When you have refugees and host communities living separate lives from each other it becomes easy for rifts to grow between the two communities. Misinformation can spread and cause tension. But communication and interaction between local communities and refugees can help to ease feelings of distrust and help unify both communities.
And today on Day 332 in Greece – and with our partners Communitere – that is just what we are setting out to do!
In Polycastro, a rural town in Northern Greece, we organized the Routes Festival! It’s a festival for the local community to interact with their refugee neighbors. There were workshops for children and adults, live music, kite-making, and Greek and Syrian food for everyone.
The kite-making brought together locals and refugees. Children and parents worked together, remembering a less troubled time and letting themselves relax a little.
Being able to take the time to dance, share food, and laugh truly shows that we are not all that different from one another. The Routes festival will be remembered as the benchmark for the time they met a new friend or began looking at the refugee community in a fresh light.
