Reach Out and lend a helping hand : Humanity Has No Borders Erasmus Project

Project Title

Reach Out and lend a helping hand : Humanity Has No Borders

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for Schools Only

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Access for disadvantaged; Integration of refugees; Social dialogue

Project Summary

We cannot be ignorant or complacent to the overwhelming problems facing humanity and the EU because of the refugee crisis. Our project `Reach Out and lend a helping hand – Humanity Has No Borders´ addressed these problems and allowed our students to take an active part in dealing with the humane assimilation and integration of refugees. The purpose of human life is to serve, to show compassion and the will to help others.” Using these words by Albert Schweitzer as their motto and their unique talents and skills our students interacted with and developed a sensitivity to the issues of the refugee crisis by observing, focusing and finding effective and feasible solutions to the problem. With this knowledge they informed their schools and communities about the refugee dilemma in order to further multicultural tolerance and combat ignorance, racism and populism.

The project consisted of seven schools from countries the refugees either want to reach- Holland,Italy,Germany- or those they must pass through – Turkey, Greece, North Macedonia . Each country has been directly involved in the crisis which has had an imminent effect on their schools and communities. Each one is directly involved in both the assimilation and education of either new refugees or recent immigrants and addressing the issues of racism, discrimination and populism.
The students in this project obtained, accessed and shared the problems and issues facing refugees in their communities with the objective of finding attainable and relevant solutions. They not only researched the issue, but gained first hand information by meeting and interviewing refugees living in their local communities as well as governmental and private organizations directly involved with the refugees. Together the students held a Tolerance Walk in Devrek, North Macedonia and an Awareness Day in Cologne, Germany with the purpose of sharing their concerns and increasing the communities awareness to the issue. Their results and experiences are manifested in our website http://humanityhasnoborders.com and includes among other material and information a drawing album `Different pasts, one Future´ , a poster titled ´Refugee rights´, a book of short stories `Reach Out -Without Borders´, a book of essays `With Courage we can Unite´ , our Calendar for 2019, and an International Short Movie (5 Episodes) . These are beings shared and disseminated to the local schools, government and charity organizations involved in the project and the local media outlets, as well as being online accessible.

The complex issues centering around the refugee crisis were targeted through formal and non-formal learning activities aimed at enhancing the skills and competencies of the students as well as their active citizenship. The students were organized into Project Management Teams consisting of both academically strong and weak, as well as multicultural students. Their responsible included completing and evaluating the activities in the project, sharing results and keeping regular contact with the students at the partner schools through e.g. Facebook, Whats App, e-twinning and motivating other students at their school to get involved in the project by e.g. disseminating the results of the activities and maintaining their school´s Erasmus+ corner. The progress and quality of the activities were continually monitored by the teachers and partner coordinators and evaluated through the agency of personal feedback, questionnaires, written reflections and online surveys.

We strongly believe that our project `Reach Out and lend a helping hand – Humanity Has No Borders´ has had a lasting impact on the students involved in the project as well as the school and the community at large. With the help of incentive mobilities, educational exchanges, multilingualism and entrepreneurship our project encouraged and inspired our students to think critically, yet with an open mind, and be morally responsible and active citizens. By informing their fellow students and communities to the humane problems facing refugees, a foundation has been laid for a greater understanding and empathy towards them and their dilemma. With this in mind we hope that our project has been a stepping stone to building a peaceful and tolerant multicultural Europe.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 136899 Eur

Project Coordinator

Willy-Brandt-Gesamtschule Kerpen & Country: DE

Project Partners

• ISTITUTO COMPRENSIVO VIA MATTEOTTI 11
• ZONGULDAK-DEVREK 75. YIL CUMHURIYET ORTAOKULU
• CSG Buitenveldert
• 2nd Gymnasium of Kaisariani
• Osnovno uciliste “Krste Misirkov” Skopje
• T.C. KDZ.EREGLI KAYMAKAMLIGI IBRAHIM-SUHEYLA IZMIRLI FEN LISESI