From 23 to 29 October 2016 the First Transnational Meeting of partners working at the project ‘2016-1-AT01-KA219-016660 Journeys of hope: Educational pathways to social inclusion and tolerance’ has taken place at Liceo Scientifico Filippo Silvestri in Portici, Naples, Italy.

Assuming that the main purpose of education is not only to develop knowledge, skills and competences, but also to help young people to become active and responsible citizens and to oppose all forms of discrimination, intolerance and racism, 5 schools have developed a transnational project of exchange of good practice to make students aware of the problems of refugees and immigrants, in direct collaboration with NGOs for human rights, considering them active agents that contribute to alternative work practices in the environment in which they live in order to be more easily integrated.

The 5 European schools involved are ‘Öffentliches Stiftsgymnasium der Benediktiner zu St. Paul’ of St. Paul im Lavanttal, Austria, ‘4th High School of Ilion’, Ilion, Athens, Greece, ‘IES Joaquin Turina’, Seville, Spain, ‘Istanbul Lisesi’, Istanbul, Turkey, and ‘Liceo Scientifico Filippo Silvestri’, Portici.

The project is one of the few that have been submitted in Austria. Only 25 out of the 39 projects submitted by coordinating schools have been approved.

During the kick-off meeting the participants shared ideas and agreed about the planning of future activities. They decided the dates of the mobilities that will take place in the two years in which the project will be carried out. There will be 5 short term intercultural exchanges that will give rise to 100 mobilities. For each school the group of participants will consist of 16 students who, in groups of two, will take part in the planned mobilities.

Each exchange has a different focus: 1) Historical Development of Immigration in Europe, 2) Analysis of the current situation of Migration and Refugees, causes and consequences, 3) Cultural Diversity in Europe, 4) The fight against prejudices and racism in Europe, 5) Human rights, European and UN laws that protect refugees and asylum seekers.

The teachers of the delegations decided also the dates of the exchanges and of the next international meetings and shared important decisions about the creation of a website, of a Facebook account, of the registration of the project in the eTwinning platform.

Then the Austrian coordinator explained in details the expected results and different tasks were assigned on the basis of the competences of the teachers of the different schools involved who will in turn help their respective students.

It was decided to create PowerPoint Presentations, videos, short films, brochures, e-booklets, newsletters.

During the meeting the team visited the surroundings and had the opportunity of discovering the beauty of the region and of learning about the culture of the area.

On the last day a dissemination conference was organized which will be broadcast by RAI 3.