Transatlantic Discourse on Integration: "Integration and education for migrants: The role of state and civil society", 11th-12th July, 2005

Supported by the German Marshall Fund of the United States the european forum for migration studies (efms) organized the transatlantic expert workshop "Integration and education for migrants: The role of state and civil society" on July 11th-12th, 2005 in Nürnberg. The workshop brought together experts from North America and Europe, including representatives from government, administration, academia and non-governmental organisations.

After an introductory session on structures and measures as well as programmes on education and integration, the role of civil society for integration was discussed. This was followed by a comparison of German and U.S. integration policies and examples of best practice. Finally, representatives of the German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees explained their new role defined by the Immigration Act and how the integration of immigrants, e.g. via the development of a nationwide integration programme, could succeed.

The statements have been published in a conference volume as a part of the Transatlantic Discourse on Integration.

Conference program

Monday, July 11: Education for Integration in Germany and the United States

9:00 a.m.

Welcome and Introduction

• Dr. A. Schmid, President of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, Nürnberg
• Dr. Tanja Wunderlich, european forum for migration studies, Bamberg

9:15 a.m.

Session I: Education for Integration: An overview on structures, measures and programmes

• Prof. Dr. Friedrich Heckmann, Director of the european forum for migration studies
• Prof. Dr. James Hollifield, Southern Methodist University, Texas

10:30 a.m.

Session II: Integration and the role of civil society

Intervention program and language instruction: Home Instruction for parents of preschool youngsters (HIPPY)

• Renate Sindbert, National Coordinator HIPPY Deutschland, Arbeiterwohlfahrt Nürnberg
• Elisabet Eklind, Executive Director HIPPY USA

11:30 a.m.

Coffee break

The role of foundations for the integration of migrants

• Alba Rodriguez, Posse Foundation, New York
• Sükrü Uslucan LL.M. and Veysel Özcan, Adviser Migration and Integration, Office of Cem Özdemir (MEP), Berlin
• Anne Lehmeier, Hertie Foundation, Frankfurt a.M.
• Doreen Barzel, Mercator Foundation, Essen

1:00 p.m.

Lunch

2:00 p.m.

Session III: Integration policy and examples of best practice

Empowerment and self-help potentials within ethnic groups: Ethnic mentoring

• Jens Schneider, verikom (Verbund für Interkulturelle Kommunikation und Bildung e.V.)

Measures by the state: Language instruction for immigrants

• Kathleen Leos, Associate Deputy Undersecretary in the Office of English Language Acquisition, U.S. Department of Education
• Delia Pompa, Co-principal of DMP Associates/ former Director of the Department of Education's Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Languages Affairs
• Siglinde Schweizer, Academy for Teachersâ€^TM Training and Personnel Management /Bavarian Ministry for Culture and Education

4:00 p.m.

Coffee break

4:15 p.m.

Measures on the local level

The role of schools:
Prof. Dr. John E. Farley, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville
Gabriela Kreter, Headmaster Karlschule Hamm

Orientation courses for immigrants in Frankfurt a.M
Dr. Thomas Kunz, Institut für Sozialarbeit und Sozialpädagogik e.V.

Project network "Spielend lernen in Familie und Stadtteil", Nürnberg
Martina Haag, City of Nürnberg

6:00 p.m.

Adjourn

7:00 p.m.

Conference dinner

Tuesday, July 12: Integration of immigrants: The Role of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees

9:00 a.m.

Introduction

• Das Zuwanderungsgesetz: New legislation for better integration
• Dr. Michael Griesbeck, Head of Department, Directorate of Integration

9:30 a.m.

The Federal Office as Competence Centre for all aspects of migration

• Ursula Gräfin Praschma, Director, Head of International Relations, European Law

10:00 a.m.

The Integration course as key measure for integration

• Dr. Michael Griesbeck, Head of Department, Directorate of Integration

10:30 a.m.

The developement of a nationwide integration program

• Katrin Hirseland

11:00 a.m.

Guided tour through the library

• Dr. Eva Britting-Reimer

12:30 a.m.

Adjourn

List of participants (in alphabetical order)

• Doreen Barzel, Mercator Stiftung, Essen
• Dr. Eva Britting-Reimer, Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge, Nürnberg
• Dr. Ursula Brock, Bildungszentrum der Stadt Nürnberg
• Sybille Drexler, europäisches forum für migrationsstudien, Bamberg
• Elisabet Eklind, HIPPY USA, New York
• Prof. Dr. John E. Farley, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville
• Dr. Michael Griesbeck, Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge, Nürnberg
• Heinz Grunwald, Regierungsvizepräsident, Regierung von Mittelfranken
• Stojan Gugutschkow, Referat Ausländerbeauftragter der Stadt Leipzig
• Martina Haag, Bündnis für Familie, Nürnberg
• Prof. Dr. Friedrich Heckmann, europäisches forum für migrationsstudien, Bamberg
• Katrin Hirseland, Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge, Nürnberg
• Elmar Hönekopp, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsfotschung (IAB) der Bundesagentur für Arbeit, Nürnberg
• Prof. Dr. James Hollifield, Southern Methodist University, Dallas
• Dr. Thomas Kunz, Institut für Sozialarbeit und Sozialpädagogik e.V., Frankfurt a.M.
• Gabriela Kreter, Karlschule Hamm
• Anne Lehmeier, Gemeinnützige Hertie Stiftung, Frankfurt a. M.
• Alicia Machnitzky, Schwaig
• Veysel Özcan, Die Grüne/EFA Fraktion Europäisches Parlament, Berlin
• Mario Peucker, europäisches forum für migrationsstudien, Bamberg
• Delia Pompa, DMP Associates, Washington D.C.
• Ursula Gräfin Praschma, Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge, Nürnberg
• Alba Rodriguez, Posse Foundation, New York
• Klaus Rutow, Kanzlei Foerster + Rutow, Nürnberg
• Jens Schneider, Verbund für Interkulturelle Kommunikation und Bildung e.V., Hamburg
• Michaela Schremser, ASD Langwasser, Nürnberg
• Thomas Schwarz, European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC), Wien
• Siglinde Schweizer, Akademie für Lehrerfortbildung und Personalführung, Dillingen
• Renate Sindbert, HIPPY Deutschland, Nürnberg
• Iris Tenschert, Gemeinnützige Hertie Stiftung, Frankfurt a. M.
• Prof. Dr. Horst Unbehaun, Georg-Simon-Ohm Fachhochschule Nürnberg
• Sükrü Uslucan LL.M., Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
• Richard Wolf, europäisches forum für migrationsstudien, Bamberg
• Susanne Worbs, Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge, Nürnberg
• Dr. Tanja Wunderlich, europäisches forum für migrationsstudien, Bamberg
• Simone Zdrojewski, europäisches forum für migrationsstudien, Bamberg