ICB Holds In-Person Meeting in Penang
After the last in-person meeting held last year in Kuala Lumpur, members of the IMA’s International Coordinating Body members held an in-person meeting in Penang, Malaysia, on June 18 and 20, 2024.
The meeting agenda included review and assessment of the implementation of IMA’s one-year plan (July 2023 to June 2024), formulating a one-year plan from July 2024 to October 2025, and planning for the 6th Global Assembly of IMA in 2025.
All 18 ICB members participated in the meeting, with four of them attending virtually. Members of the ICB who participated in the in-person meeting were: Mark Louie Aquino (Migrante UAE, United Arab Emirates), Terrence Valen (Bay Area Seafarers Coalition, USA), Viviana Medina (Immigrant Workers Centre, Canada), Adrianne Sebastian (Migrante Portland, USA), Antonio Arizaga (Frente Unidos Inmigrantes Ecuatorianos, USA), Eni Lestari (Asian Migrants Coordinating Body, Hong Kong), Joanna Concepcion (Migrante International, Philippines), Mandeep Singh Bela (Union Network of Migrants, New Zealand), Rey Asis (Likha Filipino Migrant Cultural, Hong Kong), Antonia Lilii (Union Network of Migrants, New Zealand), Eunice de Asis (Migrante Europe), Malick Sy (Confédération Nationale des Travailleurs du Senegal, Senegal). ICB members who participated virtually were: Fajar Santoadi (TENAGANITA, Malaysia), Anisur Khan (IMA Research Foundation, Bangladesh), Manuel Hidalgo (Coordinadora Nacional de Inmigrante Chile, Chile). ICB members who sent their proxy to attend the in-person meeting: Lina Cahuasqui (Alianza Migrante, Ecuador) sent Natividad Obeso, Luz Miriam Jaramillo (Comitato Immigrati, Italia) sent Edgar Galliano, Marco Luciano (Migrante Alberta, Canada) sent Yasmeen Khan. One representative from Porticus, Marat Yu, also attended the first day of the in-person meeting.
For one year, ICB members had been working hard to conduct campaigns and advocacy, education and information, alliance and network building, and organizing. Members shared information/ campaigns, supported each other's campaigns, and amplified the campaigns from local to global and vice versa. Chapters and ICB members conducted IMA orientation and forums discussing neoliberalism and forced migration.
IMA chapters also actively recruited from various grassroots organizations and trade unions. A total of 21 new member applications were to be received by the ICB in the coming weeks. Engagement with other networks, such as religious organizations, CSOs, media, women's groups, and legal organizations, has increased. In addition to targeting the establishment of Chapters in several areas/countries, ICB members agreed that Chapters must be strengthened and ICB members must also be involved in the work carried out by the Chapters. Overall, the activities of ICB members, Chapters, and other members are becoming more visible and active. This is proven not only by the success of campaigns and recruitment of new members, but also by better and more regular coordination in the group chat.
The ICB members also discussed the next steps, resolutions and tasks, especially wielding unity among members and chapters in the countries and global regions. The ICB will finalise and share the July 2024-June 2025 plans with members of the IMA within the next month.
