Towards New Community Creation on Refugees’ Initiative

A Case of Syrian-Managed Schools in Turkey

Abstract

The increase of trans-bordering movement and online relationships enabled community to develop solidarity among its members even if they stay apart in the world. This sort of community has a large influence on school management especially run by refugees. The community brings publicness as social security to refugee-managed schools which have no official status in general. This situation can be also found in the case of Syrian-managed schools in Turkey. Their community expands beyond national borders due to the members’ activities, connecting them even online. Another community is built inside the schools. Members are attached to each other, especially between teachers and students, through their particular sense of moral which is based on their religious beliefs. The children can evince their scar and hatred, which were developed through the experience of conflict, only inside this secured community in the schools. This will mitigate their vulnerability by providing them the sense of stability. Belonging to a community helps its members to acquire social capital, as well as to obtain responsibility and establish interdependent relationship with other members. Refugees do not remain to be passive recipient of supports which are brought from outside, but they have found a new aspect as active independents through this mechanism. Community plays a key role to support and foster the members’ active movements.