Social Cooperative Activities for Vulnerable Groups – EDRA (K.S.D.E.O. EDRA) is a Non-Profit Organization that, since 2001 promotes mental health and protects the rights of vulnerable groups. EDRA provides mental health services and raises awareness on matters concerning mental health, supports children with learning difficulties, intervenes therapeutically in the field of special education and mental retardation, develops national and European initiatives for socially vulnerable groups and provides life-long training programs for all groups.
EDRA is also very active in the field of EU programmes, coordinating multiple large-scale projects and participating in numerous others as a partner, mainly focusing on subject areas such as: 1. methods of coping with mental health challenges 2. practices towards inclusion of socially marginalized groups 3. mitigation of inequalities in education The LIFE-TWO project is of great importance for EDRA, since Greece has become a meeting point of different cultures throughout the years.
However, many immigrants and refugees still live marginalized and for a large part of the Greek society, remain invisible. Moreover, the refugee crisis of 2015 deepened the need to find ways to help both sides learn to co-exist. Regarding the project, the main challenge is the nature of the religious education course itself.
In Greece, the Church has a great influence on various matters, one of which is the way the course is being taught. Consequently, the content is limited to Christianity and the principles of the Eastern Orthodox Church, ignoring other religions almost completely. Although attendance is no longer obligatory, this seems as a rather superficial solution. For example, it would be very helpful if additionally the content could expand, providing information on different religions, or connecting it with other disciplines (history, art etc). It is our hope that through this project, students will integrate values such as acceptance and solidarity in their everyday life, making education a powerful tool for social inclusion.