Near the town of Lehaina, Greece, an abandoned holiday resort has become a temporary home to 238 Syrian refugees who have fled their homes at a time of war. The mayor of the town and his wife saw the plight of the refugees and established the L&M Refugee Center.

The experiences of the children of these and other refugees will be the subject of discussion at a public forum at the University of Delaware on Friday, April 28.

“Children in Crisis: The Plight of Refugees in Greece,” hosted by the Department of Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS), is open to the UD community, local educators and school administrators, legislators and the public.

Two educators from the University of Patras in Greece and the president of the American Community Schools of Athens will explain the challenges faced by the children in these camps. Presentations will begin at 4 p.m. in 104 Gore Hall, and will be followed by a reception.

The discussion will focus on the educational and mental health needs of refugee children from various cultures now in Greece, and local and global responses. The significance and implications of the refugee crisis for the U.S. will also be addressed, as well as how we can work together to assist current efforts.

Leading the discussion will be three scholars from Greece, including:

• Eugenia Arvanitis, assistant professor, University of Patras, who has been working with Syrian children, collecting and sharing their narratives to determine how the refugee children reconcile their challenges in time of strife; describe their flight and arrival in this place; conceptualize the concept of home, when they currently have none, and visualize their future.

When asked his views on returning home to Syria, one of Arvanitis’ subjects said, “It’s difficult to go back in Aleppo because everything is destroyed. After 20 years maybe, if it was rebuilt. I was watching the news from the war in Syria, but I’m very tired to do that now. It’s really horrible to imagine what is happening. I just talk with my friends on the social media and they tell me their news… My friends didn’t go to the school for one month but now they carry on.”

Over the last few years, Arvanitis has focused on culturally responsive pedagogy and teachers’ intercultural training using interactive WEB2 platforms. She also coordinates the Forum on Intercultural Dialogue and Learning.

• Pandelis Kiprianos, professor, Department of Educational Sciences and Early Childhood Education, University of Patras, has an extensive record in writing articles and books on the comparative history and sociology of education in Greece, with particular emphasis on migrants and ethnic minorities.

• Stefanos Gialamas, president of American Community Schools (ACS) Athens, an international K-12 school that embraces American educational philosophy while offering a diverse experience to help students thrive as responsible global citizens. Gialamas will discuss his initiatives to provide educational opportunities for refugee children living in nearby camps.

Gialamas has published more than 100 articles, three books and other manuals. Due to Gialamas’ leadership, ACS is actively involved in providing educational opportunities for refugee children living in camps outside of Athens, Greece.

In 2016, UD entered a partnership with ACS. This semester, two UD early childhood education students are serving a semester-long student teaching placement in Athens.

For the UDaily article on the partnership, click here.

Jason Hustedt, associate professor in HDFS, and Matthew Weinert, associate professor in the Department of Political Science and International Relations, will moderate the discussion.

“During this forum, we will discuss how refugees dwelling in transitional spaces can become a productive advantage to our societies – if we dare to include them,” said Arvanitis.  “Allowing these children to talk about their circumstances empowers them to exert some control over their circumstances, while offering powerful testimonies which refutes the prevailing discourse of suspicion and hostility.”

As part of the Department of Human Development and Family Studies Global Research Series, Arvanitis and Kiprianos will also be holding a colloquium to discuss their research at 4 p.m., Wednesday, April 26, in 220 Alumni Room, Alison Hall.