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Why refugee education is a problem - and six solutions

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Having become refugees, kids face tremendous challenges in completing their education. What are the barriers - and what can we do to help?

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Newsela | Refugee camps housing Rohingya rely on solar power for relief

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Rohingya refugee crisis includes limited access to electricity.

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Newsela | One old minibus and 1,300 books: The mobile library for refugees in Greece

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Volunteers in Greece turned an old minibus into a mobile library for refugees.

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Photo Credit: Worldbank.org

Leaving one's home country is never an easy decision. But it is especially hard when the journey is fraught with danger and uncertainty, and there is no guaranty of a successful outcome. Unfortunately, unbearable conflict or repression forces thousands of people to take the plunge each year. However, over the past two years, the number of refugees has escalated to alarming levels, and there appears to be no end in sight.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), by the end of 2014, there were 19.5 million people living as refugees, almost 3 million more than in 2013. The humanitarian agency stated that last year, conflict and persecution displaced over 42,000 people daily! Some moved to "safer" zones within the country in hopes of coming back when things improved. Others gave up on their homeland and left to seek refuge in neighboring nations.

Photo Credit: aa.com

While leaving the country may sound like a great way to start a new life, it is not. That's because refugees are not instantly allowed to become citizens of the country they are seeking asylum in. Instead, they have to register with the United Nations and apply for a new home, a process that could take up to 24 months and sometimes even longer. Meanwhile, they spend their days in tented camps that are often crowded and offer little in the form of amenities. There are also no schools for kids. It is only after they receive an invite from a third country, that they can settle down and start a new life.

But despite knowing the odds, millions of people are opting to become refugees. The numbers are so large that they are being compared to the situation at the end of World War II when between seven and nine million Germans fled or were expelled from Eastern Europe. So what is causing this latest displacement? Read on . . .

Image Credit: UNHCR

The biggest and most pressing refugee crisis involves the residents of Syria who are leaving the country in unprecedented numbers. The issue can be traced back to the series of revolutions that began in Tunisia and then spread to other nations in North Africa and the Middle East. While some of the leaders gave in to the demands for change and resigned, Syria's Bashar al-Assad's was not as accommodating. As a result, Syria has been embroiled in a bitter civil war since then. If that is not bad enough, the residents also have to suffer through the daily atrocities imposed by ISIS members.

It is no wonder that the fear and chaos has caused 12 million Syrians to leave their homes since 2011. Of these 7.6 million have been internally displaced and remain in the country, while 4 million, (one in every five Syrian) have fled to neighboring areas and are currently living as refugees.

Image Credit: UNHCR

Of these, about 2 million are living in camps outside Turkey. Another million have sought refuge in neighboring Lebanon, and about 629,000 are living in makeshift homes in Jordan. Though the three countries were initially sympathetic, their resources are now being stretched thin. As a result, they have tightened their borders, forcing fleeing Syrians to make the treacherous journey across the Mediterranean to Europe.

In 2014, about 219,000 people crossed over to seek asylum in Europe. In just eight months of 2015, the number has increased to over 300,000, and there is no end in sight. What's even more disheartening is that 51% of the refugees are under the age of 18, and 39% are under the age of 11.

Image Credit: UNHCR

To make matters worse, Syrians are not the only ones seeking refuge. Political and other conflicts are causing people to leave Iraq, Eritrea, Southern Sudan, and Afghanistan in record numbers.

Meanwhile, European countries are trying to come up with a solution to handle the increasingly worrisome refugee situation. On September 7th, Germany's Angela Merkel announced that the country would open its borders to all asylum seekers and urged other European nations to do the same. However, the Chancellor was forced to retract her promise and close its boundaries within a week. While the alleged reason is a shortage of beds in the refugee reception centers, many believe the Chancellor and her team were spooked by the large number of refugees that rushed in.

Aerial view of Za'atri camp for Syrian refugees in Jordon (Photo Credit: By U.S. Department of State [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

On September 14th, the 28 European Union officials held an emergency meeting to come up a feasible solution. However, it was not very productive. Though the members agreed to settle 160,000 refugees, they could not reach a decision on how many each country would be responsible for. Though it may sound callous not to help another human in need, the officials have to be careful. That's because they also have to consider the cost and impact a large inflow of new immigrants would have on the local communities.

