With a record 200 million people living outside their country of birth, immigration is a global phenomenon with profound demographic, economic, social, and political implications for both sending and receiving countries. The debate over immigration policy, particularly in the United States, which is home to an estimated 12 million undocumented migrants, has become increasingly volatile and, in some instances, characterized by misinformation, hate, and xenophobia.
Beyond the politics of immigration, genuine challenges to integration abound. Yet successful integration of immigrants is critical to the long-term prosperity of host countries that rely on immigrants as workers, consumers, taxpayers, innovators, and entrepreneurs in light of their aging native-born populations and lower birth rates. Integration demands the involvement of all sectors of our society-from businesses and trade unions to governmental and non-governmental organizations to cultural and educational institutions. Through immigrant integration, foundations can play a unique leadership role to shape a vision for a vibrant, cohesive society that is shared and valued by all of its members, regardless of their race, national origin, or socio-economic status.
This mini-plenary will provide an in-depth opportunity to discuss strategies for winning fair and humane immigration policies and examine approaches to promote social, economic, civic, and political inclusion. Participants will hear the latest thinking from top immigration and immigrant integration experts from the United States, Canada, and Europe. If you plan to attend the mini-plenary session, please contact Alison De Lucca at 213.346.3275 or alison@gcir.org for more information.
More than 190 million people live outside their country of origin, 37 million of them in the United States. These migrants send an astounding amount of remittances to their countries of origin. In 2006 alone, they sent $260 billion to support their families and communities more than three times the amount of official development assistance. What drives this global migration phenomenon, and what role do remittances play in addressing it? Join funding colleagues in a discussion about the root causes of migration including the role of trade and globalization, and strategies for addressing them. Explore how the investment power of immigrants in their home countries can reduce the "push" factors of migration. This program is co-sponsored by the French American Charitable Trust, Funders Network on Trade and Globalization and GCIR.
Immigration characterizes the United States. As the nation grows increasingly diverse, demands on health care, education, and community development increase. Grantmakers must react strategically to engage the full community, including health care providers, educators, businesses, faith-based organizations, and immigrants themselves. This session will highlight approaches for working across issue areas in order to facilitate immigrant integration, address broad community needs, and seize opportunities that arise with these new community members. To register for the conference, visit www.gih.org.
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