The Swedish network member, Mångkulturellt Centrum (MKC) is organising a conference on 14-15 November focusing on the political participation of migrants in Sweden. The conference, entitled Unheard Voices, brings together leading researchers, experts and practitioners to shed light on the structural and social factors influencing migrants' declining political engagement.
- Voter turnout in Sweden is declining, but still relatively high. The problem is that the decline is uneven and particularly affects socially marginalised groups. This threatens the legitimacy of democracy,’ says Edda Manga, Head of Research and Conference Organiser at the Multicultural Centre.
The conference explores why large groups of foreign-born people and their children vote at a lower rate than native Swedes and what concrete measures can be taken to reverse this trend.
The keynote speakers are Magnus Dahlstedt, Professor of Social Work, who will talk about how exclusion affects political participation; Alice Bah Kuhnke, former Minister for Democracy and now Member of the European Parliament, who will talk about making democracy accessible to more people; and Hans Abrahamsson, Peace and Development Researcher, who will talk about safeguarding democracy and sustainability in times of change.
The programme also includes panel discussions and research presentations on the political participation of migrants in Sweden, as well as workshops on how to get more voices heard and more people to vote.
WHEN? 14-15 November
WHERE? Multicultural Centre, Värdshusvägen 7 Fittja
FOR WHOM? The conference is aimed at researchers, policy makers, practitioners and anyone interested in issues of democratic inclusion and migration. It is a unique opportunity to learn about current research and practical perspectives.
The conference is funded by Forte.
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