But even the prospect of spending years in crowded tented camps with no stable home does not seem to be deterring the Syrians who continue to flee their country in droves. On Sunday, Sept 14, Hungarian police detained 5,809 refugees, the highest number to cross the Mediterranean since . . . The previous day when 4,330 were held back!

Resources:.com, aljazeera.com, vox.com, news.yahoo.com, the nation

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Making Sense Of The Worst Refugee Crisis Since World War II

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Leaving one's home country is never an easy decision. But it is especially hard when the journey is fraught with danger and uncertainty and there is no guaranty of a successful outcome.

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The Greek border village of Idomeni has become a makeshift home for thousands of refugees.

In recent days it has witnessed Macedonian police attack migrants with tear gas and rocks; and today the Greek army executed a military exercise in response to "frequent provocations by the Turkish army".

All the while, an estimated 11,000 refugees are living in desperate conditions.

One local, 82-year-old, Panagiota Vasileiadou is welcoming refugees into her home.

She appreciates what these people are going through after losing her family home during the Second World War.

"I was seven years old when our house was burned down.

"We didn't have a spoon, fork, bread or clothes. The only thing we had left were the nightgowns we were wearing."

Turkey's two million Syrian refugees

Turkish citizens protest a new deal, also criticised by human rights activists, which will see refugees who arrived in Greece after March 20 be sent back to Turkey

AP Photo/Emre Tazegu

She provides for her guests using her monthly €450 pension and whatever her children can give.

"This old woman made our lives easier", says Baraa, an Iraqi refugee.

"She made the kids happy and said you can come any time when she heard that their mother was dead."

"I thank her so much and she represents the Greek people and what Greece stands for."

In absence of a common language, her guests address her as "Mama".

"My life changed because I have company in the house", explains Vasileiadou.

"I talk, we laugh. Even though we can't understand each other."

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The Greek grandmother welcoming refugees into her home

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The Greek border village of Idomeni has become a makeshift home for thousands of refugees. In recent days it has witnessed Macedonian police attack migrants with tear gas and rocks; and today the Greek army executed a military exercise in response to "frequent provocations by the Turkish army".

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About the artist

Khaldiya is from Dara'a, Syria and now lives in Za'atari Refugee Camp in Jordan. This was her first time using a camera and making a film. Her film Another Kind of Girl screened at Sundance, Cannes, SXSW, and many other festivals. A version of the film was also featured on the New York Times Op-docs. Among other awards, she won a production grant for best new emerging filmmaker at Kassel Documentary Film Festival, and her film won Best Documentary Short at Greenwich Film Festival. She wants to use the power of storytelling to create change in her community and other communities around the world, so that they can improve their lives and society for the better and draw on their strength from each other, their experiences and their inner power.

"I want people to know outside of the camp that I'm filming from my own personal perspective. I live in the camp, I am within the camp, and I know the camp. An outsider will miss a lot of the deeper meanings because they haven't felt what it's like to live here. I want to show the rest of the world that even though we live in a refugee camp, and have different lives from others, we still have dreams and ambitions. We are creative. We strive to rise above our limitations and work toward our dreams. I feel it's my responsibility not just to tell the world that truth, but to let people see it for themselves."
CREDITS
Director & Cinematographer: Khaldiya Jibawi

Editors: Laura Doggett, Khaldiya Jibawi, Tasneem Toghoj

Workshop Facilitators: Laura Doggett & Tasneem Toghoj

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Another Kind of Girl - Another Kind of Girl Collective

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Khaldiya is from Dara'a, Syria and now lives in Za'atari Refugee Camp in Jordan. This was her first time using a camera and making a film. Her film Another Kind of Girl screened at Sundance, Cannes, SXSW, and many other festivals. A version of the film was also featured on the New York Times Op-docs.

