Transnationalism, in other words people belonging to or having ties
with more than one society over the course of a lifetime, is an
increasingly prevalent phenomenon in today's mobile world. Yet, its
opportunities in terms of economic and social contributions to
societies and its challenges at an individual and family level
remain largely unexplored by policy makers and practitioners.

Migration and transnationalism will therefore be the focus of
IOM's forthcoming International Dialogue on Migration workshop,
which will take place on March 9th and 10th at the Geneva
International Conference Centre.

The two-day meeting will bring together IOM Members States,
Observers, international and non-governmental organizations, civil
society, the private sector and migrants to discuss the
implications of transnationalism and migrant networks for states,
societies and individuals, with a particular focus on the
perspective of migrants themselves.

Participants will discuss the need for innovative policy
approaches to make transnationalism work for individuals and
societies. They will also look at ways to offset some of the more
disruptive aspects of transnationalism, particularly on families
and on individuals who may experience a sense of loss of identity
and belonging.

The Dialogue will also look at the benefits and challenges for
countries of origin, transit and destination in supporting migrant
networks and diaspora engagement.

The International Dialogue on Migration provides a forum for IOM
Member and Observer States, as well as international and
non-governmental organizations and other partners, to share
experiences and perspectives on migration matters with a view to
identifying practical solutions and fostering greater
cooperation.

As part of the event, a selection of short films created by
young people from around the world as part of the PLURAL + Youth
Video Festival on Migration, Identity and Diversity 2009 will be
presented. The participants will also hear from the direct
experience of a migrant who spent many years in Germany and is now
back to his country of origin, the Democratic Republic of Congo,
where he has a senior position in the public sector.

For the agenda and background documents, please go to "paragraph-link-no-underline-bold" href=
"http://www.iom.int/jahia/Jahia/migration-and-transnationalism">http://www.iom.int/jahia/Jahia/migration-and-transnationalism.

For further information, please contact:

Philippe Boncour

IOM HQ

Tel: +41 22 717 9264

E-mail: "mailto:pboncour@iom.int">pboncour@iom.int