Questo post è disponibile anche in: Italian
Erasmus + Experience in Greece
“The Re-Act”
Yes, I like a lot “The Re-Act”, a title of the project held from August 27 to September 6 of 2017, in the ancient Greek city of Larissa. There were some really positive Re-actions!
“The Re-Act”, a title of the project held from August 27 to September 6 of 2017, in the ancient Greek city of Larissa.
Our nice group of three members composed of Laura, Emanuela and me, since the first pre-start meeting in the city of Chiari with Sona and Justina, until we found ourselves really nice connected and with the other 7 people who arrived from all parts of the Italy and who formed our group of 10 members as well. Plus other 10 Turkish and 10 Greek people, as well as 4 organizers and trainers, Fenia, Rania, Natascia, and Dimitri. All of them are so great!
It was my first Erasmus experience and I think that I will never ever forget it. That comfortable hotel “Dionìssios”, in the historical center of a city full of young people and life like Larissa, forge of ideas, sensations, inspirations, intuitions and very concrete program for the future, on the currently significant topics of discussion regarding refugees, racial integration and religious anti-discrimination (Islamophobia and surrounding topics). As a teacher of religion, I felt involved in observing various visions of religion, ideology, and philosophy of life of each person and I could touch with my hands the depth, wideness and the richness of the spiritual and moral spheres of the persons that were surrounding me. Really, this was one of the most important Re-actions inside the chemical formula of our project. Rarely, I noticed such a narrow cohesion and working in a group with that kind of strong sense of respect united with a liberty, and in the same time creativity and communication in various currently presented age groups.
Everything was surely facilitated by a wise guide who was inspired by our trainers who knew how to decide which techniques and instruments were mostly necessary for the various moments of the program. Indeed, it was not possible to feel any kind of barrier between the participants, the age group of people from 20 to 50 years old. On the contrary, the climate of trust and of the sympathy generated a harmonious international community composed of 3 Mediterranean nations who have a lot to say on the issue of the reception of the migrants and refugees. Very interesting is also the interaction between different presented professions that had a lot of influence on the social topic: from a lot of teachers, 5 psychologists, to pedagogues and sociologists, finally to the advocates and jurists experts in international law and civil engineers.
Truly, all of them really competent and some of them also well prepared to Re-Act together, each of them participating something connected to the own field. I myself felt very welcome and heard in my contributions regarding visions and my specific fields of research. It was really awesome to interact with the orthodox people in Greece (97% compared to the other present religions). Usually, orthodox Greek people are not between those who had an inclination for the ecumenical and interreligious dialogue, and yet, I would like to mention how important were the dialogues that we had with the nuns in one of the two orthodox monasteries on the Meteora, beautiful touristic locations also from a naturalistic point of view, in the middle of the free daily visit, after strong experience in the morning in the refugee camp.
One of the most beautiful touristic spots on the Meteora in Greece.
There on Koutsohero, later, in a desert area, in the camp that seemed like a concentration camp itself, with a lot of bars and police on the entrance with all the various prohibitions…among the refugees arrived largely from Syria, Palestine, and Afghanistan, we have experienced extremely strong emotions, understanding truly how we are connected to the depth of the unique humanity. “We are all human” is the symbol of our nice YouTube video produced on the last day together with the awesome participation of the camp refugees, thanks to tireless work of the dearest Greek volunteer Danai. One video and also one European action plan with so many real projects to sensitize the youth all other people who would like to get involved into the story of the so fundamental topics great for building new humanism that starts from the heart.
“One face One race. One face, one human race!” That’s how I was told at the hotel, seeing us so tight, a wise attempt ex-director of one international festival of the folk music which was held at the same time with Larissa.
“Training of youth workers on tools and methods to support young refugees and tackle Islamophobia-Xenophobia. Actions for Refugees (Re-Act).”
Maybe it is because of my “professional deformation” but I also felt how it could have given a nice contribution to the universality and support for minorities, a participation of 4 of us in Sunday celebration at one Catholic minority in one small church not so far away. It was one true moment of sharing, of participation also with a reading made in Italian by our enterprising Laura. Also at the reception of this small spiritual community, I felt like I was home, in the family, the same thing I felt in the Re-Act group. It must be a chemical reaction of one unique formula that has its components in one single molecule that is absolutely needed. The molecule of love! #only love. There will be many other and interesting Re-Actions to describe, unforgettable, but now I leave the space to my amazing travel companions.
Alessandro Vinati
Professore dell’istituto
ITIS “B. Castelli”, Brescia