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Meet Yusra Mardini, a Refugee Olympian Hoping to Shine in Rio

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Yusra Mardini will swim for the first-ever Refugee Olympic Team, a 10-member squad assembled by the International Olympic Committee

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Samia Yusuf Omar, who was lithe to the point of frailty, sprinted her way to momentary fame at the Beijing Olympics, in 2008. She was one of two athletes on the team from war-torn Somalia. Only seventeen, she'd had no professional coaching, and had dropped out of school in the eighth grade, after her father died, to help care for five younger siblings while her mother peddled produce. She practiced at a bombed-out stadium in Mogadishu. Female athletes were rare in Somalia, and she faced harassment and intimidation from Islamist militias. In Beijing, she dared to run without a hijab. Virtually no one in Somalia was able to watch her compete-no TV station carried the Olympics, and many Somalis had no television or electricity, anyway. Omar's running shoes had been donated by runners on Sudan's team.

Omar competed in the women's two hundred metres, a middle-distance race. Beating her personal record, at 32.16 seconds, she still finished last-so far behind that the camera couldn't keep her in the frame-but the crowd roared when she completed the race.

"We know that we are different from the other athletes," Omar said in Beijing. "But we don't want to show it. We try our best to look like the rest. We understand we are not anywhere near the level of the other competitors here. We understand that very, very well. But, more than anything else, we would like to show the dignity of ourselves and our country."

Omar returned to Somalia determined to improve for the 2012 Olympics, in London. But the viciousness of Al Shabaab, an Al Qaeda affiliate, eventually forced her to flee. She journeyed through Ethiopia, Sudan, and Libya, then boarded a smuggler's boat in the hope of reaching Europe, where she planned to find a coach. In April, 2012, just three months before the Summer Games, she drowned somewhere in the Mediterranean, as thousands of other refugees have.

The United Nations

When the Games begin in Rio de Janeiro, the opening ceremony, on Friday, will pay tribute to the world's displaced and stateless persons. During the parade of nations, a team of ten young refugees will enter Maracanã Stadium as their own team-a first in Olympic history.

The ten team members-six men and four women-were announced in June. All have fled conflicts in their home countries. There are two swimmers from Syria, two judokas from the Democratic Republic of Congo, a marathoner from Ethiopia, and five middle-distance runners from South Sudan. They were selected by the International Olympic Committee from among forty-three athletes nominated for the team. Their talents, their refugee status, and their personal situations were all factors in the final decision, the I.O.C.'s Rachel Rominger told me.

In announcing the team, Thomas Bach, the president of the I.O.C., said, "These refugees have no home, no team, no flag, no national anthem. We will offer them a home in the Olympic Village, together with all the athletes of the world. The Olympic anthem will be played in their honor, and the Olympic flag will lead them into the Olympic Stadium." Bach continued, "These refugee athletes will show the world that despite the unimaginable tragedies that they have faced, anyone can contribute to society through their talent, skills, and strength of the human spirit."

The Olympians' individual stories of struggle mirror Samia Yusuf Omar's saga. Yusra Mardini, a teen-ager from Damascus, is a swimmer who put her talents to the test last September, when the inflatable dinghy she took alongside other refugees, sailing from Turkey to Greece, began taking on water in churning seas. Baggage was thrown overboard as the boat threatened to sink. "There were people who didn't know how to swim," Mardini said recently. "It would have been shameful if the people on our boat had drowned. I wasn't going to sit there and complain." With her sister Sarah, Mardini got out of the boat and into the water and, for more than three hours, helped push the dinghy toward land. "I want to show everyone that, after the pain, after the storm, comes calm days," she said. She will compete in the women's two-hundred-metre freestyle.

Rami Anis, a swimmer, will compete in the men's hundred-metre butterfly, at a time when his home town of Aleppo-Syria's former commercial center-is under siege. Much of the city, which dates back millennia, has been destroyed. Anis fled to Turkey, where he trained but could not compete because he did not have citizenship. "It's like someone who is studying, studying, studying, and he can't take the exam," he said this summer. Like Mardini and thousands of other refugees trying to get into Europe, he took a dinghy to Greece, eventually making his way to Belgium.

