By CHIBUEZE DUMBI,
The Journalists International Forum For Migration (JIFORM) has announced a list of speakers to participate at its 4th Global Migration Summit at the Belmont Event Space, Etobicoke, Toronto in Canada on October 5.
The summit tagged 4th JIFORM Global Migration Summit is being hosted by the Abedorc Productions Inc Canada between October 2-14. A statement issued by the President of the JIFORM, Dr Ajibola Abayomi said that the revered speakers drawn from different countries have confirmed their participation.
He expressed optimism that the summit focusing on Climate Change, Human Mobility and Sustainable Investment would further improve the capacity of journalists, businessmen and women, migration and judiciary workers as well as other professionals being expected while targeting a review of global migration order to the benefits of humanity.
The event would provide a platform for interaction on migration, human trafficking, and business related issues towards improving the focus on migration governance.
According to the JIFORM President, the resource persons were carefully selected based on their track records and contributions to safe, orderly and regular migration.
“At a time like this, JIFORM is proud to engineer human mobility discussions to herald solutions to the global economic order while focusing on migration as human rights, within the confines of the law” he said.
Leading the cream resource persons at the event is Honourable Gerry Weiner, the former Secretary of State and Minister of Immigration and Citizenship in Canada, now the Executive Director, Global Relations, Partnerships, and Customer Satisfaction, APS Global Partners Incorporated, Toronto.
Kelly, a Canadian, an anti-human trafficking activist is a UNCSW Standing Committee with Business and Professional Women International/Canada.
She is a UN’s Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Delegate and Panel expert at the UNWomen’s Summits with an informed understanding of lived experience and labour and others forms of trafficking relative to eco-migration affects increasing human trafficking and sexual exploitation risks across ethnicities, cultures, geographies and social classes.
As the Founder of a Survivor lead NGO, her team created the first culturally sensitive, language inclusive safety campaign in Canada during the pandemic (#ProjectInterclusion).
She is advancing informed work to inspire “Codes of Ethical practice ensuring right of victims and survivors” interfacing and policy inclusion in her role as a prominent member of the Global International Survivors of Trafficking Advisory Council (ISTAC) Cohort Expert Consultant, with the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) under the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
From the US is Nermin Ahmad, a US based Harvard scholar and the Treasurer of the Executive Committee on Migration representing Civil Society at the United Nations who also Chairs the Program Committee at the Harvard Club of NY. She also occupies the seat of the UN representative designated by Business and Professional Women (BPW) International present in 112 countries, including Nigeria.
Philomena Gnanapragasam, the Director Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD), Malysia is a renowned International Speaker and a Media Executive. She holds a double degree in Psychology and Political Science from the UK and Malaysia respectively. To date, she has 15 international awards for radio and television. Prior to joining AIBD Philomena was Station Manager of Malaysia’s Pioneer English Radio Station, Traxxfm, RTM. Ms Philomena has significant experience in both radio and television programming.
Also the event will have as guest speaker, Her Excellency, Reverend Dr. Asie Kabuki Ocansey, a member of the African Union Labour Migration Advisory Committee, who doubles as the Chairperson of the United Nations Youth Association- Ghana and the End-deadly-work Coalition, USA and the Executive Chairperson of the Nekotech Center of Excellence that owns the Nekotech Center for Labour Migration Diplomacy, Ghana.
Professor Byron Price of the Medgars Evers College, City University, New York, USA will be on ground as one of the Chief Moderators to deliver a presentation on the Essentials of Migration in the 21st century while summit will also feature the Chief Executive Officer, Warren G. Salmon.
JIFORM, founded in 2019, is a non-profit body comprising over 300 journalists and other volunteers across the continents covering migration matters.
The body had facilitated among other things the maiden African Migration Summit in partnership with the Nekotech Center of Excellence in Accra, Ghana in 2021, the West African Media Migration Summit in Togo in 2021, and an Intercontinental Migration Summit in partnership with Medgar Evers College, City University, Brooklyn, in New York between November 2- 4, 2022.