The trip to Meteora offered to all EMC group the unique experience of nature’s grandeur in conjunction with history, architecture, and man’s everlasting desire to connect with the Divine. 

The gigantic rocks of Meteora are perched above the town of Kalambaka, at a maximum height of 400 m (1200 ft). The most interesting summits are decorated with historical monasteries, included in the World Heritage List of Unesco. Only 6 of them have made it through the centuries, from an initial estimated number of 24. Mostly dating to the 14th and until the 16th century, these monasteries were built by monks who were previously hermits in the area, living in individual caves. Once united, these monks took months and years to carry the construction material to the top of rocks, using ropes, folding ladders, nets and baskets, and with much determination.

The arrangement of the permanent exhibition is based on axes of chronological narration, geographic distribution, and special subjects. It is articulated in 11 sections and presents representative finds of Thessalian culture from Paleolithic Era to the 19th century. The approach of this route to time and space is succeeded through the notions: society, state, institutions, authorities.

Each boat of these is a symbolic representation of a boatacross Mediterranean Sea and symbolizes the agonizing effortof refugees, who begin their dangerous journey from their war-torn homeland to Europe. Some of these boats safely reach their destination and some others are lost across the routes of Aegean and Mediterranean Sea.

The festival begins, and the team of teachers becomes the recipients of the work of all students. The pupils show to all their posters and banners and each group appoints a representative who will talk about the motivation that led to the creation of each poster or banner. The themes of all pupils’ creations are related to the acceptance of diversity and the human reaction to racism and social exclusion. 

The banner of the 9th High School in Volos impresses, as the students portrayed on it the poem "Home", a famous poem written by Warsan Shire, a girl from Kenya, a refugee one, who now lives and writes poetry in London.  

Subsequently, each student holds a small boat. A group of students reads some stories. All these stories are true stories of young people who traveled across Mediterranean Sea and expresses joy, satisfaction, relief, since these young people have been saved and live now in European countries as free people, outside the field of war. At the same time there are stories of people who refuse to accept the refugees in their host countries. In two boats are placed butterflies made by paper, created by the Italian team. It is the depiction of the souls of lost refugees at the Mediterranean Sea.

The boats are placed side by side in the shape of a circle, as all the action expresses the circle of human life. Life and loss in an uninterrupted relationship. All students are photographed next to the created circle.  

It's the end of the festival

 

Teachers had a video-conference with the Assofrani solidarity organization in France, which, among other things, deals with facilitating access to water for Nigerian residents affected by drought, the fight against poverty and the improvement of hygiene conditions. Greek team organized a fundraiser of money for Assofrani the previous week and the members of Greek Erasmus team informed all member of Assofrani about this action. At the video-conference the Greek team discussed and planned actions that could be organized for further contribution to Assofrani 's main goal with the help of 9nd High School of Volos and the activation of the Greek-French organizations of our region.

The orders were: 

“Elbow on shoulder-  Elbow on forehead - Bottom to bottom 

-Thigh to thigh – Hand on forehead 

– Foot on knee – Knee to knee 

 -Elbow on knee - Back to back 

- Foot to foot - Head on shoulder

- Hand on leg - Hand on neck 

- Hand on knee
- Shoulder to shoulder- Ear to ear 

- Hand on belly - Elbow on bottom”

 

First International Meeting in Greece,  11^th -15^th December 2017