In July, the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi posted pictures, on its Facebook page, of Ambassador Robert Godec out for a run with the five Olympians living in Kenyan refugee camps. Yiech Pur Biel, who will compete in the men's eight hundred metres, fled the conflict in South Sudan in 2005, when he was ten. Speaking about his Olympic team last month, he told Al Jazeera, "I want it to help remove the title 'refugee' and show that we are more than that." James Nyang Chiengjiek (men's four hundred metres) fled South Sudan at the age of thirteen to avoid becoming a child soldier; he had to borrow shoes to start running. Paulo Amotun Lokoro (men's fifteen hundred metres) herded cattle in South Sudan until the conflict forced him to flee. Anjelina Lohalith (women's fifteen hundred metres) was separated from her parents in South Sudan when she was six; she has not been able to communicate with them since. Rose Nathike Lokonyen (women's eight hundred metres) escaped South Sudan at the age of ten. Yonas Kinde, who fled Ethiopia, will run the marathon for the refugee team. He now lives in Luxembourg, where he drives a taxi when he's not training.

The judokas have been refugees twice over. Yolande Bukasa Mabika was separated from her parents as a small child during fighting in the Congo; she doesn't remember much else. She ended up at a center for displaced children in Kinshasa, the capital, where she learned judo. Her teammate Popole Misenga was also taken to Kinshasa as a child, after his mother was murdered and he was found wandering in the rain forest. Both Congolese athletes competed in the 2013 World Judo Championship, in Rio, but their coach confiscated their passports and took the money allocated for the trip. For the second time, they fled, this time into the streets of Rio, where they became refugees in yet another country, with no home, family, friends, job, or funds. When Mabika was selected for the Olympic team, she said, "Perhaps my family will see me and we will reunite."

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Samia Yusuf Omar, who was lithe to the point of frailty, sprinted her way to momentary fame at the Beijing Olympics, in 2008. She was one of two athletes on the team from war-torn Somalia.

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Amr Arafa is trying to create a home away from home for some of those who need it most.

The 34-year-old has built a site, which is still in development, called EmergencyBNB. It works like Airbnb, except instead of linking travelers with hosts who have unoccupied rooms for rent, it connects refugees and victims of domestic violence with people in the United States willing to open their homes for a few days for free.

"It is time that the sharing economy is considered as a means of helping others and not just as an economic opportunity," Arafa, a Harvard University graduate, told Street Sense, a Washington, D.C., publication written by people who are or were previously homeless.

EmergencyBNB is not about the government giving you a place to stay. It's about the fact that your neighbors care about you." Amr Arafa

EmergencyBNB is still in its early stages. Arafa, who lives in Washington, D.C., is working on building up a roster of hosts before putting them in touch with people who need places to stay. No one has booked a room through the site yet.

But Arafa hopes that changes soon.

"EmergencyBNB is not about the government giving you a place to stay," he told The Washington Post. "It's about the fact that your neighbors care about you."

Arafa began experimenting with this model in his own home. He allows people experiencing a crisis who need immediate accommodations to stay at his studio apartment for a few days. He lists his D.C. home on Airbnb for $10, the minimum amount the site allows, and asks that only refugees or victims of domestic violence contact him. Once a guest shows him documented proof of their situation, he welcomes them into his place and reimburses the $10 when they arrive.

Arafa, who leaves his apartment whenever it's booked, tries to make his guests feel comfortable in his home. According to reviews left on his Airbnb page, Arafa offers fresh sheets and towels, checks in on guests regularly and has even driven one person to an embassy to do paperwork.

"He will restore your faith in humanity," a former guest wrote on his Airbnb page. "I plan on paying it forward and hope whoever stays there next will do the same."

In 2005, Arafa emigrated to the U.S. from Egypt and had to deal with a string of strict immigration visas, one of which would not allow him to return home after his father's death, he told City Lab.

Last year he obtained his green card and began hosting people in need.

"It started when I got this green card. I got this incredible dosage of stability. That card allowed me to see my mother for the first time in eight years," Arafa told The Washington Post. "That one month home in Egypt, I came back with this new positive energy. I just wanted to help people get this sense of stability."

BEFORE YOU GO

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This Man Made An Airbnb For Refugees Looking For A Place To Stay

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Amr Arafa is trying to create a home away from home for some of those who need it most. The 34-year-old has built a site, which is still in development, called EmergencyBNB.

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ost people would see clean water, food and clothes as essentials, but a phone might not be thought of as a necessity. Yet for the thousands of displaced men, women and children in refugee camps around Europe, they provide a vital connection with home.

Now, a grassroots organisation is offering refugees help to maintain links to their families. Members of the Facebook group Phone Credit for Refugees and Displaced People can respond directly to an individual's request for help, sending them £20 via the group to top up their phone.

James Pearce, 32, a social services worker from Norfolk, started making volunteer runs to the Calais Jungle at the beginning of the year. He was struck by the number of people, particularly unaccompanied children, desperate to speak to their loved ones. He started the group in February, and was soon joined by others who had seen the humanising effect a means of communication could have on someone alone and fearful in a foreign country.

Aziz, 29, from Afghanistan, an assistant to an MP, lives in a Red Cross camp in Belgium. He told group members: "The refugees who are exactly in need of your help, they will never forget your single cent of help (sic) because we left our loved ones in war, in darkness, and you help connect us with them."

Group founder James Pearce: 'My hope is to humanise and raise the profile of those caught up in the refugee crisis among ordinary people.' Photograph: Facebook

That simple gesture of acknowledging someone as not just a charity case, but a fellow human being, suffering the heartbreak of enforced separation, is what has driven so many to join Pearce in his efforts. The group has swelled to 20,000 members and has raised almost £100,000, but the pile of requests increases daily and Pearce fears they won't be able to keep up with demand.

"My hope for the group is that we will be able to grow to the size necessary to meet the need that's out there," he says. "And in the process, that we can humanise and raise the profile of those caught up in the refugee crisis among ordinary people."

Already working alongside Calais youth services and the local women's centre, Pearce wants a major charity already involved in the refugee crisis to support their efforts and enable them to widen their scope.
Those wanting to help can search the Facebook group, send PayPal donations to phone.credit.1@gmail.com, text CALA85 and the amount you want to donate to 70070, or contribute via the page.

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The Facebook campaign funding phone credit for refugees

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ost people would see clean water, food and clothes as essentials, but a phone might not be thought of as a necessity. Yet for the thousands of displaced men, women and children in refugee camps around Europe, they provide a vital connection with home.

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By Andreana Andreyev Psarros

My mother was born in a small village call Petra on the island of Lesbos. She moved to the US when she got married and since then my family has visited her village every few summers. As a little girl I loved the sea, the cobblestone streets, and the warm people there. As a teen-ager I found my first and only freedom going to discos and cafes. I even briefly dabbled in tourism and spent a few summers running a tour business there. And now as a wife and mother, I can share my island with my husband and 4-year-old. You see, Lesbos is not a summer vacation for me, it's a life-long love affair.

Many Americans were not familiar with the island until last year when Lesbos found itself at the center of the migrant crisis. The island became the principle landing pad for refugees fleeing war and violence in their home countries. Graphic images and articles were strewn across major news outlets. Most of you have seen the heartbreaking pictures of the refugees landing in Lesbos as well as other Northern Aegean islands. It was hard to believe this was happening to my island, my friends, and my family.

Tourism industry has declined 80% from last year. According to the Regional Authority of North Aegean Islands, 75% of international flights and 35% of domestic flights have been cancelled in 2016 so far. Lesbos Hoteliers Associates says room bookings are down 90% from holiday-goers who traditionally would book packaged deals and arrive by chartered flights.

The major influx of refugees arrived in Lesbos from April 2015 to March 2016. The migrants fled to Greece from their home counties with Syrian conflict being the biggest driver of migration. A popular and viable route for refugees was from Turkey crossing 13 miles across the Mediterranean to the closest Greek coast - northern Lesbos. This would give them access to Europe with hopes of landing in Germany, Switzerland or another northern European country to get asylum. According to UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), over 45 percent of the 770,838 refugees and migrants who arrived in Europe in 2015 landed in Lesbos (58% of total arrivals in Greece). Lesbos has a population of only 88,000 inhabitants and received some 379,000 arrivals from January to November 2015. The area was inundated with refugees arriving at a rate of 3,300 per day. At its peak, Lesbos was receiving up to 5,000 refugees a day - that's about 120 boats per day.

