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Workshop at Guatemala - September 2008

  Honors College  
J_S Color Tree CIMI

Workshop on the Reintegration of Guatemalan Returnees

September 17 – 18, 2008

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
2A AVE. 4-17 ZONE 10, GUATEMALA CITY

Provisional Agenda

Goals

 

  1. To bring together key stakeholders in Guatemala and the United States to learn about the challenges and needs of Guatemalan immigrants who return or are deported to Guatemala.
  2. To share information about current policies and available assistance to facilitate the return and reintegration of Guatemalan migrants;
  3. To develop ideas about further possible directions for policies, programs and inter-organizational cooperation at the national and local levels to help address the needs of Guatemalan returnees and deportees.

WORKSHOP SCHEDULE

Day I: Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Time

Session

8:45 – 9:00

Registration

9:00 – 10:00

Introduction

Greetings
Mr. Miguel Angel Ibarra, Vice Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala  

Mr. Isaac Bachman, Ambassador of Israel to Guatemala

Workshop Background
Ms. Myriam de la Roca, Advising Ministry of the Guatemalan Embassy in Israel

 

Workshop Goals and Methodology
Rebecca Bardach, US Representative, CIMI

Participants’ Introduction
Protocol

10:00 – 11:15

from the us to guatemala: the path of return

Guatemalan Immigrants in the United States  
Aileen Josephs, Honorary Consul of Guatemala in West Palm Beach, Florida and Immigration Attorney
An overview of Guatemalan immigrants in the US, the challenges they face as immigrants, the reasons why they return and the process and problems of deportation.

The Guatemalan Returnee and Deportee
Ms. Irena Palma, Director, Incedes  
An overview of Guatemalan returnees and deportees and the challenges they face when they return. 

Reintegration from the Point of View of a Returnee
The challenges and difficulties of return from the perspective of a returnee.

11:15 – 11:30

Break

11:30 – 1:00

Costs and benefits of return
Facilitator: Rebecca Bardach, CIMI

What are the costs and benefits of the return of migrants from the perspective of the different stakeholders (government, NGOs, migrants, communities of origin, banks etc.) and what are the steps that can help facilitate reintegration?

Interactive session analyzing the key stakeholders involved in return and reintegration processes. 

1:00 – 2:00

lunch

2:00 – 3:00

Government policies and legislation
Facilitator: Rebecca Bardach, CIMI

What assistance is currently available to returnees and deportees through policies and legislation?

  • Mr. Erick Rios Maldanado, Director General of Consular and Migratory Issues, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
  • Mr. Lester Reina, Head of the Congressional Migration Committee

Discussion.   

3:00 – 5:00

developing links between usa – guatemala through the guatemalan diaspora and american ngos
Facilitator: Rebecca Bardach, CIMI

Diaspora: Investment and Philanthropy
How are immigrants helping Guatemala through investment and philanthropy? How can these efforts help improve the opportunities for returnees?

  • Gunter Mussig, Executive Director, International Organization for Migration

Non-Governmental Organizations in USA
What type of assistance are labor centers and other American NGO’s providing to Guatemalan immigrants? How can these organizations expand their services to help immigrants while they are in the US but also when they return?

  • Jocelyn Sabbagh, Director, El Sol Neighborhood Resource Center

Discussion.

 Day II: Thursday, September 18, 2008

Time

Session

9:00 – 11:00

what are the current services available for returnees?

  • Father Verceletti, House for Migrants
  • Mr. Miguel Palacios, Anglican Church
  • Mr. Ubaldo Villatoro, MENAMIG
  • Operations Division, Migration Control

Discussion.

11:00 – 12:00

Comparative case study

  • Yolanda Strausz, Director of Tel Aviv and Central District, Ministry of Immigrant Integration – State of Israel 
    Israeli institutional arrangements at the regional and local levels to facilitate immigrant integration.
  • Danny Pins, Director, Division for Immigrant Integration, JDC Israel and Board Member of CIMI 
    Cooperation between agencies and relations between government, NGOs, diaspora and other stakeholders in Israel.

Discussion and application to Guatemalan context. 

12:00 – 1:00

LUNCH

 

1:00 – 3:00

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: REMITTANCES AND EMPLOYMENT

  • Mr. Sergei Walter, Executive Assistant to the President of Banrural
    What role are Banrural and other banks and financial institutions playing with immigrants and returnees? How can their role be expanded?
  • Danny Pins, Director, Division for Immigrant Integration, JDC Israel and Board Member of CIMI 
    Immigrant integration through employment and entrepreneurship.

Discussion
Facilitator: Rebecca Bardach, CIMI

4:00 – 5:00

Conclusions

Facilitators: Myriam de la Roca and Veronica Grajeda

Facilitated discussion about next steps and conclusions. 

RESULTS
Rebecca Bardach