What kind of potential do these actions of civil society hold for the advancement of European democracies in connection with the most recent refugee movement? What can be learned from historical experiences with the wars in Yugoslavia, but also from current experiences in Sweden? How is the refugee movement changing European democracies and what can be learned from civil society’s activities, which have been emerging since last year?
The Aktionstage: Refugees – Migration – Democracy, which are being supported by a number of organizations, are dedicated to exploring these questions from a theoretical and practical perspective and are attempting to understand the current situation through historical and geographic comparisons.

ymposium
The new faces of Democracy! European Experiences

The first, scientific part, which will be held at the Academy of Fine Arts, reflects on the experiences with migration from former Yugoslavia from the 1990s until today. This example provides a long-term study on the issues of flight, return, transnationalism and the impact on host societies and communities of origin. Questions about the impact of the current refugee movement on our understanding of European democracies and about negotiating new notions of belonging within Europe are also tied to this, because the debates about the safety of the EU’s external borders and the refugee quotas are changing the democratic self-image of the European Union and its member states.

Discussions – Workshops – Networking
The new faces of Solidarity! Civil society and ACTIVISM

The second part, held in the ÖBB headquarters at the Hauptbahnhof – which has become a historical place in connection with refugees since 2015 – offers an opportunity for international and regional actors to exchange experiences and network with each other, while interweaving theory and practice. The focus is on new forms of activism within civil society, particularly along the ‘West Balkan Route‘, in Sweden, and in rural areas. The presentation of the film ‘Logbook Serbistan’ and a talk with the director Želimir Žilnik will conclude the Aktionstage.

Source: aktionstage