SCHOLARSHIPS TO IMMIGRANT CHILDREN
The Thessaloniki Documentary Festival initiative to grant scholarships to two immigrant children who are attending the Intercultural High School of the Municipality of Pylea was the subject of the press conference given on Sunday, March 12, 2011 by the undersecretary of Transportation, Spyros Vougias, and the Festival director, Dimitris Eipides. The initiative, which started last year in the framework of the 12th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival, is repeated in 2011, once again with the support of undersecretary Vougias.
The scholarships (worth 5.000 euros each) will offer two students the opportunity to enroll at AKMI Institute of Vocational Training (IVT) and attend courses in the field of Audiovisual Media and Telecommunications.
In his welcoming speech, Mr. Eipides said that the initiative can potentially change the life of the foreign and repatriated students at Pylea’s Intercultural School. “These young people have a chance to acquire education, find jobs and lead a better life. This was our goal. A goal not intended to be short-lived or superficial. More important than the actual scholarships is the fact that the initiative is now established. This is what we have accomplished this year”, said Mr. Eipides. Mr. Eipides further commented that initiatives such as this prove that the Documentary Festival is an institution with multifarious activities. “The constant effort of the festival, and a goal that justifies its existence, is to remain an institution not confined to art, but one that is involved in noteworthy social activities. During the critical times we live in, initiatives such as this pinpoint the direction that can be followed by the state and its institutions, in order for all of us to be able to aspire to a better future”, added Mr. Eipides.
Undersecretary Vougias said that the initiative offers an opportunity to Pylea students to become integrated in Greek society and adapt to their new life in Greece. “Immigrants come to Greece hoping for a brighter tomorrow. Many of them come here illegally, but often their intention is not to remain in Greece. Integrating these people means that we should offer them our warm welcome and accept their otherness. Immigrant children should be integrated, without necessarily being assimilated”, said Mr. Vougias. Commenting on the source of the scholarships’ funds, he said: “Last year, the money came from EU funds allocated to the Citizen Protection ministry. This year, I am serving at a different ministry, so the source of funding changed. This year’s scholarships are funded by the National Telecommunications and Post Commission, using money collected from fines imposed on cell phone providers”. Mr. Vougias also talked about the Festival: “The Documentary Festival was initially a branch of the Film Festival, but has since managed to develop a special outlook and its own identity”, adding: “They say that in order to change the world, you must first comprehend it. The Festival is a reminder that there is a world out there affecting us all, not only financially, but also at a social and cultural level”.
The principal of Pylea’s Intercultural High School, Mr. Nikos Mihailides, and one of the two students who had won last year’s scholarships, Asot Barsegian, currently studying at AKMI ITV, were also present at the press conference. Mr. Mihailides said he was pleased by the fact that the Festival’s initiative was repeated in 2011. “This year, the initiative coincides with our school’s 25th birthday. I would like to thank the ministry of Transportation, Thessaloniki’s Documentary Festival and AKMI ITV for their offer. When the school year ends, we will decide, based on academic excellence and conduct, which two students will have the opportunity to attend the course”, he added.
Mr. Stavros Kapeliotis, director of AKMI ITV, noted that this initiative is an expression of the social sensitivity of AKMI educational organization. He went on to suggest that in 2012, the scholars from Pylea’s Intercultural High School can be given the opportunity to continue their studies at AKMI’s College as well.
