“I come here to forget about my struggles”: How nonformal education in Greece empowers displaced youth through transition and uncertainty

• In Event: A focus on community: Civil society and non-formal approaches to education and peacebuilding for crisis-affected learners

Proposal

UNHCR estimates that by the end of 2023, 117 million people were forcibly displaced as a result of persecution, conflict, violence and human rights violations, a 168% increase from a decade ago (UNHCR, 2023). Globally, forty percent (43.3 million) of those forcibly displaced are children below 18 years of age (UNHCR, 2023). Acting as a lifeline for affected children and youth, education provides not only a sense of normalcy and routine during displacement and crisis, but also as (a promise to) pathways for a more secure and prosperous future. Quality education in emergencies is crucial for mitigating long-term impacts of displacement (such as learning loss), fostering resilience, and serving as a source of hope for a young person and their community. Though government and civil society actors deem education to be essential, the latest evidence (Burde et al., 2022) shows that displaced students continue to experience fundamental difficulties such as frequent disruptions in schooling, language barriers, overcrowded classrooms, unaddressed psychosocial needs, and inconsistency in their access to education. In Greece, despite efforts to increase access to schooling and provide informal learning opportunities to displaced youth, barriers such as language differences, bureaucratic obstacles and administrative hurdles persist (Kalocsányiová et al., 2022). In light of these complexities and barriers to schooling, nonformal education spaces and programs serve to fill gaps and supplement the education and psychosocial needs of displaced youth.

The lack of comprehensive data further complicates advocacy efforts and results in disorganized approaches to education. The complex asylum process and policy restrictions exacerbate disparities in education access and success, particularly in locations like the islands and northern Greece, where limited capacity of local systems further constrain opportunities. The unique vulnerabilities of separated minors and the transient nature of displacement complicate efforts to activate refugees' rights to education and participation in society, highlighting the need for more inclusive and responsive educational policies and practices.

This ongoing dissertation research study explores 1) How do displaced youth imagine and navigate their educational aspirations amidst supporting and constraining conditions of displacement in a transitory setting in Greece? And 2) In lieu of formal schooling, how do nonformal education programs help displaced youth imagine alternative futures and imagine and pursue educational aspirations?

Through an ethnographically-informed mixed methods design, the study explores the interplay between aspirations and the structural barriers affecting the realization of educational dreams. Grounded in the active role of individuals in knowledge construction and Community Cultural Wealth approach (Yosso, 2005), the study seeks to amplify marginalized voices, focusing on gender, race and class. Data was collected through observations in nonformal education spaces and through interviews with displaced youth and educators in three geographically-significant locations (Athens, Polykastro / Nea Kavala Refugee Camp in northern Greece, and Mavrovouni Refugee Camp on Lesvos Island). Preliminary findings show important ways that youth draw on familial, social and aspirational capital (Yosso, 2005) to navigate the harsh realities and complexities of displacement. Additionally data show that humanitarian nonformal education spaces serve as critical spaces of protection and contribute to youths’ wellbeing and sense of hope for the future.

Author

• Erma Fetić Mujić, University of Minnesota Twin Cities