive format provides a creative way to include the public in a small group discussion. The aim of the conference is to encourage hot topics or people sharing ideas or information from a variety of perspectives.

Topics & Guest Speakers
1. History of the Kashmir conflict and legal connotations. - Shamila Mahmood 
2. Kashmir Unrest. 100 days of curfew. - Muzamil Tahkur
3. International Response. External Action/Inaction and Media Coverage. - Hussain Shah
Moderator: TBC

Agenda
18.00 – 18.30 Registration
18.30 – 18.45 Welcome Words & Introduction
18.45 – 19.30 Panel Discussion
19.30 – 20.30 Q&A Session
20.30 Closing & Networking Session

THE EVENT IS FREE OF CHARGE, PLEASE REGISTER FOLLOWING THE TICKET URL.

Thank you and looking forward to seeing you there :)