Today, April 5 2023, the international meeting titled “Migration challenges and opportunities – IOM and Orthodox Partners” took place, organized by the International Organization for Migration under the auspices of the Ministry of Migration and Asylum. The aim of the meeting was to strengthen the cooperation between IOM and other Orthodox Churches in Europe, Africa, and Asia for better management of migration and refugee issues. The invited guests were welcomed by the head of the IOM mission in Greece, Mr. Gianluca Rocco, followed by speeches and greetings from official invitees.
His Beatitude the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, Mr. Hieronymos, was represented by the Director General of AMKE “Synyparxis,” Archimandrite Panteleimon Papasynefakis, who also read his greeting at the aforementioned international meeting.
In his brief greeting, His Beatitude the Archbishop emphasized the importance that the Orthodox Church places on helping our suffering brothers and providing relief from their hardships and difficulties. He further stressed: “In our efforts, we always seek the valuable assistance and collaboration of public authorities as well as international organizations and other institutions with a common vision, foremost among them the International Organization for Migration, the leading intergovernmental organization on migration issues, with which SYNYPARXIS has signed a memorandum of cooperation since 2020.” Concluding, he noted that the Church of Greece will never cease to offer its assistance, seeking the harmonious coexistence of all.
In his speech, the Director General of SYNYPARXIS emphasized the following points:
Regarding SYNYPARXIS collaborations:
“As part of achieving its statutory goals, SYNYPARXIS participates in networks, interacts with immigrant and refugee communities in Greece, and closely collaborates with national, European, and international organizations and bodies engaged in the protection of human rights. Among them, and in a significant position for us, is the International Organization for Migration.”
On social inclusion:
“An essential prerequisite is enhancing the sense of security for all parties involved by establishing ‘safe spaces of interaction’ at all levels.”
On the role of the Church of Greece in the work of SYNYPARXIS:
“The field of intervention is particularly broad, as the Church can promote a comprehensive institutional focus, develop and implement specialized actions through SYNYPARXIS, as well as encourage broader consensus, consent, and cooperation within society through parish-level engagement and the involvement of clergy.”
Concluding the speech, he presented a concrete example of social inclusion through the shelters and work of SYNYPARXIS. He mentioned Mohammad, who, after two years of staying in our facility and receiving Greek language education and psychosocial support, began to feel safe and empowered to dream again. He managed to excel, thanks to a scholarship secured by the organization, and started attending classes at a hairdressing school, from which he obtained his diploma. Now an adult, he lives on his own and has returned to our hairdressing workshop, this time as an assistant to the instructor. This young man recently wrote on a social media platform: “Yesterday, Akbar and I went to the Helping Hands philanthropic foundation to cut the hair of disadvantaged people. We are very happy that God has given us the opportunity to help others, and we thank the SYNYPARXIS family for believing in us and teaching us to assist others.”
This, for us, is social inclusion, the Director General emphatically noted, and it constitutes the challenge for all of us in the future.
The International meeting continued with statements from politicians and representatives of various Orthodox Churches around the world.
