In ancient Greece, hospitality was an act of virtue. Xenios Zeus was the god of hospitality and protected ξένοι [ xénos ](= alien, foreigner). It was a sacred duty to welcome, protect and care for foreigners while mistreating foreigners was considered a sin. Social and class barriers were abolished through hospitality, as both rich and poor, noble and commoners were entitled to hospitality.
In this sense, welcoming refugees to Greece nowadays is simply continuing an ancient tradition. Following the ancient thread, the programme“ KA2 – Managing the refugee and migrant flows through the development of educational and vocational frames for children and adults” was developed.
The target group in our project are newly arrived refugees in Northern Greece. The present Welcome Guide is addressed to refugee children aged 6-15 and aims to acquaint them with the wider area of their temporary home. Children at that age along with their parents or guardians or / and teachers in the hot spots can tour the city and visit historical landmarks, find and familiarize themselves with everyday convenience buildings and sneak inside a school.
The Welcome Guide aspires to be a hospitable and friendly introduction to the city of Thessaloniki( Thessaloniki being the paradigm for any city), but also the threshold to the children’ s sensitization and initiation to the Greek culture and language.