In February three student groups of our school visited a very interesting photo exhibition at St. Mark’s Basilica, in the centre of Heraklion. They all had the chance to admire and focus on the work of Aris Messinis, a Greek photo journalist working for AFP. He has recently been awarded with the ‘Visa d’Or’ prize for his powerful, moving and exceptional photos covering the dramatic flow of refugees arriving at the Aegean Sea in the hope of finding a better life. The view of piles of abandoned life-jackets, adults and little children suffering or even dying at the Greek coasts has shocked us all , but has also been the basis of a very interesting and revealing dialogue on this issue. The students exchanged thoughts and ideas about the difficulties of being a refugee. They have also reached to conclusions about volunteering and tried to find ways to help by collecting clothes and food for the people in need. Apart from admiring remarkable pieces of art, critical reflection also led the students to develop feelings of empathy and transform some perilous social stereotypes into dynamic actions for the future.
09.07.2017