Athens, 25 January 2023 - The Mediterranean Institute for Nature and Man (MedINA) and Green Tank presented, during an online Press Conference, the progress of the project «Alliance for Sustainable Local Development (SITA)», which was implemented last year under the Active citizens fund project and is nearing completion.
SimATA was launched in January 2022, with the aim of revitalising rural areas by their own communities, through networking and empowering regional civil society organisations. Today, the «Members Network» of SimATA has twelve (12) organizations that, through their actions, are showing the way for a real, sustainable development of their localities. An innovative element of SIATA is also the framing of the «Members» Network« by the »Initiative Group" consisting of six (6) national institutions.
The first step was the mapping of the actions and support needs of the member organisations of SimATA, which identified the need for networking and strengthening both in terms of knowledge and organisational development.
In the following months, a programme was designed and implemented on themes that the members themselves identified through the mapping exercise. The programme included intensive web-based, interactive seminars totalling 36 hours in Resource Discovery, Sustainable Local Development and Advocacy. At the same time, online counselling sessions, totalling 30 hours, were held on strategic plan formulation, human resource and volunteer management, communication and specialised legal issues, as well as mentoring sessions.
The closing of the year was crowned with a two-day face-to-face meeting of the eighteen (18) members of SimATA, where through participatory workshops the foundations were laid for the creation of the roadmap of SimATA and the outlining of the common identity. The two (2) themes that emerged during these workshops were environmental protection and sustainable alternative tourism, which will be the main priorities of this newly created Network.
Miranda Vatikioti, project manager at MedINA, said among others: «Sustainable development through the empowerment of local communities is a big gamble. Achieving our goals means only one thing: that we are not stopping - in fact, we are starting now!».
«To achieve the balance between environmental protection and local development that civil society organizations from different corners of our country are seeking, we will need coordinated and collective advocacy actions, for which we will continue to work together,» said Ioli Christopoulou, Co-Founder and Policy Director of Green Tank, a partner in the project.
During the Press Conference, Nikos Kyriakidis, Research Consultant, Innovation & Social Impact Hub, American Farm School, argued: «My first thought about SimATA was... another network... One year later, my view is that great things and creative people are waiting for us here!».
The «Members Network» was represented by Alexandros Panagiotopoulos from the Mesolongi of the Locals and Iro Benessia from the Active Citizens of Aegina, shared - with enthusiasm - their experience and stated: «Alliance is the answer to the question of how we can create the change we dream of. The SymATA programme has empowered us by showing us the possible paths, tools and knowledge necessary to achieve our goals».
Finally, Beatrice Giannoglou, Programme Officer at the Active citizens fund, gave a short welcome address and stressed: «The SymATA project is a typical example of the results that can be achieved when there is networking but also collective and participatory action between civil society actors».
The project «Alliance for Sustainable Local Development (SITA)» was implemented in the framework of the Active citizens fund project, with MedINA as implementing agency and The Green Tank as partner.
The €13.5 million Active citizens fund programme is funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway and is part of the European Economic Area (EEA) funding mechanism for the period 2014 - 2021, known as EEA Grants.The programme aims to strengthen and enhance the sustainability of civil society and highlight its role in promoting democratic processes, enhancing citizens' participation in public life and defending human rights. The Active citizens fund grant for Greece is managed jointly by the Bodossaki Foundation and SolidarityNow.
Read more here: https://www.activecitizensfund.gr/
More/further information about the project:
The members of SimATA
Initiative Group:
- Civil Non-Profit Company «Mediterranean Institute for Nature and Man (MedINA)»
- Think tank «The Green Tank», Non-profit Civil Society
- Independent, non-profit educational organisation «American Farm School»
- Civil Non-Profit Company«Cyclades Preservation Fund (CPF)»
- Public benefit private non-profit foundation «Captain Vassilis and Carmen Konstantakopoulos Foundation»
- «Laboratory of Economic Policy and Strategic Planning (Erg.O.Polit.S.S.)» of the Department of Economics -University of Thessaly
Members Network:
Sustainable Development - cob.gr
Institute of Creativity Research and Development of the Region of Thermos (IDEPATH)
Kythira Foundation for Culture and Development (KIPA))
Youth Social Development (YDS)
Cultural Sports Association of the Mountainous Region of Xanthi
Messolonghi by locals - Messolonghi by locals
The Southern Lights - The Southern Lights
Active Citizens Association of Aegina
USEFUL INFORMATION & LINKS:
Project «Alliance for Sustainable Local Development (Coalition for Sustainable Local Development)»
Active citizens fund
MedINA
The Green Tank
Captain Vassilis and Carmen Konstantakopoulou Foundation
| For more information please contact: Miranda Vatikioti, miranda@med-ina.org, Project manager, MedINA |
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