Although refugees are no longer flooding the island, the media attention given to the crisis has left lasting memories in people's minds. This has been exacerbated by the media's insatiable desire to sell drama. The media, along with visits from celebrities and notable figures, may have brought attention to the refugee situation - but they only told one side of the story. The abundance of photos and videos of the refugee crisis filled our screens but there was very little talk of how the local populations were affected. Ultimately, these news reports put an undeniable stain on the tourism industry of Lesbos which is a mainstay of the local economy.

Although this article is spotlighting the plight of the Greek locals amidst this crisis, it's not to diminish any pleas for help for the migrants. The refugees and local communities are NOT in competition and helping is not mutually exclusive. However, helping one group, while another suffers is not a solution. It's important that everyone is aware of how the local communities were impacted by the crisis.
LESBOS ONE YEAR AGO
Twelve months ago, the beaches of northern Lesbos were receiving boats one after another, full of women, men, and children, and babies washing on the shores where the people of Lesbos live and work. Tourists that came on holiday to escape their realities were just feet away from wet and hungry refugees looking to find a way to the next leg of their journey.

The Greeks were not prepared and at the time experiencing their own financial crisis. However, when the boats started coming, the locals became rescuers, months before any humanitarian aid groups arrived. Aphrodite Vati Mariola is the owner of the Aphrodite hotel, located on the shores of Eftalou right outside of Molyvos. Last year they received about 300 to 400 people a day on the beach in front of her hotel. "We didn't know what to do, boats were arriving and we had guests eating lunch feet away. We helped the people disembark; get them dry clothes, some food and water. And we had to clean the beach, move boats and lifejackets. Some guests even came out to help us on the beach."

The refugees and local communities are NOT in competition and helping is not mutually exclusive. However, helping one group, while another suffers is not a solution. "No one is helping the helpers. We may become refugees ourselves soon."

Once word got out, the local community chipped in. The hotel employees brought clothes from their grandchildren, neighbors and friends brought more fruit and water, the wait staff left their posts to help clean the beach. Once Aphrodite's NPR interview went viral - clothes from all over the US and Canada came in droves. The locals developed their own system to get the refugees to the allocated camps nearly an hour away by car. This included the operation of getting the people off the boats, dry clothes and something to eat, and mobilizing them to get to the bus to the camps. Then the beach needed to be cleaned - all the while trying to entertain guests.

Once the world learned of the island's refugees, the NGO's (non-governmental organizations ranging from small charities to large international organizations) swarmed the area to help. Then international crews came to film the drama. It became quite the spectacle. The NGO's started coming at the end of August early September. With the enormous number of refugees arriving - the locals would not be able to handle the responsibility alone. However helpful, the NGOs were not coordinated, they were individual organizations that showed up to help. When a boat was spotted, disparate groups of people would run to the beach, sometimes even through hotels and restaurants. It was mayhem. Time and effort was needed to organize the people, the donations, and try to get things sorted. And the Greek locals put their lives on hold to help.

On March 19, 2016 the EU/Turkish Agreement was signed and the route to Greece was closed to migrants crossing into Europe. Refugees are no longer allowed to pass through Greece/Lesbos to the mainland. However, the ongoing media attention to the crisis left lasting memories in the mind of many people, the same people that would have normally chosen Lesbos as a vacation place. I personally know people that changed plans due to fear of refugees running amok on the island. This couldn't be further from the truth.
LESBOS TODAY
There are no more refugees coming on shore, but the village is virtually empty of tourists this year. Tour companies have cancelled their flights, local stores and restaurants have closed, and almost all businesses have reduced staff leaving many unemployed.

Tourism industry has declined 80% from last year. According to the Regional Authority of North Aegean Islands, 75% of international flights and 35% of domestic flights have been cancelled in 2016 so far. Lesbos Hoteliers Associates says room bookings are down 90% from holiday-goers who traditionally would book packaged deals and arrive by chartered flights.

