People not numbers... (Un)Welcoming migrants in Europe

Which are the positions, reflections of Christian churches in the current European migration context?  How is theology responding to the permanent mobility of people trying to enter “Fortress Europe”?

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This ecumenical and international webinar series will foster critical perspectives on migration in Europe. The series facilitates an ongoing conversation on these issues among theologians and migration scholars, refugees and migrants, activists, and church and civic leaders. The initiative has the potential to enhance the promotion of the human dignity, the protection of migrants’ and refugees’ rights regardless of their origin. And first and last: Can theology and churches represent serious challenges to the present European politics and societies, often dominated by issues of security, immigration restrictions, and populist initiatives?

Program:

  • General welcome: Aldo Skoda
  • Opening reflections, Cecilia Nahnfledt
  • Keynote speaker: Oliviero Forti
  • Reports from practice: Davide Pignata
  • Closing reflections: Gioacchino Campese

Moderator

  • Veronica De Sanctis

Aldo Skoda

Alberto Skoda. PhotoAldo Skoda is a Member of the Congregation of the Missionaries of St. Charles (Scalabrinians). After completing his studies in Philosophy and Theology with a Licentiate in Christian Anthropology, he graduated in Psychology at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart and obtained a Doctorate in Pastoral Theology at the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome.

Skoda is Professor of Pastoral Theology and Human Mobility at the Pontifical Urbanian University; Executive Director of SIMI, an institute specialising in interdisciplinary research and training on migration; Director for Europe and Africa of SIMN, an organisation that supports, promotes and coordinates the socio-pastoral action of the Scalabrinian Missionaries globally.

Cecilia Nahnfelt. PhotoCecilia Nahnfeldt

Cecilia Nahnfeldt is professor in practical theology at Åbo Akademi University. Her research connects theology with gender studies.

Nahnfelt has long experience of research related to theological perspectives on migration and social inclusion in churches and civil society with a focus on Sweden and the Nordic countries.

Oliviero Forti

Olivero Forti. PhotoOliviero Forti, a law graduate from La Sapienza University in Rome, is currently head of the Migration Policies and International Protection Office of Caritas Italiana. He has been dealing with human mobility issues for over 20 years, first as a researcher and consultant for several Italian universities, then engaging in institutional and advocacy activities at national and international level. He has since written numerous articles and publications on the phenomenon of immigration and international protection. He worked at the European Commission for the establishment of the European Migration Network. More recently, he promoted the 'MigraMed' network through the involvement of Caritas in Mediterranean countries committed to human mobility. He is currently involved in the implementation of humanitarian operations from Africa and the Middle East.

Davide Pignata. PhotoDavide Pignata

Davide is a philosophy major and graduate student in civil and sustainable economics. Since October 2022, he has been the contact person for ASCS's Borders project, which aims to expand ASCS's presence at the hot borders of European migration routes. Alongside this project, Davide is doing an internship with Tranform!europe, with a focus on migration to the European continent.

Gioacchino Campese

Image may contain: Forehead, Shirt, Eye, Smile, Beard.Gioacchino Campese, is a member of the Scalabrinians, a Roman Catholic religious order, currently serving as professor of theology of human mobility at the Pontifical Urbaniana University, Rome (Italy) and working with the Scalabrini International Migration Institute (SIMI). He is also president of the Agenzia Scalabriniana per la Cooperazione allo Sviluppo (ASCS), an NGO that operates in the areas of integral welcoming, intercultural engagement and development cooperation in Europe and Africa. He has studied theology in Manila (Philippines), Chicago (USA) and Rome, where he earned a PhD in theology of mission. He has been ministering with migrants and refugees in Mexico, USA and Italy. He has authored and edited several books and articles on the theology of migration and the pastoral care with migrants and refugees.

About the series organisers

The Migration, Ethics and Theology webinar series is developed in a cooperation between the Scalabrini International Migration Institute (SIMI) in Rome and scholars in the research project Nordhost – Migration and Hospitality in a Nordic context. The partners hosted an international conference in Rome in 2019, published in the edited volume Contemporary Christian-Cultural Values (C. Nahnfeldt/K. Rønsdal, ed.)  (Routledge 2021), and the volume Contested Hospitalities in the time of Migration (S. Bendixsen/T. Wyller, ed).  The SIMI Institute publish ed in 2021:  ‘Migrants and Pilgrims as our Ancestors’ (1 Chr 29:15). Theology of Human Mobility in the 21st Century (E. Chaves Dias /A. Skoda/V. De Sanctis, ed.) 

Currently, the partners behind the series are Kaia Rønsdal and Trygve Wyller, University of Oslo – Faculty of Theology (Norway). Aldo Skoda and Gioacchino Campese, Scalabrini International Migration Institute; Pontificia Università Urbaniana – Faculty of Theology (Italy), Cecilia Nahnfeldt, Åbo Akademi University – Faculty of Theology (Finland); Uppsala University, Centre for Multidisciplinary Research on Religion and Society (Sweden).

The webinar series will foster networks amongst scholars and Christian based organizations from different countries with the purpose of enhancing how theology can contribute to migration understanding. Concretely, the initiative aims to provide a platform for dialogues and exchange of experiences of good practices and lessons learned among Christian communities.

Next webinars

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Published Apr. 13, 2023 2:19 PM - Last modified Oct. 31, 2023 12:50 PM