Conference Agenda

Sense of belonging, particularly for immigrants, is a complex tapestry woven from threads of cultural continuity, adaptation, community ties and social recognition. It is a dynamic process shaped by personal narratives, cultural interactions and the wider socio-political context, highlighting the resilience and adaptability of individuals in their search for a place to call home (Nikolaides, et al, 2022). Greeks have been eternal migrants/refugees, whereas the last decades the country has been hosting migrants and refugees itself. It has been their turn to welcome, communicate and bequeath such a sense and make everyone “feel like home”.

While first-generation refugees and migrants may grapple with adapting to a new culture, subsequent generations often develop a hybrid identity that seamlessly integrates aspects of both their heritage and the host culture (Georgiadis, 2023a, 2023b). However, their journey is fraught with challenges, and among those are the acquisition of a new language that stands out as a transformative and empowering endeavor. Language learning goes beyond mere communication; it becomes a key tool for integration, understanding, and unlocking opportunities. Resilience, courage, and persistent search for stability in the face of displacement are the lifeline to navigate the complexities of a new life. Peer support for both children and their parents can create a space for emotional connection, where shared experiences would foster a profound understanding of the challenges faced by refugee families. Parents and children may find solace in knowing that their struggles and fears are validated by others who walked a similar path.This validation is a crucial aspect of building resilience. Therefore, the question that arises is how a community and particularly, a school community that includes students, teachers and the parents/guardians can better provide a sense of trust, care and belonging to migrant/refugee and asylum seekers families (Papathanasiou, 2022b).

Peer support can aid refugee children in their academic journey, especially in language learning. Fellow students who have already navigated language barriers can provide guidance, tutoring, and encouragement. Understanding the nuances of a new educational system and culture is facilitated through peer interactions, creating a smoother transition for refugee children. In addition to peer support, a linguistic and culturally responsive pedagogy would serve as the bridge to immediate needs such as accessing services, seeking employment, and communicating with the local community. It is a fundamental skill that empowers individuals to navigate their new environment, gain a deeper understanding of the customs, traditions, and societal norms of their host country, and facilitate a smoother integration process.

Certain factors, such as parents' socioeconomic situation, educational level, and race but also their different perceptions of their involvement in their children’s education, can directly or indirectly influence learning literacy skills for their children (Brooks-Gunn & Markman, 2005). Nonetheless, the same and other researchers state that the key to the emergence of language learning is neither the profession and education, nor the financial situation and race of the parents, but the way in which the parents organize the appropriate activities and engage their children in them, that ultimately facilitates the emergence of writing and reading (Bornstein & Cheah, 2006, Rowe et al, 2016). In latest research, it has been also stated that one of the main responsibilities of parents is to build a positive family environment that will encourage the development and learning of children (Van Voorhis et al, 2013). Why then not invite parents to an activity in which everyone participates, regardless of age, language, and socio-economic level, as it is a tool that enhances primarily dialogue that incorporates critical thinking and reflection which begins with an inquiry that is triggered with a story, art, or a song.

International immigration brought about a change in the human public sphere in Israel and created tensions against the background of differences related to religion, culture, tradition, and language. The education system tries to provide solutions to strengthen non-Jewish immigrant families and community resilience. Additionally, established social initiatives innovative of humanitarian organizations and associations: "Soul Group," which operates according to Waldorf's educational concept, and "Elifelet," citizens for refugee children (https://www.elifelet.org/?lang=en). These organizations support schools, and their goal is to promote a shared life of tolerance, inclusion, and mutual respect while providing equal opportunities for children and their families for social integration, creating social cohesion, health, and security now and in the future days (McAuliffe & Khadria, 2020; Wittenberg, 2017; Magner, 2016).

Social integration helps families to be more protected in the foreign environment in terms of language, behavior, tradition, and appearance of skin color. Immigrants live in a reality of economic and social uncertainty, loneliness, and a sense of foreignness. To create protection and community as a substitute for the nuclear family, the immigrants create communion and live in a neighborhood with residents from the same country of origin and socioeconomic status. This social cohesion contributes to maintaining identity, assistance in raising children, administrative procedures, and finding a job. In terms of the education systems in Israel and the world, there is a trend towards segregation, and immigrant families' children study in culturally homogenous schools that were established as a response to this communalism (International Organization for Migration (IOM), 2022; Kugler & Price, 2009; Schleicher, 2017).

Interactions between different social groups and informal encounters may lead to a discourse involving obedience, acceptance of the authority of a majority group, and absorption of expressions of violence and racism. Therefore, educators and parents from the majority group need to build relationships on trust, inclusion, and respect. The dialogues with the parents are not based only on the transfer of knowledge but also on understanding the trauma experienced by the immigrant parents from difficulties in The conversations with the parents are not based only on the transfer of knowledge but also on understanding the trauma experienced by the immigrant parents from the problems in their new life. Positive feelings towards the "other" dissolve the concepts of "us and them," which causes considerable tension and separation. It was found that forming an image of peace education, which operates according to the principles of "Restorative justice pedagogy," promotes self-awareness of others and the ability to deal effectively with stereotypes and prejudices (Lee & Walsh, 2017; Ratnam, 2020; Ogilvie & Fuller, 2017).