The local community was immediately and severely affected, yet never received any help. To date, the locals have received no financial support. "No one helped. We felt like our government didn't even care or purposefully were looking the opposite direction. When we called the Coast Guard or Police we were told that they were so overwhelmed with other pending situations that they did not have enough staff to come help us. There was no way we could stand by and do nothing as a human, and as a business." Vati Mariola said. Even to this day, hardly any officials from the EU or the Greek government have come to the villages of Molyvos, Eftalou, Petra, Skala Sikaminias in northern Lesbos.

I did not see protesters. I did not see signs saying "Greece First" or "Make Greece Great Again". I did not hear talk of building a wall to keep the illegal migrants out. I am struck at how the locals dealt with the situation. Instead of blame, I found a genuine caring and sympathy for others. Aphrodite Vati Mariola gives the account "Many people helped and didn't get into social media or post selfies. They did it because it is our mentality that helping is the right thing to do. It was not for a pat on the back, it was for love and respect for another person. This is what is called philotimo."

Unlike other tourist destinations, the majority of businesses on Lesbos are family and individual owned businesses - they are not conglomerates that can recoup losses elsewhere. People are scared, others are preparing to leave. There seems to be no sensitivity to the detrimental impact the crisis had on the survival and existence of the people of Lesbos. Stamatis Frantzis, a restaurant owner of The Mermaid in Petra has seen a stiff decline in business at his restaurant, "No one is helping the helpers. We may become refugees ourselves soon."

Daniella Hoban Chiotellis, owner of Kantina in Petra told me how the drop in tourism has impacted them. "The media has destroyed us this year as they continue to show last year's media coverage which is so bad as it's not real coverage and it really hurts us. We have reduced our staff making even more people unemployed. We try to stay positive and are grateful for our customers this year. We hope they will spread the word once they return to their countries."
WHAT CAN BE DONE
The people of Lesbos don't want to be considered a crisis zone but they need that kind of help - that is the irony of the situation. The more you scream crisis, the more you are hurting the locals from making their living.

The locals helped and saved thousands of political refugees - however as a result they may become economic migrants themselves as they face potential economic catastrophe. Tourism businesses are asking for protection from bankruptcy as they face potential economic catastrophe. The government could do minor things like freeze loans or freeze taxes temporarily just so the people are not in danger of losing their business. They have employed a small fraction of people because of the decrease in tourists. Businesses are asking for just enough help to keep their staff employed. They need help to make their living in an honorable way and revitalize the industry.

I ask the celebrities like Susan Sarandon, Angelina Jolie, and others to come back to Lesbos and encourage tourists to come. Rita Wilson, Mike Chiklis, Arianna Huffington, Nia Vardalos, Billy Zane, Tina Fey - we could really use your help.
GO TO LESBOS
To alleviate any concerns about the situation today in Lesbos, I have just returned and here is an eyewitness account of the state of the island: the beaches were stunningly beautiful with the bluest and clearest of waters, the mountains, the olive groves, and the cerulean sky took my breath away. Cafes, although less crowded, were still alive with people talking, laughing, eating, drinking, dancing, while kids frolicked and played alongside the tables. Remarkable history, ruins, and churches found all over the village alongside European discos with a cool vibe you just can't get anywhere else. Then there's the way you feel when you are there. Your senses come alive and you feel whole again.

If you take Greece apart,
In the end you will be left with
an olive tree, a vineyard and a boat...
which means that with these items
you can rebuild Greece...

Odysseas Elytis, Nobel Prize for Literature, 1979

More important is what I did not see. I did not see protesters. I did not see signs saying "Greece First" or "Make Greece Great Again". I did not hear talk of building a wall to keep the illegal migrants out. I am struck at how the locals dealt with the situation. Instead of blame, I found a genuine caring and sympathy for others. Aphrodite Vati Mariola gives the account "Many people helped and didn't get into social media or post selfies. They did it because it is our mentality that helping is the right thing to do. It was not for a pat on the back, it was for love and respect for another person. This is what is called philotimo."

