14 November 2024
Bilbao Campus
The Ellacuría Foundation held a seminar entitled “A place to be” on November 14 at the University of Deusto, a conference dedicated to raising awareness of the situation of refugee children and analyzing the role of the educational community in fostering and integrating them. The event, which took place from 9:30 to 14h in the Ellacuría Room of the CRAI building of the Bilbao Campus, is held in cooperation with the University of Deusto, as well as various social entities of the Society of Jesus, and is part of an annual cycle of conferences on refuge and Human Rights.
This year's edition, focused on the experiences and needs of children refugees in their migratory trajectories (in origin, transit and destination), aims to provide a space for analysis and reflection on the role played by schools and educational communities to support these families in their life processes here in the Basque Country. The conference featured speeches by representatives of organizations involved in advocating for the rights of refugee children as well as academics and community workers.
The institutional opening was led by Xabier Legarreta, Deputy Minister of Youth and Demographic Challenge of the Basque Government and Iñigo Zubizarreta, Councilor for Human Rights, Coexistence, Cooperation and Interculturality of the City Council of Bilbao, who will launch a program of round tables to address both the current situation of children in the Middle East and the challenges of inclusion in Basque schools.
Among the speakers were Arantxa Osés, head of advocacy for international programs at Save the Children - Spain; Jesús Sevilla, from the Entreculturas NGO team in Lebanon; and Hibai Arbide, lawyer, journalist and human rights activist specializing in the refugee crisis. The event also hosted a round table focused on the role of schools as spaces for community and reception, with the participation of Rocío García Carrión, Ikerbasque researcher at the University of Deusto, Amelia Barquín, professor at the University of Mondragón, and the Ellacuría Foundation.
With this event, the Ellacuría Foundation sought to highlight the reality of refugee children and encourage reflection on the commitment of the educational community and society in general in the construction of an inclusive, safe and non-violent environment for everyone.
