Dear Colleagues,
We are now only a little over six weeks away from IBRU's 7th
international conference, 'Border Management in an Insecure World' which
will take place in Durham on 5-7 April, and I would like to make a last
call to members of int-boundaries to consider attending.
Why you should attend:
1) It is an important topic. While delimitation and demarcation are
crucial aspects of boundary-making, even the most carefully-defined
boundary will be of limited value if it is not managed effectively after
it has been established. Much has been written in recent years about the
value of 'soft' borders in maintaining good relations between
neighbouring states and creating borderland prosperity. However, the
reality in many parts of the world is that borders are hardening rather
than softening as states seek to protect their populations from
perceived external threats. A key aim of this conference will be to
examine the implications of the re-emergence of security as a core
element of border management. Can borders actually be made secure in the
21st century? If so, what are the political, economic and social
consequences, especially for border regions? What border management
strategies are available and how are they working in practice? And how
can scholars assist practitioners in finding solutions to complex border
management challenges? These are not purely academic questions - they
impact on the lives of millions of people around the world - and they
deserve our consideration.
2) It is a terrific opportunity to meet and exchange ideas with other
boundary experts from a wide range of backgrounds. IBRU places great
value on interdisciplinary interaction, and we believe that our
conferences attract a unique mix of participants from universities,
governments, NGOs and commercial organisations. We currently have over
100 participants from 33 countries, and expect quite a few more to sign
up in the coming weeks. One important aim of the conference will be to
develop a global research programme on border management, and we would
like to have as many institutions involved in this as possible.
3) It will be a lot of fun! Anyone who has been to an IBRU event before
will tell you how much effort we put into making your time with us
enjoyable. Durham is a wonderful city to visit, with the cathedral and
castle enjoying the status of a World Heritage Site. On 6 April a gala
conference dinner will be held in the Great Hall of Durham Castle, which
should be a memorable experience (the gala dinner is included in the
conference fee, as are all other meals and three nights' en-suite
accommodation at the conference venue, Collingwood College).
I do hope you will consider joining us in April. Further information on
the conference, including the current programme and a list of
participating organisations, can be found at
http://www-ibru.dur.ac.uk/conferences/bmiw. Although we should be able
to accept registrations right up until the start of the conference, if
you are thinking about attending I would encourage you to contact
Michelle Speak ([log in to unmask]) as soon as possible so that
accommodation can be reserved for you. If you wish to make a
presentation at the conference, it may still be possible to fit you in -
but we have a pretty full programme, so I'm afraid we cannot make any
guarantees at this stage.
I would also like to remind colleagues who are directly involved in
boundary management about the training workshop 'Strategies and Tools
for Effective Border Management', which will take place immediately
before the conference on 3-4 April; see
http://www-ibru.dur.ac.uk/workshops/2006/management.html for further
details.
With best wishes,
m a r t i n
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Martin Pratt
Director of Research
International Boundaries Research Unit
Department of Geography
University of Durham
South Road
Durham DH1 3LE
United Kingdom
+44 (0)191 334 1964 (direct line)
+44 (0)191 334 1962 (fax)
[log in to unmask] (email)
http://www-ibru.dur.ac.uk (World Wide Web)
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