International Migration (WG-IM)

GRSPSociety’s working groups are virtual communities that allow their members to interact on the basis of their academic and professional interests. They serve as a forum for interaction and debate and give their members opportunites for collaborating on projects within their field of interest as well as developing themselves professionally.

Membership guidelines and how to join

Membership guidelines:

To keep the working groups vibrant and interesting for everybody, we encourage all members of this working group to try to observe the following guidelines:
- Once you have joined the group, send a short email introducing yourself to the other group members to give them a sense of what kind of interests you have and what experiences you bring to the group
- Participate in working group discussions and provide feed-back on activities, projects, and publications proposed or produced by the group
- Share any information (news, reports, studies, articles, conferences, relevant call for applications, etc.) you consider relevant to the the group
- Share information about the activity of the group with people or organizations you know that may be interested in the WG’s activity
- Join working group projects or propose or initiate new working group activities and projects and participate in their implementation

How to join:

If you would like to join this working group, please follow the link in the right sidebar under “Join this working group!” and fill out the application. All working group members will then be asked to join the google group email list (above) and to join the GRSPSociety web platform by creating a member account.

Email list:

http://groups.google.com/group/GRSP-InternationalMigration

Chair:

Alin Chindea

Projects for International Migration (WG-IM)

Diaspora Dialogues

The main objective of the project is to improve communication on practical information between Romanians in Diasporas and the embassies and consulates in their countries of residence. It aims to do so through a feedback section created on the websites of the embassies and consulates in the countries covered; by introducing a FAQ section on website; a box for suggestions and comments created within the embassies and consulates; improved and/or design of electronic and printed newsletter.

Position open: USA Focal point. More information at: http://www.grspsociety.org/position/diaspora-dialogues/usa-diaspora-dial...

Members of International Migration (WG-IM)

Working Group chair

Alin Chindea I hold a BA in Political Science from 'Babeş-Bolyai University' and a MA on Public Policy from Central European University. I am working for the International Organization for Migration for the past four years where I develop and implement projects on various migration related topics. I have been previously working in the NGO sector in Romania. My overall professional interests are connected to migration, local development, and fiscal decentralization. Activity: Chair of the International Migration Working Group Location: Budapest, Hungary

Team

Codrin Arsene I’m a 22 year-old young man living in Chicago, Illinois. I study at the University of Chicago, where I’m majoring in Political Science and International Studies, with a focus on African Politics, trade policies and the impact of international organizations on the world’s governments. I have traveled extensively throughout the world, having visited more then 60 countries so far. I have lived in Romania, the United States of America, Tanzania and Argentina. I’ve also spent several months in Africa, with return trips there every single year. My passion for Africa is rooted in my travels across the continent. From Cairo to Cape Town, Dakar to Mombasa, from Tripoli to Lilongwe, I have visited 24 African countries so far. My main areas of interest in African politics are the impact of Chinese investment in Africa and political failure in Central Africa (the DRC, Sudan, and Somalia). In the past, I have worked with different international organizations (Amnesty International, Peace Child International, the Global Youth Action Network, TIGlobal etc) in areas such as youth advocacy, the involvement of the youth in the process of decision-making and youth diplomacy. I’m currently the administrator of the African Politics Portal where I comment upon the newest political developments on the continent, post news links, and provide my visitors with “briefing news”, “movie reviews”, a “Chinese monitor” and many other options that will help them navigate more easily the current African political scene. I blog on "A Romanian in Africa" (www.codrinarsene.com,) African Politics Portal (www.african-politics.com,) and African Loft (http://www.africanloft.com/author/carsene/) Activity: I am an active member of ARCADIA trying to increase the multilateral ties between Romania and various African countries that have a similar developmental profile. In some cases, such as Tanzania or DR Congo, I'm hoping that the Romanian government will reinvigorate the previous relations that collapsed with the fall of communism. Location: Chicago, United States
Camelia Badea Location: Bucharest, Romania
Irina Ivan While living in Bucharest, I was a Member in the Coordination Board of the Pro-Democracy Association and I was involved in numerous projects related to elections in Romania and abroad (Albania, Republic of Moldova, the Ukraine, Ecuador) as well as civic education. I am currently working with immigrant groups in Vancouver, focusing on their challenges with integration in the Canadian job market and access to social services. I am conducting independent research in the field of ethical standards and immigrant detention in Canada and the European Union, with a focus on criminalization of illegal migration and theories of power. Location: North Vancouver, Canada
Laura User Experience Researcher Worked on Windows 7 & now on Android line of mobile products. Have a vested interest in promoting innovation through patent development and Intellectual Property Law. Worked with: Chicago Board of Trade, former UNext (Dr. Don Norman), Microsoft Activity: Interested in promoting innovation in Romania and abroad, education and research, venture capital etc. Location: Kirkland, United States
Cristina Sarb Location: London, United Kingdom
Ramona Soimu Location: Bucharest, Romania