74: Refugees: A Response with Alana Chloe Esposito

Chloe is co-director of Lighthouse Relief a small NGO set up 8
years ago in Greece to respond to the influx of more than 900,000
refugees arriving in Greece from Syria at that time.  Chloe
shares her experience and the changing nature of the challenges
they face. Initially, Greece was a very welcoming country, as
Greek citizens personally and collectively identified with their
own histories of forced migration in the 1920s. However, the wars
in the Middle East that led to the refugee crisis coincided with
the collapse of the Greek economy during the financial crisis,
impoverishing many many Greeks. Rightwing politicians exploited
this vulnerability and gained a stronger foothold in Greek
politics.   

Today refugees and asylum seekers are much more diverse coming
from many different countries, and often arriving in desperate
and vulnerable conditions.  Chloe explains how their
previous support strategies were being undermined through policy
and law changes, such as restricting access for NGOs from
entering refugee camps where they had been supporting children
for the past 7 years, or preventing them from going onto beaches
to support the rescue of asylum seekers in trouble at
sea. 

Many organisations espouse being agile these days, and many could
learn from small NGOs like Lighthouse Relief who pivot and adapt
to the fast-changing conditions they have to work in.  Chloe
shares how the NGO teams support each other to do this work and
Simon and Chloe end the podcast reflecting on the importance of
what it means to have a home.  This is an important and
powerful podcast to begin 2024.

Often we question if the money we give to charity goes directly
to the people impacted and who need the support.  Chloe's
NGO is small but has a big impact on so many lives;  please
give to support Chloe and the Lighthouse Relief team doing their
vital work.

 You can donate here: www.lighthouserelief.org/donate

Bio: 

Chloe draws on her professional experiences in the arts,
journalism, and at human rights organizations to run partnerships
and advocacy for Lighthouse Relief. As Co-Director, she helps
drive its strategic direction and navigate the changing
humanitarian landscape. 

Previously, Chloe has written about art and cultural diplomacy
for publications including The New York Times and served as
United Nations correspondent for several media outlets, reporting
through the lens of gender equality. Her engagement with refugees
and the issues affecting them in Greece began while reporting
from camps near the North Macedonian border in 2016. She holds a
B.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University and a M.A. in
International Affairs from Sciences Po, Paris.