Greece – Brights Project

BRIGHTS First Multiplier Event in Greece

Ioannis Messalas — Thu, 05 Oct 2017 08:14:23 +0000

On the 16^th of September 2017 Hellenic Open University organised in Athens the 1^st multiplier event in Greece with the help of the other Greek partner Hepis.

The event was held in the premises of the Hellenic Open University in Athens and the target group were stakeholders and trainers/teachers who have been contacted through HOU’s and HEPIS’s networks in Athens. The idea was to present the project (its objectives, ideas, Global Citizenship Education, online community, MOOC) to them as well as familiarise them with the technique of digital story telling and its importance for promoting the principles of Global Citizenship Education.

To make the whole event more interesting the HOU team invited Emeritus Professor Michalis Meimaris, who is a member of Unesco board and with his team has been working in the area of Digital Storytelling in Greece in the last decade or so.

The event started with a welcoming note from Prof Achilles Kameas and was followed by the overall presentation of the BRIGHTS project by Barbara Quatra who is running the project on behalf of the project’s leader, ALL DIGITAL. Importantly for the first dissemination event of the project in Greece Barbara focused both on the project’s idea, objectives and outcomes, as well as on the the concept of Global Citizenship Education and its embeddedness in European and global politics and policies.

Prof. Meimaris introduced the audience to the state of digital story telling in Greece providing illuminating examples of stories already created in the context of previous projects focusing mainly on how digital story telling can enrich the educational process in general. Moreover, he presented a short introduction of the history of the digital storytelling and its academic genealogy. In so doing he both familiarised the audience with digital storytelling and provided the necessary background for the engaging discussion that followed.

The third presentation by Sissie Theodosiou and Mara Aspioti focused on the outcomes of the research conducted in Greece both with trainers/trainees and experts on the presence and importance of Global Citizenship Education. The research outlined also the ways in which digital storytelling can enhance the process of implementing GSE.

The following presentation by Prof Kameas concerned the content of the planned MOOC entitled “Addressing Global Citizenship Education through Digital Storytelling”. In the introduction of his presentation Prof kameas outlined the characteristics of a MOOC.

Having already gained an understanding of the BRIGHTS project, the audience furthered its knowledge about digital story telling and its importance for the promotion of GCE through a focused workshop led by Veronique de Leener from Maks vzw, Belgium, a partner in BRIGHT’s project. Veronique’s tele- presentation focused mainly on the story circle, the main methodology employed for creating a digital story. Importantly for such an event, a very interesting and lively discussion followed.

The audience’s interest was high in both the blended course and the f2f workshops and a high number of the people present expressed their desire to participate.

The City Plaza project in Greece!

Ioannis Messalas — Thu, 22 Jun 2017 10:37:09 +0000

The project “City Plaza” in Greece houses 400 refugees in dignity and safety and shows that an alternative to the camps and detention centers is possible. While many might guess that this inspiring project is supported by the Greek government or NGOs, it is not. It relies entirely on donations showing that creative and collaborative solutions to the refugee crisis are possible.

You can read more about this project here:

https://wagingnonviolence.org/feature/city-plaza-hotel-greece-welcome-refugees/

“Speak Truth to Power”

Ioannis Messalas — Wed, 24 May 2017 10:14:00 +0000

Finally, a great initiative has reached Greece. The Speak Truth to Power programme aims to disseminate to the young people of Greece the knowledge and attitude that will make them heroes in their everyday lives and responsible citizens! Schools adopting this education programme will ensure that their students become familiar with crucial issues relating to social awareness, humanity and self-awareness, motivated by personal quests, thoughts and concerns.

Through this programme a powerful message will spread across Greek students urging them to struggle to defend the value of human existence: to defend people’s freedom – the freedom of all people on Earth; to defend dignity, life, education, equality, justice, personal life and family; to defend respect for gender and all forms of diversity.

Find out more here!

Presentation of the Greek Edition of “Speak Truth to Power” Education Program

Work in progress in Greece!

Ioannis Messalas — Fri, 05 May 2017 11:57:12 +0000

In Greece the researchers of the Daissy Group (HOU) have already completed most of the interviews both with experts and teachers/trainers. We have already visited Koinoniko Polykentro the research and training institute of ADEDY (Greek Civil Service Confederation), which represents over 450.000 employees in the public sector. Its activities include research, education and training. The Institute supports union members and employees of the public sector with training programs on Health and Safety at workplace, issues of discrimination and diversity at work, managing conflict in the workplace etc.

The researchers of our team interviewed experts from the academic society having significant research experience and involvement in projects about Education, Active Citizenship, Awareness, Re-training and Upscaling of Teachers, Cross-Cultural Psychology, Integration, Gender Equality and Human Rights in Education. These experts are in close collaboration with the Center for Cross-Cultural Psychology and the Centre of Cross-Cultural Education, operating within the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Athens. It is important to be noted here that a great number of the teachers working in primary and secondary education in Greece are graduates and post-graduates of the Departments in the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Athens.

Interviews have also been conducted in KETHEA Mosaic Centre. KETHEA seeks to facilitate the social integration of migrants and refugees and in particular drug addicts. The Centre offers individual and group counselling, motivation, family support, education, legal advice, help with entering employment, health care, and referrals to health networks and welfare services. Moreover, we have interviewed the George & Ekaterini Hantzikosta–Youth Education and Care Services (link), the oldest foundation in Greece that for 160 consecutive years offers hospitality, nursing, upbringing and education for children and youth in need aged from 6 to 18 years old.

In the focus group the Daissy Group organised, we interviewed teachers and school counselors in Special Needs Education.

We also had the opportunity to interview teachers and trainers with many years of experience in the fields of youth education. In our selection process we focused on professionals working with youth in the risk of marginalization, youth with special needs, young people coming from disadvantaged areas or with a drug abuse past (in contexts such as Social Frontistirion, Special Needs Schools, Rehab youth centers, Youth Hostels for youth and children from vulnerable groups etc.) The interviews are still in progress hopefully providing us with more research data.

Quotes from the interviewees on GCE using Digital Storytelling:

“Most teachers in Greece are not trained to handle such contemporary issues in the class and might transfer the wrong messages to the children; it is very important that we will be responsibly informed and trained. I would be the first to attend a MOOC training.”, Panagiotis Porikis, Chemistry Teacher-Facilitator in Youth Hostel for children and youth in need.

“GCE will plant the seed necessary for global citizen culture to flourish.”, Ioanna Tagara, Trainers’ Trainer in Adults Education.

“It is my wish all objectives of BRIGHTS to be realized.”, Vassiliki Paizi, Teacher in Social Frontistirion for youths from vulnerable groups and in the risk of marginalization.

“GCE is a matter of sustainable development overall. A global citizen of the 21^st century should be aware of all dimensions of sustainable development as described in BRIGHTS and understand them as a whole, because this is what they are afterall.”, Natasha Pentagioti, PhD Candidate in International Law for the Environment and Sustainable Development.