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Language Barriers to Social Change

By kyrahaltman

Kalimera (good morning), friends, family, and colleagues! I have officially survived one month of studying abroad in Athens, Greece and I am feeling more resilient than ever! Nothing has gone as planned and adventures into unknown territory are becoming as common as Greeks drinking coffee (24/7), but I have had incredible learning opportunities and chances to find myself along the way.

My time here has been complemented by a once-in-a-lifetime volunteer opportunity to intern with Inter Alia, a civic-action meeting point working to promote educated decisions of migrant populations from Africa and inclusion of youth with disabilities with youth and adults without disabilities. So far, the language barrier has been my largest challenge within the organization.

While the organization's employees speak English, many of its programs are described in language that confuses me or has different meanings than in the United States. For example, the words "refugees" and "migrants" are used interchangeably and the words, "intellectual disability" and "mental illness" are also not distinguished clearly. I plan to overcome this challenge by asking the employees' to define terms used within the organization. I also plan to do outside research to understand these populations' experiences in Greece.

P.S. The healthy Mediterranean diet" is a lie. Greeks eat pastries, cheese, and more pastries. There are almost as many bakeries than coffee shops in Athens!