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Migration – one of the biggest challenges of the 21st century

Minibus mit aufgemalter Werbung auf den Hecktüren. Text: "Ètudiez au Canada et aux Ètats-Unis"
© Helga Dickow

Journalist Bartholomäus Grill has reported from African countries for around four decades. In his 2021 book “Africa! A look back at the future of a continent”, published in 2021, he combines a retrospective of his long career as a reporter with highlights of current developments on the African continent. In this way, he draws attention to continuities, ruptures and success stories, but also to disappointed hopes and worsening crises. Without falling into the usual narrative of a perspective focused solely on disasters, Grill vividly highlights the current challenges facing some African countries, such as climate change, poverty, war, migration and terrorism.

In the first part of the event, Bartholomäus Grill will read from his book, focusing on the topic of migration to Europe. In doing so, he presents the facts and corrects some of the common myths put forward by right-wing populists in particular.
 
In the second part of the event, Franzisca Zanker, head of the “Patterns of (Forced) Migration” research cluster at the Arnold Bergstraesser Institute (ABI) at the University of Freiburg, will discuss the topic of migration in Africa and to Europe with Bartholomäus Grill, Daniela Evers MdL, Laura Lambert and Yahya Sonko. The discussion will focus on the initial circumstances in the countries of origin and transit as well as the conditions for returning to some African countries. The discussion is thus intended to contribute to a thorough and differentiated assessment of a very complex problem.
 
Speakers:        
  • Bartholomäus Grill (Author, Kapstadt)
                                as well as
  • Daniela Evers MdL (Die Grünen, Freiburg)
  • Laura Lambert (Leuphana University, Lüneburg)
  • Yahya Sonko (Gambia European Center for Jobs Migration and Development Agency, Stuttgart)
 
Moderation:
Josef Mackert (Catholic Academy, Freiburg)
Franzisca Zanker (Arnold-Bergstraesser-Institut (ABI), Freiburg)
 
The event will be held in German.
The event is free of charge. You can register here.

In cooperation with the Africa Centre for Transregional Research (ACT) at the University of Freiburg, the Catholic Academy of the Archdiocese of Freiburg and the Heinrich Böll Foundation Baden-Württemberg.

 
This event is also part of a series of programs celebrating the 5th anniversary of the Africa Centre for Transregional Research (ACT) der Universität Freiburg.

 

Who?Bartholomäus Grill, Daniela Evers MdL, Laura Lambert, Yahya Sonko, Franzisca Zanker
Where?Katholische Akademie der Erzdiözese Freiburg, Wintererstr. 1 79104 Freiburg
When?