News
*By Marianne Ejdersten, communication director, World Council of Churches
It is raining. It is cold and windy. Autumn is in the air in northern Greece. We have just arrived at the Idomeni refugee camp in northern Greece, on the border between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). The fast-approaching winter poses as great a threat to the refugees as do the smugglers. In the worst case, winter means death.
Greece has received over 500,000 refugees so far, 168,000 in the month of September alone. The situation is critical. In addition, the very poorest people are still in Syria and many are expected to arrive in the coming months. Greece is in the midst of a financial crisis and has recently had three elections. The Greeks are struggling with their own lives, yet a majority welcome with open arms the Syrians who have fled.
The World Council of Churches (WCC) visits Greece for five days in mid-October. It is a way to show solidarity with the refugees and support the WCC member churches in Greece. The Council has 345 member churches in 110 countries and represents 550 million Christians world-wide. The WCC delegation is led by general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit and Metropolitan Prof. Dr Gennadios of Sassima, vice moderator of the Central Committee. Prof. Dr Dimitra Koukoura from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki joins the delegation when we visit Thessaloniki and the refugee camp. I am also part of the delegation, to report on what we have seen and heard.
When we arrive at the refugee camp with Metropolitan Dimitrios of Gomenissa and Polykastron and his team, the volunteers and refugees smile warmly. They recognize the metropolitan; he is often here helping out. His employees work locally every day to coordinate, provide support, talk, prepare food and give the children something meaningful to do.
Metropolitan Dimitrios says, “It is our responsibility as a church to help. We must find solutions to solve the refugee crisis. Greece can’t do it alone. The important thing now is to help with the acute situation: to provide food, water and shelter.”
He adds with a smile, “We must also create a space for rest and gathering together. It’s important that it feels like a home, even if only for a short time. We cook food; today [16 October] is World Food Day, and we made a spicy bean soup.” The homey, inviting aroma of soup spreads throughout the camp which consists of some twenty tents and barracks. Clergy stand in a tent kitchen making soup. Another tent houses a play area for children. They are painting and drawing. I look at the designs curiously: colourful pictures of princes and princesses, fairy tale characters, animals and flowers. The children work calmly on their pictures and smile expectantly when the metropolitan and his team approach with a bag of sweets. They seem unusually calm and secure after the terrible journey from the war and terror of Syria. The kids gather around Metropolitan Dimitrios cheerfully, and he takes time with each one. A few sweets are handed out here and there, too.
Dimitrios emphasizes, “Every person has equal value, whether Christian, Jewish or Muslim. Everyone should have the same rights and be treated the same way, with great respect for human dignity. We are all made in God’s image.”
With hope
We walk further into the camp and visit the hospital, which is run by Doctors Without Borders. They are caring for a pregnant woman, a man whose foot has been amputated, and a girl who was hurt while climbing over a barbwire fence on the way to Greece. I think: they seem unusually calm. Their faces are relaxed, and they smile with hope for a better future in Europe.
I talk to the girl who hurt herself climbing over a barbwire fence to find safety and a new life in Europe. She is travelling alone. Her parents stayed in Syria, along with her grandparents and disabled older brother. She explains that her parents could not leave her older brother and grandparents. They decided to stay despite the risk to their lives; they are Christians. But they chose to give Leila, as we can call her, a new chance in another part of the world. They gave her every last cent of their savings, around EUR 700. The money is almost gone and a long journey remains.
Leila tells me that she longs for a place in the world without violence, war or terror. “Imagine getting to go to school one day without having to worry about harassment, or being threatened or even killed, or the worst that could happen – being kidnapped,” she says calmly. Look at her: she is 18, maybe 19 years old, but she has experienced things that are indescribable for me as a 45-year-old from safe, peaceful Sweden in northern Europe. Leila’s face holds yearning when I tell her about my country. She says, “The dream is to get to live in Sweden or Germany.”
She asks thoughtfully, “Do you know anything about Luleå? They have a direct line between Greece and Luleå for refugees. Do you think I could study to become a doctor there? I really want to help other people.” I leave Leila in the hospital, but before I leave, she bends down toward the flower pot adorning the hospital cottage, plucks a sprig of basil and hands it to me. “Think of me the next time you see this. For me, this scent means hope for a new future, maybe in another country. Maybe I can return home if the conflict in Syria is resolved. Maybe I will get to see my family again. Maybe. Maybe not. But we’re keeping in touch with my smartphone.”
Walking to the border
The delegation walks with the refugees toward the border. The United Nations High Commission for Refugees, UNHCR, is responsible for the camp and has several hundred volunteers who organize the activities. One volunteer announces, “Time for group 1022 to walk toward Serbia.” They walk in groups together. Volunteers help them to the border. Police, barbwire fences and military officials await on the other side. A long and strenuous walk lies ahead. I talk with our driver, Father Serafim, who explains that Greece, FYROM and Serbia formed a buffer zone between the countries to facilitate the crossing. The refugees walk along the railway tracks, because it is easier to walk in this valley-like setting. The wind howls; the rain pours. I can see the danger for the refugees. Winter is a major threat.
The general secretary of the World Council of Churches Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit calls for an international solution to the refugee situation. And the solution must come now.
He says, “We also need to find a peaceful and sustainable solution to the situation in the Middle East, and to find a solution so that Christians can live in the Middle East. It is about respect for international law and human dignity. All people have the right to a free, peaceful life.”
Tveit underscores “the importance of churches protecting human dignity and the equal value of all people”. He stresses that the work in Greece is a testament to the powerful commitment of the churches to the rights of every single individual.
Local and global collaboration
The delegation visited church leaders in Athens and at Apostoli, the Orthodox diaconal operation.
In 2010 Archbishop Hieronymos formed Apostoli in Athens. Apostoli is one of the largest aid organizations in Greece, and distributes food to 10,000 families every month. They work with International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC). The programme provides vital nourishment to families and stimulates the local agricultural economy.
The leader of Apostoli explains that currently, the greatest challenge is coordinating efforts to maximize the benefits of aid. Each week, church representatives gather for a meeting to see how they can best help those affected. The meetings are significant not only for the acute situation in Greece, but also for the future.
In the meeting with Archbishop Hieronymos of Athens and All Greece, a clear desire emerges for the ecumenical organizations to mobilize churches globally to assist the refugees and help them survive the winter as well as human trafficking.
The Archbishop said, “If all churches actively participate, we will create safe passage for everyone. This means there will be no market for trafficking. Trafficking, or human smuggling, is illegal and should be addressed by authorities. But it exists and it is growing. Churches can contribute here by letting people know their rights and helping with safe passage.”
On my last day in Greece, I visit the Church of Sweden, the Lutheran and Scandinavian congregation. This migrant church in Greece has its premises in downtown Plaka. Reverend Gunnar Lidén talks about their diaconal work to assist and coordinate help from others. He says, “The ecumenical work is being strengthened in conjunction with the crisis. New partnerships are forming and we’re getting to know each other through practical work.” The Church of Sweden is one of some 20 other churches and ecumenical partners in the area that participate in weekly meetings with Apostoli.
During the visit, we also had the chance to meet Alessandra Morelli, the new senior coordinator for UNHCR’s operative initiatives in Greece. Her strong commitment, competence and wisdom are etched on my memory, and especially her closing words: “No life should be lost in Europe because of weather. This is about redistributing resources and reviewing legislation and coordination.”
Time to act
The solidarity visit is coming to a close. The weather in Greece is taking an autumnal turn, with cold winds. I realize that time is our enemy. Time is short. It is high time to act to create a sustainable solution for the refugees. Meanwhile, the media report that more countries in Europe are closing their borders. That is an enormous threat to human dignity, and international laws are not being followed. It is time to act.
Metropolitan Gennadios, vice moderator of the World Council of Churches, says after the visit, “The World Council of Churches has had a special task since 1948. The refugee issue was relevant after World War II and it is equally relevant today. It is time to create long-term, sustainable solutions together. Human dignity is sacred. It is our task as a church to protect it.”
General secretary Olav Fykse Tveit will stay in Greece for a few more days and take part in a consultation arranged by the Greek government, focusing on the refugee crisis and the situation in the Middle East. In about a week, the Evangelical Church in Germany and the World Council of Churches will hold a consultation in Munich with some 30 church leaders from Europe and the Middle East. The consultation theme is the role of the churches in the refugee crisis. Right now, local and global work is crucial. It saves lives. This became clear after our visit to Greece.
I will close by repeating Morelli’s words: “No life should be lost because of weather.”
*Marianne Ejdersten is communication director at the World Council of Churches. Representatives of the World Council of Churches (WCC) visited Greece from 14 to 18 October to strengthen efforts in support of refugees in Europe and the Middle East.
