Unity Statement of the International Solidarity Conference on War, Militarism and Displacement
Peace is not merely the temporary absence of war. The wars and conflicts that beset our world require us to look at and study the root causes of war so as to identify a genuine path away from the catastrophic state the world is in.
[ARTICLE] Education for Exploitation: What is Education trafficking?
As part of IMA’s “9 Days of Migrant and Refugee Activism” between 10-18 December 2024, the IMA Global—with co-organisers IMA Canada, Beranda Migran (Indonesia), Union Network of Migrants (UNEMIG - Aotearoa/New Zealand) and Support Network for International Students (SNIS - Australia)—held an online forum on the emerging issue of education trafficking, which is affecting migrants globally. The forum was attended by over 50 participants from various countries, and had live Spanish and Bahasa Indonesia interpretation.
[STATEMENT] Stop Modern Day Slavery of Migrant Domestic Workers and End Impunity of Diplomats
The International Migrants Alliance (IMA) Asia Pacific is extremely shocked by a news reported by www.abc.net.au1 on labour exploitation amounting to modern day slavery of Ms. Priyanka Danaratna, a Sri Lankan domestic worker by her employer, former Sri Lankan Deputy High Commissioner to Australia, Ms. Himalee Arunatilaka. Ms. Arunatilaka has been ordered by Federal Court in Canberra to pay Ms. Danaratna’s unpaid wages amounting to AU$374,000, plus another AU$169,000 in interest.
[ARTICLE] IMA Global Online Orientation
IMA Global successfully held an online orientation on December 15, 2024. The event, which was attended by around 40 participants from Asia, the USA, Canada, and Latin America, lasted for 1.5 hours and was facilitated by 2 IMA Executive Committee (EC) members: Manuel Hidalgo (MIREDES International) and Joanna Concepcion (Migrante International).
[STATEMENT] Celebrate the collective resistance of migrants and refugees amid neoliberal attacks, racism and war
The International Migrants Alliance (IMA) commemorates the International Migrants Day by celebrating the global movement of migrants, refugees and displaced people who are steadfastly organising, forging solidarity with workers and peoples, and building collective mutual support while resisting the onslaught of imperialist exploitation and war.
#IMASolCon | Khairul Falah Bin Shamsul Bahrain of Belia Harmoni Malaysia highlighted that activists go beyond helping at certain periods and needs — they fight for lasting change in a sustained, clearly directed fashion.
#IMASolCon | Yoshio Nakamura, representing the Asia Wide Campaign – Japan, underscored the importance of forming the broadest united front to achieve shared objectives. He emphasized the need for coordinated actions to guide the movement toward a resolute anti-imperialist direction.
📣 #IMASolCon | Farwina Faroque of Boycott Divest Sanction - Malaysia stresses the importance of supporting Palestinian women journalists and activists, ensuring that their stories reach the world because these are, in themselves, a fight for their rights.
📣 #IMASolCon | The violence women face, particularly in the context of war and migration, is a critical issue that demands urgent attention. Silan Ergin from Tevgera Jinên Kurd li Ewropa emphasizes that the fight for women’s rights calls on all of us to speak out and take meaningful action in solidarity.
📣 #IMASolCon | María Elena Osorio from the Organisation of Colombian Refugees in Chile sheds light on the profound toll of war and conflict on women, who bear the brunt of gender-based violence as historically entrenched in patriarchy, as well as the violence that their families are subjected to.
📣 #IMASolCon | Joanna Concepcion from Migrante International highlights the active and decisive role of Filipino women, including migrants, in resisting foreign domination and championing national liberation and democracy.
[STATEMENT] Stop discrimination and violence against migrant and refugee communities! Freedom for migrants and refugees to organize!
The International Migrants Alliance (IMA) strongly condemns the raid on November 21, 2024, which occurred at AMUMRA (Association of Migrant and Refugee Women in Argentina), one of the IMA members based in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
📣 #IMASolCon | Masuma Tavakoli of the Afghan Women Support Group highlights the role of [radical] hope in envisioning and fighting for a future where migrants’ and refugees’ rights are upheld and their lives protected from all forms of exploitation.
📣 #IMASolCon | Jaw Tu Hkawng from Asylum Access Malaysia puts forward the call to continuously uphold media ethics in delivering information about the issues and conditions confronting migrants and refugees — a task not only to be carried forth by journalists, but all of us advocates.
📣 #IMASolCon | Mohamed Ali Elduma from the Refugee Empowerment Initiative talks about breaking the cycle of misinformation about refugees, pointing to the role of false propaganda in worsening their dire conditions even more.
[STATEMENT] Justice for exploited Filipino migrant workers! Protection for all migrant workers!
The International Migrants Alliance expresses grave concern over the dire situation faced by 11 Filipino migrant workers who were forced to live in container vans in Auckland, Aotearoa. The migrant workers were promised a better livelihood by recruitment agencies but only found themselves in such exploitative living and working conditions.
📣 #IMASolCon | Alice Taja from the Cameroon/Central African community charts the promise to keep struggling and working for a safe and peaceful world for migrants, refugees, and displaced peoples.
📣 #IMASolCon | From Teen Health International, Comfort Wobil Brima says that the task to educate, popularize, and deepen the understanding of local communities about the struggles of displaced peoples is pivotal in advancing solidarity.
📣 #IMASolCon | Ahmad (Tim) Jofri from the Iranian community notes that finishing formal education is not a complete safeguard against unemployment and the systemic design of extractive labor and forced migration.
Victor Yeimo of Komite Nasional Papua Barat underscores the importance of collectivization in the people’s resistance and movement organizing, forged by a sense of solidarity to strengthen and advance our goals.