Golden Dawn Girls

Core features of the practice


  • Organisation:

    Institution name: Moving Docs
    Institution type: European initiative powered by partners across Europe, managed by the European Documentary Network, and supported by Creative Europe.
    Institution URL: www.movingdocs.org
  • Format:

    Seminar, Training, Workshop, Extra-mural site visit, Instructional material
  • Target population:

    Students, Young people, Educators in formal settings, Government employees or representatives
  • Cost (per practice):

    10-50 euros
  • Setting:

    Your institution, Other institution, No specific setting required
  • Themes:

    Remembrance education and/or history education, Racism, Radicalization prevention, Critical thinking, Teaching and learning methods/guidelines
  • Core activities:

    Internet research, Group work, Group discussion, Written activity, Film viewing

Additional information about the practice


    Target population

  • Number of participants:

    Up to 34
  • Age of target population:

    16-18
  • Additional specifics:

    National/local specifities (e.g. activity targeted to Swedish school students)

    • Components of the practice

  • Topics and objectives:

    The activity is an educational guide which aims to generate debate, critical thought and discussion about the rise of the extreme right in Europe. It consists of an activity guide for teachers, built around the classroom screening of the Norwegian documentary 'Golden Dawn Girls'. The film’s main subject is the Greek far right party Golden Dawn, which was founded in 1980, and has become one of the biggest political parties in Greece. The documentary has unique access to a mother, daughter, and wife of members of the Golden Dawn, who assume control of the right wing party, after many of its prominent members are imprisoned. The portrait of three women, whose men are leading politicians in the neo-fascist Greek Golden Dawn party, sheds light on the political views of far right party members and offers a clear and concise entry point to the subject for students 14+. The principal learning objectives of the activity are to contribute to knowledge among young people about the threat posed by the rise of the far right in Europe. This includes generating understanding of political ideology such as Nazism, Neo-Nazism, nationalism, populism and fascism, as well as encouraging students to discuss the social, political and economic causes of the rise of the far right in Greece and Europe and to compare Golden Dawn’s version of nationalism with Nazi ideology.
  • Materials used:

    Written or other published material, Audiovisual material
    Link to the material:
    1. https://www.movingdocs.org/golden_dawn_girls_educational
  • Material produced:

    Written material
  • Sequence of activities - methodology:

    The educational guide includes questions that relate to the film’s subject, which are intended for discussion within the classroom, as well as several assignments which require the students to research further sources. The students are recommended to take notes during the film in order to be able to answer the questions. Most of the assignments do not have a clear answer, but are rather a basis for discussion of the important themes that the film deals with. Some of the questions only need a short answer, while others encourage longer responses based on further research. The assignments can be carried out individually or in groups after the film screening, but they should also be handed out before the screening, so the students know what to look for. At the end it is recommended that answers are discussed in groups, in order to share the different viewpoints about the film in the classroom. Students are also encouraged to write their own review of the film and how it deals with its central topic and make a connection with both European history and current events.
  • Length of activity:

    Up to 5 hours
  • Is the activity digital?:

    Yes: https://movingdocs.org/golden_dawn_girls_educational

    • Accessibility and replicability

  • Language(s) in which activity can be delivered:

    English, German, Greek
  • Is specialist knowledge or professional training required?:

    No

Qualitative Details


  • Has this practice been evaluated?

    No
  • Core content knowledge and transferable skills:

    The activity offers students a clear and concise entry point to the subject of far right political parties in Europe. It generates understanding of political ideology such as Nazism, Neo-Nazism, nationalism, populism and fascism, and encourages students to discuss the causes of the rise of the far right in Greece and in general in Europe. The use of a documentary and lesson plans offers teachers the tools to introduce a difficult subject in the classroom and to make connections between the present and the Second World War. Furthermore, the documentary - which relies on portraits of a mother, a wife and a daughter of high ranking Golden Dawn party members- seeks to oblige viewers to take position and to connect to the impact of extreme right ideology on daily life in Europe.
  • Indicators of success:

    The documentary and educational guide offers a low cost, interactive and highly adaptable tool for the introduction of the subject of the far right political ideology into the classroom. Furthermore, the documentary - which follows a mother, a wife and a daughter of high ranking Golden Dawn party members - is an engrossing and grimly topical examination of the Greek neo-Nazi party's rise to power, which can engage the attention of young students across Europe. The use of shocking archival footage of Golden Dawn’s exploits that prove the party’s neo-Nazi identity offers further material to students for thought and debate. In Greece, the main challenge is screening the film within public schools, as there is an overall reluctance to show a film dealing with these issues in school in public or private settings, due to fear of reprisals from Golden Dawn or conservative parts of society. Outside Greece, the challenge is to connect the film with World War II and political ideology.
  • Educational coordinator contact details:

    Name: Rea Apostolides
    Email address: rea@anemon.gr

Scalability

The RETHINK project is concerned with bridging formal and informal education. This section explores the factors that make a practice adaptable.


  • Key factors for successful implementation:

    Other factor – please specify, Film screening equipment and space to project film required
  • Main challenges to teachers adapting this practice for their students:

    The main challenges are particularly in Greece and have to do with the difficulty experienced by teachers, who wish to introduce and discuss the subject in the classroom, within the official Greek educational system.
  • Availability of guidance/training/replication materials (and in what language/format currently):

    While the educational guide is free, the film (which can be viewed on the internet ) requires a small fee. Instructions for use are found on the Moving Docs relevant page and a trailer can be viewed for free. The materials can be delivered in Greek, English, German and Norwegian. The educational materials accompanying the film are available for free download and reproduction in their entirety for non-profit use only. All use of the materials must recognise the author and ownership of the materials as ‘Moving Docs’ and the ‘European Documentary Network’, funded in part by Creative Europe, with all of their logos clearly visible. Ownership is asserted on the final page of each set of educational materials, together with the relevant logos.
  • Other comments or details:

    While the specific topic matter focuses on a group in Greece, the wider issues of racism, extremism and the far right are suitable for classrooms across the EU and the wider Europe.