Migrations, opportunities and torments, is part of a series of panel discussions which concern current event’s matters, involving different cultures and realities from an international angle: migrations, democracy and life’s digitalisation. This series picks up and broadens a previous discourse on globalisation started by the Institut de Hautes Études Internationales et du Développement (IHEID) in Geneva.

The theme of migrations will be analysed during three panel discussions (over two days) by experts and moderators from Africa, Italy, Switzerland and the Holy See, in all of its complexity. The panel discussion’s objective is to foster critical awareness by interrogating our policies, challenging our views, co-creating better solutions on the migration phenomenon with all the opportunities and tribulations it entails.

The goal behind Migrations, opportunities and torments, is to achieve an exhaustive and multidisciplinary understanding of it; for such reasons, the panel discussion will be combined to artistic events.
At 5pm on November 17, in the ‘sala Elvetica’ of the Institute, Dimitri de Perrot will premiere in Italy his installation work Dreams & Nightmares, produced with Swiss photographer Jean Revillard.

Each panel discussion is based on the interplay between experts on migration’s issues and speakers from diverse fields (intellectuals, ethicists, writers, ambassadors, officials, councillors, ministries, cooperative members, academics, etc.) able to thoroughly study, from a multidisciplinary perspective, migration’s behaviours from a detailed point of view and thus articulate challenging questions. These individuals encourage debate and provide an opportunity for the public to have an all-round understanding of it. Abundant space will be given, for each panel discussion, to debate with the public. Both the possibility is given to participate to a single workshop or to all three of them, in order to have a better understanding on the matter.

Various convivial moments, with opportunity of networking, are planned for the two days.

In order to ensure continuity in the debate and to challenge the results, all three Migrations, opportunities and torments panel discussions are going to be critically commented – by the following experts:

– Yves Daccord, General Director of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Switzerland
– Amadou Chab Touré, Professor of Aesthetics and Art Critic, Mali

The panel discussions are organised by the Istituto Svizzero with the support of Presence Switzerland, in collaboration with the Swiss Embassy in Italy, the Swiss Embassy to the Holy See, and the Community of Sant’Egidio.