14th NIEM coalition meeting - Greece

“ANTIGONE - Information and Documentation Centre on Racism, Ecology, Peace and Non -Violence” (ANTIGONE) on the 14th of December 2020 successfully realized the 14th NIEM coalition meeting that was a round table against discrimination.

The meeting’s topic was: “Factors that positively and negatively affect the sectors of social integration of the refugees in Greek society under the additional prism of pandemic of Covid-19”. 

The meeting was online via the zoom platform and had 87-99 participants.

The First Section of the meeting recorded the current situation and established recommendations to meet the challenges arising for Greece towards social inclusion of refugees in conditions of health crisis, while the Second Section focused on the special issue of the need for protection of children of refugees.  

At the end of the Second Section, a discussion followed. 

The presentations were as follows:

1) "Comparative overview of Indicators of Social Inclusion between the countries participating in the NIEM Program: convergences / discrepancies, similarities / differences" (speaker: lawyer Vasso Karzi, author of the NIEM National Report)

2) "The impact of the ways of financial management of Greek funds on the effectiveness of the integration of refugees: assessment of the period 2014-2020" (Speaker: Ms. Dominiki Spyratou, Head of Advocacy and Defending the Rights of "Solidarity Now")

3) "Access to education and vocational training for refugees: progress, positive measures and additional barriers due to Covid-19" (speaker: Katerina Kapnisi, Coordinator of the Job Counseling Department of the NGO “Generation 2.0 for Rigths, Equality and Diversity”)

4) “The burning issue of refugee housing during the pandemic: hospitality structures on the islands and accommodation on the mainland” (speaker: Melina Spathari, Head of Advocacy and Defending the Rights of the NGO "Terre des hommes - Hellas")

5)"Life stories of minor refugees for the settlement (home narratives) and their educational paths." (Speaker: Mrs. Eugenia Arvaniti, Assistant Professor at the University of Patras [TEEAPI] on the subject of diversity and otherness in education, and former research associate at the Ministry of Education)

6) "A holistic approach to the education and integration of refugee children in relation to the pandemic" (speaker: Mr. Panos Alexakis, Coordinator of Refugee Education at the Open Refugee Accommodation Structure in Skaramaga, on behalf of the Ministry)

7) "The teaching of Modern Greek as a second - foreign language to refugee children": a) "Examining integration policies" (Speaker : Mr. Christos Parthenis, Assistant Professor of Intercultural Education at University of Athens[EKPA],  Director of Laboratory of Intercultural Education ), b) "Focusing on the use of appropriate material and teaching methods" (Speaker : Ms. Fotini Kalogerogianni, Doctor of pedagogical department of secondary education at University of Athens, Associate of the Laboratory of Intercultural Education)    

8) "Cultural pluralism and school-age refugees in conditions of health crisis" (speaker: Mr. Vassilis Charitos, PhD of the Department of Educational and Social Policy of the University of Macedonia and representative of the 5th Regional Center for Educational Planning).