If you came to this page because I linked the blog in my article, this is obviously old news to you – otherwise, may I point out my article on the Mexican GFMD which will appear in the upcoming issue of “International Migration”. The title is “Standing in the Shadow of Civil Society? The 4th Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) in Mexico” and it is already available online here:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1468-2435.2011.00717.x/abstract
Currently you have to be a subscriber to International Migration, to access the article. The article was finalized in June, so that is why I am referring to the Swiss GMD in future tense. Please find the introduction below.
Since this is an advertising break, may I also point out my articles on the GFMD in Athens:
Rother, Stefan (2010): The GFMD from Manila to Athens: One Step Forward, One Step Back? In: Asian and Pacific Migration Journal 19 (1), S. 157–173.
and on the GFMD in Manila:
Rother, Stefan (2009): „Inside-Outside“ or „Outsiders by choice“? Civil society strategies towards the 2nd Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) in Manila. In: ASIEN – The German Journal on Contemporary Asia (111), S. 95–107. http://www.asienkunde.de/content/zeitschrift_asien/archiv/pdf/111_rother.pdf.
As always, feedback is very welcome.
Abstract:
Standing in the Shadow of Civil Society? The 4th Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) in Mexico
Stefan Rother
Mexico marked the fourth time that the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) brought together representatives of governments, international institutions and civil society organizations, and – less intentionally – fierce protesters on the outside. While, with some justification, previous meetings had been criticized for not providing enough space for migrant civil society, Mexico marked a significant shift: the numerous activities of migrant organizations inside or outside the official process almost overshadowed the proceedings of the Government Meeting. This was in some part due to the more inclusive approach of the Mexican government and the Bancomer Foundation,
who hosted the process and brought topics to the agenda that had been neglected or avoided in previous meetings. Among those were the criminalization of borders, the plight of transit migrants, migration and climate change and a more broadly defined view on human development. The opposition to the event was also very vocal, staging – among other activities – a ‘‘Tribunal of Conscience’’. But while the Mexican GFMD can be seen as an improvement in several regards, the future of the process remains unclear. In this paper, I will start with a brief background on how the GFMD and its agenda have developed up to Mexico and map out the stakeholders involved. I will then give an overview of the numerous events that took place in Mexico and the topics discussed. I will conclude with an assessment and a discussion about the future of the forum.
