The collection of resources in this module were really helpful and served as a great introduction to this topic (which is also what I chose for my annotated bibliography.) I was particularly interested in the videos that presented the perspective of some of the aid workers or volunteers working with the refugees. That process is what is most applicable to the work that I do and the reason why I wanted to participate in this study abroad program and attempt to learn from the Greek response to the influx of refugees. 

The idea of seeking refuge from war, disaster, or poverty is not new and people have been providing aid to those in need for many decades. That said, it somehow seems like we can never get things in place to really address crises like this one and the refugees are always the ones suffering the consequences. Frequently, it is government policy that causes the problem and the people being turned away end up dying from starvation or thirst or drowning while trying to find a place to go. Even if they are able to find a refugee camp- these places do not offer the best long term solutions. I know from having visited large refugee camps in Kenya and Uganda that they are frequently uninhabitable, sometimes violent, and lacking in basic services. Many teachers serving in refugee camps have no formal training and no resources, as well as large class sizes. With no end in site for many of the crises that lead people to seek refuge, short term camps become long term mini cities. 

We have to find effective ways to integrate refugee populations into their new societies. The articles I read anout how Greece is doing this present conflicting views. The system they describe sounds like it should be effective, but many articles highlight the inequities in how it is being carried out. I look forward to learning more in person.