To America, the refugee crisis is a far off “threat.” To Greece, the refugee crisis is currently shaping the foundation of Greek urbanism and culture. Greek shores are populated with refugee camps that provide poor shelter for homeless migrants. And while Greece is straining under the stress of their own economic issues, as the rest of the Western world closes their borders, the Greek people are welcoming all of these people – from Syria, Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, and Eritrea – as best as they can.
Since arriving in Greece I have had the honor of volunteering with City Plaza, a converted hotel that had been abandoned during the worst of the economic crisis. City Plaza is a refugee accommodation center that relies on volunteers to run and is organized without any social hierarchy. Here refugee families have shelter, privacy, and food, while also participating in community events, Greek and English language classes, and skill development classes. Children receive mathematics and language tutoring as well as a safe place to play and grow.
Last Sunday, the Acropolis had free admission for the day, and City Plaza had organized an excursion for the residents to visit the Acropolis. Tenzin, my roommate Amy, and I joined the City Plaza volunteers to help watch the children attending the trip. Many of these children know Arabic, Farsi, Greek, and English, but I was nervous about keeping the children safe with such a language barrier. After dividing into groups (which promptly disintegrated as the children moved around) we took the metro from Victoria Station to Thissio on the greenline in order to get within walking distance to the Acropolis. We then proceeded to walk as a group through the street markets of Plaka to the Acropolis.
It was during this journey that I was able to meet with the children for the first time. Three little girls with impeccable English, asked me for my name, and proceeded to laugh at how American I look with my “white, white” skin and blonde hair. When I told them that they also looked American they told me that they were not white. The innocent observations of these children were gut wrenching. I have always been proud of the diversity in America, yet due to the political climate and the media’s portrayal of the United States, these refugee children do not even believe that they could have a place in the U.S. On the walk up to the Acropolis, I was adopted by a family from Afghanistan. I held hands with the youngest daughter, dressed head to toe in red, as we walked up the hill, while the mother and I spoke in bits of English and Greek, and a lot of hand gestures. Language often is seen as a divider, yet despite the fact that we didn’t share a common language, we were able to learn about each other and appreciate the others company. Humanity is the common language. When the little girl saw a cat and a dog, they taught me the words in Farsi, “pishi” for cat and “sag” for dog.
Once we had entered the Acropolis, Sova, a six year old girl, climbed on top of my back and I carried her up the side of the embankment to the top of the Acropolis. We established a marching beat “ένα… δύο … ένα… δύο…” Eventually I began to count pass δύο in order to practice our knowledge of the Greek cardinal numbers. I only knew up to έξι – six and couldn't remember seven, and so I was going to start back over from the beginning, but Sova continued with the Greek numbers counting all the way up to 50! She proceeded to teach me the numbers until I could say our marching beat by myself. Days later when my Modern Greek class was learning the numbers, I was able to say them, courtesy of Sova.
For so many of the residents of City Plaza, this was their first time to the Acropolis and it was really amazing to see it through their eyes. It provided me the opportunity to be taught Greek by six to twelve year olds, and to watch children who have been through so much enjoy themselves. It also provided us with the opportunity to come together despite different languages, religions, and countries of origin. I was to talk to and hug a former Afghani soldier who saw firsthand the civilian deaths caused by the American military involvement in Afghanistan. I had apologized to him for the current administration’s policies and for the pain, ostracism, and racism that he and his family have to face due to the propaganda of America, Hollywood and the Media, and the Western world. I am so blessed that I was able to meet him and hear about his struggles and losses and know that it is kindness and love that brought us together.
The refugee crisis in Greece is not ideal. The Greek government and people do not have the resources to aid all of these people fleeing horrors, and as a result many refugees are forgotten. Their futures are taken away from them, and their pasts are erased. In an era of globalization, it is our duty as a citizen of this world to join together to aid our fellow humans however we can. Donating, volunteering, advocating all help to raise awareness and build bridges among neighbors. Greece has an advantage in aiding refugees, the Greek people acknowledge that a lot of their culture originates from the contact with the East – currency and an alphabet from modern day Syria and Lebanon, music from Turkey, agricultural techniques from Iraq and Iran, religion and myths from Turkey to Afghanistan. The Greek people are a direct product of these refugees’ culture, and as a result, so is much of the West. City Plaza is truly a place of no nations and no border and I am looking forward to learning all that I can from the residents.
No Nations, No Borders
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