Educators from the majority group, who hold cultural encounters between the parents, must create a safe environment of trust and mutual appreciation with the understanding that there are differences between people and groups, which create the uniqueness of the individual. This will allow partnerships to be built that help the parents and the school define goals and accept joint responsibility for promoting the students' learning and cultural integration processes in the new cultural and linguistic environment (Lerner, 2012; Pharaoh & Li, 2022).

The study examines the contribution of the shared experience in informal encounters between Israeli families whose children attend Waldorf education and immigrant families from Africa and its implications on building the relationships and partnerships between African parents and the school in south Tel Aviv.

The study questions are: (1) In what way do these informal encounters promote the partnership between the school and African immigrant parents? (2) What are the challenges and consequences of informal activities in developing pedagogical, social, and personal responses for immigrant families in the receiving society?

Remembering and storytelling are among the most fundamental human dispositions. Narratives about experienced, inherited and communicated pasts not only have a formative character in the lives of individuals. They are also essential for smaller and larger communities, as the re-presentation of central experiences serves to reaffirm identity and belonging. However, memories need certain media and forms of articulation so that they can fulfil their function of creating identity and meaning. In addition to literature and art, it is above all monuments that play an indispensable role as visible signs in public spaces in the transmission and communication of memory narratives.

By examining the design, history and social reception of commemorative symbols, we can observe the development of public attention for historical events. Meanwhile, gaps in the landscape of remembrance tell us something about marginalised cultures of remembrance. What is remembered in public spaces makes it clear who has the power to occupy it and thus to underpin a specific view of the past as the official one. In this presentation, we would like to show the extent to which the examination of historical narratives and conflicts of remembrance can be used for historical-political educational work and global citizenship education.

Israeli society is deeply divided, and the mutual relations between Jews and Arabs are characterized by inequality, alienation, lack of dialogue, mutual negation, and increasing polarization between the groups (Epstein, 2016; Jackson & Doerschler, 2016; Paul-Binyamin and Haj-Yehia, 2019). Between Jews and Arabs, there are religious, cultural, national, and linguistic differences, all of which create one of the centers of political-social tension in everything related to the political-social power relations, including the inequality between them. (Shdema & Martin, 2022)

The events of Shiva in October threw Jewish society into the heart of darkness, into a state of trauma and uncertainty, as the dimensions of the massacre are unlike any terrorist events or murders of Jews since the Holocaust. Faced with this reality, the Arabs find themselves in a trap. On the one hand, suspicious voices towards the Arabs are getting stronger, as if they are all terrorists while strengthening the sense of national unity and Jewish identity. On the one hand, moderate voices are heard calling to protect the Arabs of Israel and to leave behind the riots and harassment.

The relations of mutual negation and cultural separation intensified following the "Iron Swords" war, and the Arabs are seen as an illegitimate element in the public systems, including the education system, which plays an essential role in shaping Israeli collective identity (Levy, 2023). According to Samuha (2010), power relations and the lack of equality are particularly prominent in the relationship between the Jewish majority group and the Arab-Palestinian minority in the long-standing national and historical conflict.

In the Israeli education system, Arab students' study in separate schools from the Jews. Thus, the system is characterized by discrimination, injustice, segregation, and inequality and does not allow the creation of a common basis for an authentic multicultural education that enables mutual interaction and recognition of others (Abu-Saad, 2020; Lustick, 2019). According to Allport's contact theory (Allport, 1954), direct and unmediated meetings between groups reduce conflicts and tensions and improve their relations. The lack of contact in formative years may harm intergroup relations (Cehajic et al., 2008). The discrimination between Jews and Arabs is also reflected in the legislation of the "Nationality Law" (2018), which highlights the Jewish nature of the country. It blatantly ignores the democratic nature of the country and the Arab minority (Amara, 2020).

Examining the issue of hiring teachers in Israel reveals that, over the years, there has been a shortage of Jewish teachers. At the same time, hundreds of quality Arab teachers are qualified to teach and are looking for employment. The solution proposed by the state is the integration of Arab teachers in Jewish schools (Shaked, 2016).

Researchers (Fa'or, 2021; Pinuras, 2019; Rajput & Talan, 2017; Halabi &) found that, in general, Arab teachers who teach in Jewish schools report a positive feeling alongside difficulties arising from cultural gaps and mistrust arising from national identity related to the Jewish-Arab conflict. Almelek (2020) claims that Arab teachers are often forced to suppress their political positions and beliefs from their students and colleagues to blur the national-political tension and increase the sense of trust.

The study directs the focus to the issue of the integration of Arab teachers in Jewish schools as it is perceived in the eyes of Arab teachers. This is to act consciously and intelligently to change the existing situation and promote the implementation of democratic values in society. The interviewees' descriptions constitute an authentic human document that reveals new aspects of their experiences in the current social reality. These stories can illuminate how Arab staff deal with complex situations in their professional practice.