BUSINESS: 532 PRACTICES
Founded in 1998, HELLENiQ ENERGY (https://www.helleniqenergy.gr/en) is one of the leading energy groups in South East Europe, with presence in 6 countries and activities spanning across the energy value chain, namely: oil refining and fuel marketing, exploration and production, renewable energy sources, petrochemicals, power and gas.
The action aims to promote the integration of Roma students and their families into school and society as a whole in the context of the UN Global Compact to combat discrimination and create conditions for equal opportunities.
The program is aimed at very vulnerable groups such as all members of Roma families; especially children aged 6-12 years.
This program has been constantly operational for 3 years and is continuing.
This is a specialized intervention program that entails socialization, integration, learning and psychological support aspects provided to Roma elementary school students, along with parental counseling. The aim of the program is to help reduce the number of Roma children leaving school, family planning and managing violence and problematic behaviors within the family.
Besides integration - educational intervention, the program also includes other actions such as workshops, educational field trips, visual arts and drama based games.
In this context, in 2015, Roma students visited the Greek Parliament, followed, in 2016, by a visit to the Presidential Palace at the special invitation of the President of the Republic and had the chance to talk with him and feel welcome at the two main institutions of democracy in Greece. The cultivation of civic culture, democracy principles and equality to these students are significant to the integration part of the programme.
The program is conducted by specialist teachers, psychologists, social workers and speech therapists in order to cover all the needs of a comprehensive and targeted intervention. This program also assists the school while offering a certain flexibility enabling it to achieve broader goals without the pressure of a school curriculum.
It is the only Programme of its kind especially focused on Roma students currently implemented in Greece, while there is no equivalent program within the EU.
The Program "Actions in favor of the child and the family Roma" was awarded in the work of the Pan-European Conference "Improving the conditions for the Roma in Europe: challenges and open issues" organized by the Conference of European Churches and the Conference of Catholic Bishops in Europe, with the support of the Greek government and the Greek Presidency of the EU Council. The description of the operation of the program included in the annual report of the State Department on the situation in Greece in relation to particular social groups and actions that have been taken for their integration and the elimination of racism against them.
Also, the program was hosted in October 2016 at the European Parliament premises gaining another award and the presentation of the program was a special event in the presence of many Greek and Cypriot MEPs, but also representatives of the Permanent Representation of Greece.
During the three years that the program has been up and running, there were a total of more than 250 beneficiaries, including children and parents. Particular mention needs to be made of the fact that 80% of the children involved in the program continued to attend school.
The programme acts as a driving force to the education system, and as an advocate of social peace and progress in areas with complex problems such as the Municipality of Fyli.
The programme can be operated in other communities as a best practice and offer multiplied results.
The program is implemented at elementary school facilities.
The program was created at the initiative of the Metropolitan of Ilion, Acharnon and Petroupolis and was implemented with the support of the HELLENIC PETROLEUM Group. The support offered by headmasters and headmistresses, teachers, educational bodies, local government bodies and Media representatives has also been invaluable.
In other words, the program simultaneously involved the Church, Local Government, the Ministry of Education and the Private Sector giving a message of unity and common desire of all four, to contribute to the continuation and establishment of such ambitious initiatives.
Employees actively support the program by participating in conferences and related events.
No Connection with Global Goals found
