The Commission of the Pan American Health Organization on Equity and Health Inequalities in the Americas has released a new report, "Just Societies: Health Equity and Dignified Lives."

The report presents evidence to convey that majority of ill health is socially determined. They discuss how socioeconomic position, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability status, being a migrant—alone or in combination—can result in marked inequalities in health on life. Furthermore, the analysis shows how structural factors, such as climate change, environmental threats, and one’s relationship with the land, as well as the continuing impact of colonialism and racism, are slowing advancement towards a dignified life and reaping the highest possible standards of health. 

"The report provides examples of successful policies, programs, and actions implemented in countries and presents 12 recommendations to achieve health equity, calling for coordinated actions among local and national governments, transnational organizations, and civil society to jointly address the social determinants of health."

A community event on Migrant Collective Action is taking place on November 2 at the University of Toronto Multifaith Centre from 2-5:30 pm.

The forum will present findings from the "Promoting Migrant Collective Action," a participatory action research study supported by the Building Migrant Resilience in Cities Partnership. There will also be the opportunity to hear directly from migrant leaders working with South Asian Women’s Rights Organization and the Tibetan community in Parkdale to learn how they come together to address key concerns in their community through collective action. 

An article in the University of Toronto magazine discusses the strengths of Canada's private refugee scholarship program and provides suggestions for how it can be improved.

According to UofT Professor Audrey Macklin, research shows that privately sponsored refugees perform better in their new home compared to those who come via the government program. This is usually due to privately sponsored refugees arriving to a network of advocates who provide material support and also advice, contacts and instant social relationships. However, there is very little known about the sponsors themselves.

When Macklin and her research team evaluated the results of a survey completed by 530 sponsors, they determined that several recognized the power imbalances that are engraved into the structure of the private sponsorship program.

"In discussions of how the private sponsorship program could be improved, suggestions proposed included more formal training for individuals and groups sponsoring refugees and required background checks for participants, as well as changes to the tax laws that would allow people to treat contributions to a private sponsorship effort as charitable donations." 

An article in the Washington Post highlights the climate emergency occurring in Siberia. According to Scientists, the planet's warming must not exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius — however, Siberia's temperatures have increased exponentially.

In a region in Siberia called Yakutia, the temperature has increased by more than 3 degrees Celsius, which is nearly triple the global average. Siberians are now being driven to migrate due to extreme warming. 

"This migration from the countryside to cities and towns represents one of the most significant and little-noticed movements to date of climate refugees."

A special issue, "The Health and Wellbeing of Migrant Populations”, in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is now accepting manuscripts till December 31, 2019. Papers with original data are prioritized. This special issue belongs to the section "Global Health".

The Mahindra Humanities Center at Harvard University invites applications for one-year postdoctoral fellowships in connection with the Center’s Andrew W. Mellon Foundation seminar on the topic of migration and the humanities. 

The deadline for applications is November 15, 2019.

The African LGBTQI+ Migration Research Network is pleased to announce its first call for submissions (edited collection): LGBTIQ+ migration on, from and to the African continent.

"This edited collection seeks to contribute to this urgent scholarly conversation by bringing together diverse inputs on topics related to LGBTIQ+ migration on, from and to the African continent. We have a particular interest in what happens when borders, sexualities, genders, identities, languages and mobilities come up against the histories, trajectories, futures and imaginaries of what Mbembe (2007) calls the ‘geographical accident’ that is Africa."

Expressions of interest – short abstract (200-250 words) and a biography (150 words) are due by September 13, 2019. Please send all abstracts and enquiries to almresearchnet@gmail.com, addressed to either B Camminga or John Marnell (African Centre for Migration and Society, University of the Witwatersrand).

In an article by the New Yorker, Isaac Chotiner describes how separation and detention changes the lives of children. 

The article discusses how child development experts are concerned about the psychological impact of separation and detention on children. Jack P. Shonkoff, Professor of Child Health and Development at the Harvard School of Public Health, says the forced and abrupt separation of children from their parents is a huge psychological trauma and assault. Another issue is the prolonged placement of children in institutional settings.

Moreover, the American Psychological Association has released several statements on the effects of the Trump Administration’s immigration policies, stating that they “pose serious harm to the psychological well-being of immigrant children, their U.S.-born siblings, and other family members.”

June 20th marks World Refugee Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness of the situation of refugees around the world. 

The UNHCR has also released its annual global trends report today. According to a CBC News Article, Canada took in 28,100 of the 92,400 refugees who were resettled in 25 countries in 2018. 

A striking concern however is that "the number of people fleeing war, persecution and conflict worldwide ballooned to over 70 million — the highest level since the Second World War and an increase of more than two million from a year earlier — an overall total that would amount to the world's 20th most populous country."