ABOUT OXMO

SECTION OVERVIEW

The Oxford Monitor of Forced Migration is divided into six sections — the academic articles section, the policy monitor, the law monitor, the field monitor, the first-hand section, and a space for artistic and creative expressions about forced migration. Below you will find more information on the requirements for each section, including potential issue areas of interest for submission. If you are unsure which section is best for your contribution, please contact us at oxmofm@gmail.com.

Policy monitor

For the Policy Monitor, we are seeking critical analyses of current and emerging policies and practices undertaken by governments, NGOs, and UN organisations that pertain to past, current or future aspects of forced migration and displacement around the world. Word limit: 1,500 words including footnotes (but not bibliography). 

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Examples of possible topics to explore:

• Successes and failures of policies addressing displacement in a local/national/regional context;

• Current challenges and future outlook for international organisations responding to forced displacement,
  including UNRWA;
  Finding adaptive policies in a changing migration landscape, including climate migration;

• Local Communities: Community-­‐‑led responses to displaced populations;

• Changing models of assimilation and integration;

• Development based responses to protracted refugee situations.
  
  

Law monitor 

For the Law Monitor, we welcome analyses of changes in national or international law, recent rulings, as well as legal developments and their possible implications for the rights of refugees and forced migrants. Word limit: 1,500 words including footnotes (but not bibliography). 

Examples of possible topics to explore:

• The risk of statelessness for Venezuelan babies born in Colombia;

• The legality of family separation in detention centres;

• Pre-­‐‑trial detention of cross-­‐‑border commuting labour migrants, or those living on unstable borders;

• Remaining obstacles for sanctuary cities with regards to undocumented migrants and access to services;

• Legal protection landscape for unaccompanied children;

• Gaps in protection for IDPs displaced by sudden or slow-­‐‑onset disasters;

• The role of refugees and IDPs as transitional justice actors;

• The effectiveness of refugee class actions in challenging state policies;

• The impact of states’ anti-­‐‑terrorism legislation on exclusion clauses.

Field monitor 

For the Field Monitor, we are interested in hearing from those who have had direct experience as activists, volunteers, practitioners or researchers engaging with refugees and forced migrants. This includes (but is not limited to) current or previous work or research in the field. Word limit: 1,500 words including footnotes (but not bibliography). 

Examples of possible topics to explore:

• Personal reflections and experiences of navigating practical and moral dilemmas when working with or
  researching vulnerable groups;

• The role of the researcher or practitioner in contesting state policies of confinement while producing
  content from these spaces;

• Good practices and challenges in methodological research approaches in the field, including feminist
  and/or decolonial research methods;

• The exchange between practitioners and researchers “in the field” -­‐‑ room for more engagement?
  
  

First Hand Section 

The First Hand Section encourages currently or formerly displaced individuals to submit articles reflecting on their personal experiences. Applicants are encouraged to blur, omit, and/or contest identity markers related to experiences of (im)mobility. We accept written pieces in a variety of styles, including submissions in the style of diary entries or story-­‐‑telling. Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you wish to submit something in a different format or language. Articles for the First Hand section should not be longer than 1500 words. Please note that in addition to the First Hand Section, authors with first hand experiences of forced migration are encouraged to submit to other sections of OxMo as well. Word limit: 1,500 words.       

Examples of possible topics to explore or personal reflections to share:

• Personal stories of living in or leaving protracted displacement;

• Examples of Refugee-­‐‑led political action;

• Reflections on how experiences of forced migration fit into broader life narratives;

• Reflections on dominant forms of representation of forced migrants, including through mainstream
  media or in situations of contact with volunteers, practitioners or researchers;

• Reflections on the increasing criminalisation of migration;

• Stories of (peaceful) coexistence in a forced migration context.

Academic Articles

The Academic Articles section provides space for thorough scholarship and serves as a forum to engage critically with practical and conceptual issues relating to forced migration. We encourage submissions from across various academic disciplines including (but not limited) to: political science, law, anthropology, philosophy, sociology, geography, economics and media studies. Submissions must not exceed the maximum word limit of 6000 words per paper, including footnotes (but not bibliography). 
                            
Examples of possible topics to explore: 

• The future of Forced Migration Studies as a discipline: where next?

• Examining emerging alternatives beyond durable solutions, including alternative migration statuses, and
  regional mobility schemes;

• Practical, ethical and moral concerns in the use of technology in refugee assistance;

• Epistemological and methodological challenges for the study of Migration and Forced Migration;

• Forced Migrants and the Polis: political mobilisation amongst refugees, participation and relationship
  with the state and citizenry; national and transnational dynamics;

• Southern Perspectives on Forced Migration;

• Intergenerational dynamics of migration and displacement, including diaspora engagement.
  
  

Artistic and Creative Expressions               

The Artistic & Creative Expressions Section provides an open space for artistic submissions related to forced migration. This may include reviews of fiction, film, and theater touching upon themes broadly related to (im)mobility, migration, asylum, or resettlement. We also encourage the submission of original pieces of artistic and creative expression including (but not limited to) poetry, photography, chapters of forthcoming novels, or comics.