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25
Sep

BARCELONA: SEMINAR ON CHALLENGES OF IMMIGRATION AND WORK IN EUROPE

On July 4 and 5, the international seminar entitled 'Immigration in Europe and the ILO's Decent Work Agenda' was held in Barcelona. It is an activity organized by the Universitat Abat Oliba CEU and the IPCM, with the collaboration of the European Center for Workers' Affairs (EZA).

This seminar focused its gaze on three pillars: universities, as training centers in which coexistence is expressed; the challenges and opportunities of the presence of refugees in the EU; and the agenda of the International Labor Organization (ILO).

These three themes were developed in the work sessions:

July 4, at 12:00 p.m. Work Session I. 'The University as a space for coexistence and integration'. The rector of the UAO CEU and president of IPCM, Rafael Rodríguez-Ponga, presented, and the vice-rector for Academic Planning and Quality of the UAO CEU, Swen Seebach, intervened. Debate between Ignacio Argote, CEAT, and secretary of IPCM; and Jorge Martínez, professor of Media Studies at the UAO CEU.

July 4 at 4:00 p.m. Work Session II. ‘Refugees in the European Union’. The vice-rector for International Relations and Research of the UAO CEU, Alessandro Mini, presented and Aneta Szczykutowicz, Europjski Dom Spotkan Fundacka Nowy (EDS-FNS, Poland) intervened. Debate between Vittorino Rodaro, UNAIE-Trentini nel Mondo, PICM; and Maria Reina Martin, Vice President of IPCM and EZA.

On the afternoon of the same Monday, July 4, they visited the immigrant reception center of the Santa Anna church. They listened directly to the testimonies of the people welcomed. Professor Anna Garriga coordinated the visit.

July 5 at 9:30 a.m. Work Session III. ‘The agenda of the International Labor Organization: mobility of workers’. Piergiorgio Sciacqua, co-president of EZA and vice-president of the PICM, presented the presentation, and Carmen Parra, director of the UNESCO Chair in Peace, Solidarity and International Dialogue of the UAO CEU, intervened. Debate between Maribel Alañón, director of Fundación Concordia y Libertad and deputy secretary of IPCM, and Josep Calvó, treasurer of IPCM.

On Tuesday, July 5, at 12:00, the intervention of the Movimento Cristiano Lavoratori took place, which served as the final session, prior to the meeting of the PICM Board of Directors.

Before starting work, the seminar participants were received by the Archbishop of Barcelona and President of the Spanish Episcopal Conference, Cardinal Juan José Omella, on Monday, July 4, at the Bishop's headquarters.