Toronto – From the suffering of the Rohingya to the horrors of Syria, the world is witness to the growing crisis of global migration. With statistics from the United Nations indicating an estimated 258 million international migrants in 2017, Pope Francis has labelled the increasing reality of migrants and refugees fleeing war, persecution, natural disasters and poverty “a sign of the times.” More than 70 academics and speakers from around the world will gather on the University of Toronto campus June 25-27, 2018 to examine the Church’s response to this pressing issue.
The June conference, The Church and Migration: Global (In)Difference?, will hear the stories of those affected and examine the degree to which churches and other religious communities and secular organizations have been willing to offer welcome. Papers and panel discussions will examine the root causes of migration, and the implications and outcomes of mass human movement. They will also suggest potential strategies to alleviate the most acute situations, while ensuring just and equitable implementation of policies and laws within and across nations to safeguard the rights and futures of all migrants, refugees, displaced peoples and itinerant peoples.
The Church and Migration: Global (In)Difference?,marks the 12thinternational meeting of the Ecclesiological Investigations Research Network. It is hosted by the Dominican Institute of Toronto and four colleges of the Toronto School of Theology: St. Michael’s (Basilian), Regis (Jesuit), Emmanuel (United Church of Canada), and Trinity (Anglican). Co-sponsoring institutions include: the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs; The Bernardin Center at Catholic Theological Union; The Christian-Muslim Studies Network, University of Edinburgh; Georgetown University; Pontifical Scalabrinian Institute for the Study of Human Mobility; Institut de pastorale, Montreal; International Institute for Method in Theology; Ripon College, Oxford; Tübingen University; St Mark’s College; and the Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto.
For more information, or to set up interviews, please contact Jessica DeLuca — dominican.toronto@gmail.com. To register, please visit http://dominicantoronto.org.
June 25thevents take place at Regis College, 100 Wellesley St. June 26thevents take place at St Michael’s College, 121 St Joseph St., and Emmanuel College, 75 Queen’s Park Cres E.. Events on June 27 take place at Trinity College, 6 Hoskin Ave.
