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Year of Mygration

Migrants and migration matter to The Open University and to all of us.

The Open University's Year of Mygration stands as a remarkable introduction to diverse perspectives of migrants and migration. The Open University is ‘open to people, places, methods and ideas’ so has always welcomed migrants as students and staff, and has encouraged pioneering methods of learning, teaching, research and engagement around the themes of migration, refugees, mobility and belonging. 250 separate contributions have been gathered under the heading of a Year of ‘My-gration’ to emphasise that we are all affected by migration, whether or not we ourselves or immediate families are migrants. The issues of migration are vital to understanding not just current UK politics but also the world’s economies and communities.

The origins of this Year of Mygration are in a collaboration between the Citizenship & Governance and the International Development & Inclusive Innovation Strategic Research Areas of the OU. The idea was to share a reflection every day, Monday to Friday, for 50 weeks of a year, on the broad theme of migration which showcased the work of the OU academics and our partners, be it a short blog, podcast or archive clip, a tweet or a link to a longer article. We numbered the posts from 1 to 250 partly so that anyone can start their own Year of Mygration in any year and at any point in any year. We appreciate that migrants and the whole world live with migration 7 days a week for the whole 52 weeks of the year but we believe that there is a value in this exercise and we would welcome anyone creating their own sequels. As the OU enters our 50th anniversary year, 2019, we remain committed to being ‘open to people, places, methods and ideas’.

Migrants crossing the sea by boat - picture courtesy of Karam Yahya

Day 159, Year of #Mygration: From Syria to Scandinavia - Navigating the Refugee Reception Crisis

Since 2015, Europe’s so-called 'refugee crisis' has been the centre of intense debate. But what if we began to look at it as a refugee reception crisis? The OU's Dr Victoria Canning talks to Alaa Kassab & Karam Yahya, who were both forced to leave Syria, and now live in Europe

13th August 2018
Islamic veil

Day 158, Year of #Mygration: Understanding the Veiling Debate

Following Boris Johnson's controversial comments made in the press this week, and subsequent uproar, a free 10 hour Open University course (rated 5 stars) is now available which looks at the Islamic 'veil', be it in the form of the hijab, niqab, jilbab or burqa

10th August 2018
Naya River, Colombia

Day 157, Year of #Mygration: Internal Displacement Continues Despite Peace Agreement in Colombia

Research, Evidence & Learning Advisor, Kas Sempere from Christian Aid, highlights the ongoing effects of displacement & violence on a rural Afro-Colombian community, despite the formal FARC-Colombia Government peace settlement that ended 52 years of armed conflict

9th August 2018
Frida Kahlo, Self Portrait along the Border Line between Mexico and the USA, 1932

Day 156, Year of #Mygration: Frida Kahlo, Self Portrait along the Border Line between Mexico and the USA, 1932

Dr Warren Carter, OU Lecturer in Art History shows how art can speak to & inform current political debates. He highlights what the 1932 Self-Portrait on the Borderline between Mexico and the United States by the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo tells us about Mexico / US relations

8th August 2018
Prototype construction of the wall

Day 155, Year of #Mygration: Would Donald Trump's wall work to reduce migration from Mexico?

Following on from yesterday’s post which looked at the legality of immigration law change in the US, we bring you an article written by Professor Lisa Wade from Occidental College in Los Angeles. She argues the wall will exacerbate the 'problem' Trump is hoping it will solve

7th August 2018
Anti Trump march - Photo by Heidi McCafferty

Day 154, Year of #Mygration: Does the US have a legal obligation to accept refugees?

Following Donald Trump's threat to ‘shut government’ if Democrats do not support major changes to immigration laws, we highlight an article by Dr Liam Thornton. In it, he explores whether the prevention of entry to the US for citizens of certain countries is legal

6th August 2018
Brexit Hub Logo

Day 153, Year of #Mygration: OU Brexit Hub

Today we look at The Open University's work on Brexit, as part of the OU’s unique mission to make free learning materials for a global audience. Dr Peter Wood introduces the OU’s Brexiting Hub

3rd August 2018
Geography Matters Logo

Day 152, Year of #Mygration: Geography Matters – A Collection

Today we are celebrating The Open University’s Geography Matters series on OpenLearn. It was designed as a learning resource to promote the diverse and innovative mix of research being undertaken by the university’s geographers

2nd August 2018
Refugees from Iraq arriving in Kos

Day 151, Year of #Mygration: Government gives ‘misleading’ advice to High Court on Unaccompanied Children from Calais 

A High Court ruling has stated that the Home Office had given it misleading information, resulting in the claims of over 500 unaccompanied children seeking asylum in the UK being rejected. Dr Naomi Holford which considers the impacts faced by children caught in the crisis

1st August 2018
Dr Mutwarasibo outside Buckingham Palace

Day 150, Year of #Mygration: Migrants as Agents for Change - Cosmopolitanism

In the final post for July, Dr Fidele Mutwarasibo explores the idea of 'the migrant as an agent who influences structural issues and how this impacts on their integration'

31st July 2018

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