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In January 2017, the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) named Lancaster County “America’s refugee capital,” saying the county takes in 20 times more refugees per capita than the rest of the country. Where are those refugees living? How are they transitioning to life in the United States? How can community members serve their new neighbors? And, how is Millersville University (MU) involved?
Millersville University’s 10th annual International Policy Conference titled “im(migration)” will help students and citizens answer those questions on October 17, 18 and 19.
The three-day conference includes sessions that feature films, guest speakers, luncheons, expos, discussions and more to better equip MU and the Lancaster County community to understand and confront the international debate on immigration and refugees. Participants can attend any or all of the sessions free of charge.
The conference will get started on Tuesday, Oct. 17 at 7 p.m. with a screening of the film “Welcome to Refugeestan.” A full schedule on Wednesday, Oct. 18 will begin at 9 a.m. with sessions throughout the day focused on climate change, immigration in popular media, refugee resettlement in Lancaster and immigration reform.
Dr. Howard Chang will give the keynote address about “The Economics of Immigration Reform” on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. The law professor from the University of Pennsylvania Law School will compare and evaluate two recent proposals for immigration reform in his lecture.
The conference will conclude on Thursday, Oct. 19 with sessions from 9:30 a.m. through 2:30 p.m. Guest speakers will lead discussion about immigration poetry, healthcare for immigrants, conversations with our neighbors, sanctuary cities and opportunities for getting involved. International food samples will be available from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
All the events and sessions will be held in the Bolger Conference Center in Gordinier Hall, with specific rooms posted online at www.millersvilleipc.com/schedule.
Registration for the 2017 MU International Policy Conference is open at www.millersvilleipc.com/. This conference is free and open to the public, but registration is recommended.
