2nd  International Dialogue on the Governance of Refugee CampsHarokopio University  ||  Athens, Greece  ||  May 27-29, 2024

Call for Participation

2nd  International Dialogue on the Governance of Refugee Camps
Harokopio University  ||  Athens, Greece  ||  May 27-29, 2024

 
By mid-2023, the number of displaced people worldwide reached an all-time high at over 110
million. That number is projected to at least double by 2050 given ongoing conflict, persecution,
and human rights violations and could swell to 1.2 billion due to natural disasters and climate
change. At present, nearly a quarter of the world’s refugees live in self-settled or planned camps.
While some professional guidance on camp planning and construction exists, little is known
about camp management and governance. This is unfortunate as better camp management and
governance could immediately and dramatically improve the quality of life for some of the
world’s most vulnerable populations. 
 
At the first International Dialogue on the Governance of Refugee Camps, participants articulated
the need for more research and identified six broad areas for investigation: (1) law, policy, and
management, (2) camp typologies, (3) camp life cycles, (4) organizational ecosystems, (5)
intersectionality and identity, and (6) refugee agency, voice, and mobilization. At the second
Dialogue, participants will coproduce interdisciplinary knowledge centered on these six
areas. More specifically, all conference participants will write a short essay relevant to at least
one of the areas, with practitioners focusing on gaps in knowledge and research needs, and
scholars focusing on disciplinary concepts, frameworks, or theories that could help fill those
gaps. The essays will shape our conversations at the event, will be published in the conference
proceedings, and may be used for an interdisciplinary journal article. The goals of the Dialogue
are to gather and synthesize disciplinary perspectives, lay out a research agenda for the future,
and individually and collectively produce knowledge on refugee camps and refugee camp
governance for publications and grant proposals. 
 
Academics and practitioners are invited to join us at the second International Dialogue on the
Governance of Refugee Camps, which will take place at Harokopio University in Athens, Greece
from May 27-29, 2024. All participants will be provided with coffee breaks and meals during the
event. Limited support for accommodations may be available on a need basis only. Space is
limited to 30 participants.
 
If you would like to participate in the Dialogue, please complete this form  by March 15, 2024.
We will confirm your participation by March 22, and send more information about the essays
and the agenda. Please do not hesitate to contact Khaldoun AbouAssi (abouassi@american.edu)
or Tina Nabatchi (tnabatch@syr.edu) should you have any questions. On behalf of the steering
committee, we hope to engage with you in this important dialogue.
 
Steering Committee:
Khaldoun AbouAssi (American University – United States) 
Silke Boenigk (Hamburg University – Germany)
Jasmin Lilian Diab (Lebanese American University – Lebanon)
Georgios Mavrommatis (Harokopio University – Greece)
Tina Nabatchi (Syracuse University – United States)