You should go, not because the refugee crisis is over - you should go because the refugees came and were embraced with hospitality, generosity, and integrity. This is the magic we feel when we go to Greece. This is why we love our homeland. Lesbos and all of Greece has a history of hardship.... but its spirit prevails - the beauty, the pleasure, and the philotimo. And that is something the Ottomans, the Germans, the EU, or the Refugee crisis can't touch, can't change.

And, this is why you should go.
Andreana Andreyev Psarros is independent Digital & Strategy Consultant. She occasionally publishes articles on places and people of interest in her spare time.

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My mother was born in a small village call Petra on the island of Lesbos. She moved to the US when she got married and since then my family has visited her village every few summers. As a little girl I loved the sea, the cobblestone streets, and the warm people there.

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what would make you care about aleppo?  - cnn

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There are a thousand reasons why you may not care about Aleppo. The question is, what's the one reason why you would?

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Note: Every Monday during the 2015-16 school year, we present a special post for English Language Learners. Each focuses on one topic and offers an interactive quiz and a writing prompt.
We invite any E.L.L. student 13 years or older to post responses to this prompt in our comments section, which is moderated by the Learning Network staff.

First, look at the feature " Desperate Crossing," which tells about a journey taken by refugees from Libya to Europe. Then look at " The Global Refugee Crisis, Region by Region."

Second, read this passage about how people in Iceland responded to the needs of refugees. Three blanks show where a word is missing.

Responding to a growing international crisis, thousands of Iceland's residents have taken to social media to put pressure on their government to take in more migrants.

The island nation has already said it will take in 50 migrants, but officials said on Tuesday that the country would consider raising that number.

A newly formed Facebook group, Syria is Calling, which has more than 13,000 members, is urging the _________ to take in 5,000.

"The idea is to show the government that there exists a will to receive even more refugees from Syria than the 50 that have already been discussed. We want to push the government - show them that we can do better, and do so immediately!" a group post said in English and Icelandic.

The group said some of its members have offered to open their houses to _________ and others have volunteered to donate _________, clothes, furniture and other items, or to help the new arrivals assimilate.

Read the entire article "Icelanders Use Facebook to Open Door to Refugees."

Third, write out answers to the following two prompts.

1. Explain how you figured out each of the correct words, even if you did not originally pick the correct answers. What clues give hints about what the words mean? You can use this paragraph frame, write it on a piece of paper, and give it to your teacher when it is complete:

I figured out that the word __________ completes the first blank space because _________. I know that the word _________ belongs in the second blank because _________. I concluded that the word _________ is the correct word for the third blank because _________.

2. Students 13 and older are invited to write the answers to this next question in the comments section of this post:

Do you think the United States should accept more refugees? Why or why not?

You can use this sentence frame:

I think the United States (should or should not) accept more refugees because __________.

Find many more Ideas for English Language Learners.

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E.L.L. Practice | The Global Refugee Crisis

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Note: Every Monday during the 2015-16 school year, we present a special post for English Language Learners. Each focuses on one topic and offers an interactive quiz and a writing prompt. We invite any E.L.L. student 13 years or older to post responses to this prompt in our comments section, which is moderated by the Learning Network staff.

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It has been weeks since I drew after seeing the heart-wrenching news footage. little boy, covered in dust, dazed and confused, rubbed his head as blood flowed from a wound. He looked at his hand and then rubbed the blood onto the orange seat of the ambulance. Perhaps it resonated more deeply because I have a son about the same age and I couldn't imagine him having to go through the same I was so grateful to the first responderswho risked their own lives to

I have been devastated by the continual news reports coming from Syria, but also inspired by Omran Daqneesh, the 5-year-old boy in Aleppo, Syria remains a symbol for all those in need--especially those who do not have a voice. A good overview of ways we can help... http://www.cfr.org/.../humanitarian-relief.../p9007#childrenofaleppo#childrenofsyria

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It has been weeks since I drew after seeing the heart-wrenching news footage. little boy, covered in dust, dazed and confused, rubbed his head as blood flowed from a wound. He looked at his hand and then rubbed the blood onto the orange seat of the ambulance.