Invitation to the 6th Round Table of the Bonn Platform for Forced Migration Studies
Living Migration – Shaping Democracy – Strengthening Community(ies)
📅 Thursday, November 6, 2025 | 5:30–8:00 p.m.
📍 MIGRApolis, Brüdergasse 18, 53111 Bonn
Migration shapes cities, villages, and neighborhoods, bringing with it new questions, experiences, and challenges. Yet migration is only one facet of social diversity, offering new perspectives on fundamental issues of belonging and democratic coexistence. We view migration as an opportunity for democracy and as an impetus to learn from one another and to continuously reshape how we live together as a society. Together, we aim to explore how democratic experiences in local migration contexts can be made visible and utilized—as a resource for a vibrant and resilient democracy.
We warmly invite scholars from all disciplines and institutions (universities, universities of applied sciences, non-university research institutes, think tanks), practitioners from NGOs, associations, politics, and local administrations, as well as representatives of migrant self-organizations to join our sixth Round Table.
We will exchange experiences of local democracy-building in migration contexts (and beyond) and discuss, among others, the following questions:
• What can we learn from (post-)migrant coexistence to understand diversity as a social strength?
• What challenges do we currently face in shaping local democracy?
• How can experiences from migration contexts be used to strengthen democratic community(ies) at the local level?
The Round Tables are an initiative of the University of Bonn, the Bonn Centre for Conflict Studies (BICC), and the Bonn Institute for Migration Research and Intercultural Learning (BIM e.V.). Their aim is to bring together Bonn-based stakeholders working on issues of displacement and migration, offering a platform for exchange, peer learning, and collaboration. With their interactive format, the Round Tables encourage participants to bring in their own perspectives and engage in dialogue.
We look forward to your participation!
👉 Please register by October 30, 2025:
https://terminplaner6.dfn.de/b/62647d106acce7ff0294e9fd61ce2e6c-1417835
Please feel free to share this invitation with colleagues and friends who might be interested in joining the discussion.
Contact:
Dr. Sandra Gilgan (BORA, University of Bonn)
Maarit Thiem (BICC / FFVT)
Dr. Lena Laube & Dr. Maria Ullrich (FIW, University of Bonn)
Jure Leko (BIM e.V.)