Special Sessions

In addition to the issue area Tracks, NIIC features a number of Special Sessions which may touch on additional topics or address late-breaking developments / emergency response efforts. Like the NIIC Tracks, these sessions are organized by NIIC Stakeholders and vary from year to year. They take place during the Track Blocks; for the NIIC schedule day-by-day, see here.

Building a Federal Strategy for Inclusion - Lessons from the Field and Strategies for Tomorrow  

Monday Dec 12 / Track Block 3 / 2:15pm-3:30pm

As part of the NIIC 2020, National Partnership for New Americans and Welcoming American convened a strategic conversation among key partners and allies on federal immigrant inclusion policy. This conversation and subsequent meetings led to the creation of the Task Force on New Americans Coalition. This coalition and its city and state partners have been calling on the Biden Administration to reconvene the Federal Task Force on New Americans as both a mechanism for intergovernmental coordination but also as a means of stakeholder engagement. 

In this special session Welcoming America and NPNA will again bring a group of cities and states with Offices of New Americans and key TFNA coalition members together to explore the policies, relationships, and challenges that underpin the need for the Task Force on New Americans and discuss how best to position cities, states, and non-profits as critical stakeholders in the conversation on a federal inclusion infrastructure.

Moderator: Rachel Peric, Executive Director, Welcoming America

Speakers:

  • Natalie El-Deiry, Director of New American Integration, Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity, Utah

  • Amy Eusebio, Executive Director, Office of Immigrant Affairs, City of Philadelphia

  • Federico Rios, Assistant Director, Office of Equity, Mobility and Immigrant Integration, City of Charlotte

Solidarity Knows No Borders: Transnational Perspectives on Migrant Organizing

Tuesday Dec 13 / Track Block 5 / 11:45am-1pm

As organisers and campaigners working for a world where every person can live in dignity, justice and abundance—regardless of immigration status—we know that transnational solidarity is crucial in the fight for migrant justice.

From Nogales to Derwentside to Dublin, the past few years have seen a marked escalation in anti-migrant narratives and policies across national contexts. And from the expansion of the privatisation and securitisation of border regimes, to the harmful, othering narratives that authoritarian governments use to scapegoat migrants, it is clear that the work to be done is not limited to any one nation state. Our solidarity must know no borders.

In this session, we aim to highlight the experiences and perspectives of those working for migrant justice in Britain and Ireland, recognising that NIIC is a crucial opportunity for us to exchange ideas, learn from each other’s struggles, and spark collaboration to build our power globally.

Moderator: Aliya Yule, Access to Healthcare Organiser, Migrants Organise

Speakers: 

  • Mallika Balakrishnan, Digital Organiser, Migrants Organise 

  • Teresa Buczkowska, Integration Manager, Immigrant Council of Ireland (Invited)

  • Gonchigkhand Byambaa,  Migrant Leader, Immigrant Council of Ireland (Invited)

  • Liliana Fernandez, Training and Integration Officer, Immigrant Council of Ireland

  • Arten Llazari, Chief Executive, RMC West Midlands

Photos of NIIC across this site are the work of our talented team of photographers over the years, including: Carolina Kroon (lead), Oliver Contreras, Anja Hitzenberg, Phil Soto, Marcin Szczepanski and Stephanie Williams.