Overseas Social Change - Intentional communities initiative "The International School of Peace" for refugees in Lesbos

The phenomenon of intentional communities around the world is mostly local because they seek to create meaning for their members or bring about social change among circles around them. In Israel, the mission of the communities is evident mainly in the fields of education and welfare in the social periphery of Israel. However, uniquely, since 2017, following the refugee crisis around the world, Intentional communities belonging to the ideological movement - Hashomer Hatzair, together with the Agiel (أجيال) movement - decided to add a mission beyond Israel's borders. In this lecture I will describe the establishment and accompaniment of "The International School of Peace" for refugee children in Lesbos, Greece.

The school was built on the site of an active community center for refugees in an industrial area adjacent to the two refugee camps. The physical structure of the school was established in full cooperation with the refugee communities from the camps. It was established out of modest infrastructure adapted to be child-friendly classrooms. Since its inception over 3000 children have passed through the school and it has provided employment for a number of refugees who are teachers from different countries.

In the lecture I will refer to the decision not to remain silent in the face of a global humanitarian catastrophe through the initiative to operate with the local familiar informal educational tools. I will address the values, practices, tools and lifestyles adapted to the dramatic reality of the refugees in Lesbos, and discuss the meanings derived from carrying out this mission overseas. I will address these issues in the context of cultural differences, and also in the context of activities that are done in a time of ongoing emergency.