Do the human right thing - Raising our Voice for Refugee Rights

Implemented by :

In partnership with:

Progect’s Objectives:

The project aims at systematically bringing to the fore issues related to the access of refugees and asylum seekers to housing, health and employment, and promoting targeted solutions through a web of multidimensional activities at multiple levels and with an array of target groups. It includes monitoring, advocacy, information and awareness-raising activities as well as trainings.

Activities:

The partners will compile reports regarding access of refugees and asylum seekers to human rights, including putting forward policy proposals and carrying out systematic advocacy actions targeted at decision makers in Greece and EU institutions.

The wider public will be systematically informed through a digital campaign and the work of Popaganda.

Refugees and asylum seekers will be informed via special videos that will be produced.

Finally, university students in journalism as well as public servants will be trained on issues pertaining to the three human rights in question, while workshops will also be delivered to unaccompanied children.

The project “Do the human right thing – Raising our Voice for Refugee Rights” is being implemented under the Active citizens fund in Greece by the Greek Council for Refugees (GCR) and Partner Organizations the Center Diotima, the International Rescue Committee Hellas (IRC) and Popaganda. The Active citizens fund in Greece is supported through a € 13.5 m grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway as part of the EEA Grants 2014 - 2021. The programme aims to develop the sustainability and capacity of the civil society sector in Greece, and to strengthen its role in promoting and safeguarding democratic procedures, active citizenship and human rights. The Fund Operator for the Active citizens fund in Greece is Bodossaki Foundation in consortium with SolidarityNow.

More information: www.activecitizensfund.gr/en/

About the EEA Grants:

Τhe EEA Grants are jointly financed by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The EEA Grants are available to the 13 EU member countries that joined the EU and the European Economic Area (EEA) in 2004, 2007 and 2013 as well as Greece and Portugal. The decision-making body of the EEA Grants is the Financial Mechanism Committee, which is composed of representatives of the Foreign Ministries of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.

More information: www.eeagrants.org, www.eeagrants.gr & www.norwaygrants.org.

About Bodossaki:

The Bodossaki Foundation is one of the most respected privately-owned public benefit organizations in Greece. The Foundation is the culminating point of its founder’s brilliant course in life and remains the carrying vessel of the values and ideas that he faithfully served throughout his eventful life. The Foundation was established in 1972 by Prodromos – Bodossakis Athanassiades who decided to donate his entire fortune to support health care, equal opportunities, quality in education, scientific progress and environmental protection. The Foundation has a deep knowledge of social needs in Greece and has administered so far more than €450m supporting its causes.

The Bodossaki Foundation also supports NGOs working with socially vulnerable groups and has lately set the strengthening of civil society as one of its primary objectives. Since 2013 it administers the regranting facilities of the EEA Grants for civil society in Greece.

More information: www.bodossaki.gr/en/

About SolidarityNow:

SolidarityNow (SN) is a non-governmental organization established in 2013 to respond to the needs, and advocate for the rights of the most vulnerable and marginalized groups, indiscriminately. SN’s Headquarters are in Athens, with large operations in Thessaloniki and activities across the country. The organization’s vision is to improve people’s lives and to empower them to create a just and inclusive society. SN’s actions fall under three main strategic priorities: a) Promoting safety and protection; b) Catalyzing livelihoods opportunities; c) Strengthening the independence of civil society and defending open society values. SN has supported 300,000 people to date, both through direct project implementation and through regranting programmes. Through its regranting initiatives, SN has supported 73 different programs and provided a total funding of € 14.4M to support Greek civil society organizations.

More information: www.solidaritynow.org/en/

Contact details: Communications and Events Manager, Ira Papadopoulou, i.papadopoulou[at]gcr.gr, tel +30 210 38009

Right to health ― Right to life

28/06/2022

Limited access to health care services of applicants and beneficiaries of international protection in Greece

A new report by Diotima Center, the Greek Council for Refugees (GCR) and the International Rescue Committee Hellas (IRC Hellas) reveals the multiple difficulties and barriers to accessing healthcare faced by people on the move in Greece. It includes reports and testimonials from applicants and beneficiaries of international protection in Greece, including their own experiences of healthcare services. The report was published in the context of the project "Do the human right thing - Raising our Voice for Refugee Rights", implemented under the Active citizens fund programme.

The report finds that people on the move in Greece have too often faced a lack of interpretation services, experienced racism from healthcare professionals, or long waiting times for appointments resulting in minor health issues becoming much more serious chronic conditions. In some instances, medical professionals have even refused to perform procedures (for example, abortion in cases of rape), or done so without consent (such as cesarean sections).

You may read the press release here and the executive summary of the report here.

Closing event of the project "Do the human right thing - Raising our Voice for Refugee Rights"

27/06/2022

The Greek Council for Refugees, in partnership with Diotima Centre, International Rescue Committee Hellas (IRC) and Popaganda, have the pleasure to invite you to the closing event of the project “Do the human right thing – Raising our Voice for Refugee Rights”, which will take place on Thursday, 30 June 2022, at 11 am, at the Auditorium “Antonis Tritsis”, Cultural Centre of the Municipality of Athens (50, Akademias str.).

Through this project, implemented in the context of the Active Citizens Fund, we had the opportunity to contact not only groups and communities of refugees and asylum seekers but also decision makers. We discussed about good practices as well as obstacles. We talked about solutions to issues and how, only with a house, a job and healthcare, can one enjoy equal rights in Greek society.

We invite you to see with us the story and the results of various aspects of the rights to housing, employment and healthcare, the rights to life!

* All measures aimed at preventing the spread of the covid-19 pandemic will be followed, as stipulated.

Event programme: