Category: ΕΚΔΗΛΩΣΕΙΣ

PRESS RELEASE: Completion of the Transnational Workshops for the Unaccompanied Minors by SolidarityNow & The Special Secretariat for the Protection of the Unaccompanied Minors

Posted on Wednesday February 1st, 2023
(from the left) Marilyn Polena, General Manager SolidarityNow, Fay Koutzoukou, Deputy General Manager SolidarityNow

“Building Futures, Sharing Good Practices: Migrant Children’s Transition to Adulthood”

The Transnational Workshops for the Unaccompanied Minors by SolidarityNow & The Special Secretariat for the Protection of the Unaccompanied Minors are completed

Two Transnational Workshops were implemented on January 30 and 31st , in Athens, the first by the Special Secretariat for the Protection of Unaccompanied Minors (SSPUAM) of the Ministry of Migration and Asylum, through the Integration and Support Unit, and the second by SolidarityNow, partners of the project “Building Futures, Sharing good practices: Migrant Children’s Transition to Adulthood (UACFutures)”.

The workshops were honored with the presence of representatives of the Council of Europe, including Mr. Christos Giakoumopoulos, Director General of Human Rights and Rule of Law of the Council of Europe, the European Commission, the academic field, as well as representatives of international and local organizations that are active in human rights and child protection issues.

The workshops strengthened the fruitful exchange of views and good practices, to promote long-term improvements in the quality of support of unaccompanied minors during their transition to adulthood at the European level, through the experiences and examples of Greece, Spain, the Netherlands, Serbia, Cyprus, Italy, Sweden, Norway, Austria, and Luxembourg.

During the workshops, key topics included vocational training and access to labor, the safeguarding of fundamental rights as well as general mental health issues of the unaccompanied children who turn 18. An additional topic was dedicated to the Institution of the Commission by the Institutional Protection Unit of the SSPUAM. A representative of the European Union’s Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) made a presentation on this topic focusing on the developments of guardianship systems in EU countries since 2014. Representatives of the partner organization Stitching NIDOS from the Netherlands presented the guardianship and foster care system in their country.

Discussions highlighted the importance of taking more initiatives for the care of children coming of age in Europe and the need to extend the protection framework after the 18-year-old milestone to make the transition to working life and independent living, smoother.

In the context of the event, the Special Secretary for the Protection of Unaccompanied Minors, Mr. Heracles Moskoff, in his speech underlined “It is a top priority for us to ensure the continuation of support, services, and rights for unaccompanied children entering adulthood. But the most important thing is to create opportunities in education and the labor market, so that unaccompanied minors as young adults enjoy their rights equally.”

The Deputy Head of Division and Secretary to the Council of Europe, Mrs. Lilja Grétarsdóttir stressed that “Based on international and European treaties specific fundamental rights are linked to the right to life and dignity and should be enjoyed by all people who are under the jurisdiction of the Member States of the Council of Europe, irrespective of nationality and legal status.”

The Chairman of the Board of Directors of SolidarityNow, Mr. Stelios Zavvos stated among others: “To date, we have supported with housing, protection, and legal services more than 800 unaccompanied children and we are present to contribute to the provision of the necessary services and supplies to children who grow up in our country, embracing their dream of a better life in Europe”.

*The project is coordinated by the Council of Europe and includes five partners, (Convive – Fundación Cepaim), the Netherlands (NIDOS, the national guardianship institution), the Special Secretariat for the Protection of Unaccompanied Minors and SolidarityNow in Greece, and it is funded by the European Union’s Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund and the Council of Europe.

This press release was funded by the European Union’s Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) and the Council of Europe.

The content of this press release represents the views of the author only and is his/her sole responsibility. The European Commission and the Council of Europe do not accept any responsibility for the use that may be made of the information it contains.

PRESS RELEASE: 10 years SolidarityNow in action!

Posted on Tuesday January 24th, 2023
(from the left) Nikos Alivizatos, Honorary Professor of Constitutional Law-University of Athens, Dr. Jennifer Cavounidis, Member of SN BoD, Sociologist, Academic, Christos Rozakis, Honorary Professor of International Public Law, University of Athens and former Vice President of the European Court of Human Rights, Nikiforos Diamandouros, Academic and first Ombudsman in Greece, Stelios Zavvos-Chairman of the BoD SolidarityNow. Copyright Myroslava Klius

SolidarityNow, tasked with the mission to support the most vulnerable members of our society without discrimination and with faith in the value and power of solidarity, celebrated on Monday 23 January, its 10-year continuous contribution to the Greek society. The event, “10 years of Solidarity in Action”, took place at the Athens Concert Hall, which was at full capacity. The organisation was honored by the presence of distinguished guests from the intellectual, political, and business world of Greece, as well as representatives of international and local organizations that are longstanding partners of SolidarityNow.

On an evening full of emotion and excitement, the story of SolidarityNow unfolded, an organization that took its first steps back in 2013 with a vision to support the most vulnerable members of our society, and in ten years of operation counts more than 1,500 employees and 500 volunteers across the country who put solidarity into practice. Ten years afterward SolidarityNow has evolved into a living charity with measurable results for more than 350,000 people, vulnerable Greeks, unemployed, homeless, women, single-parent families, refugees, migrants, victims of gender-based violence, victims of torture, Roma children and youth, people from the LGBTQI+ community and others. To date, 98,000 people have benefited from Solidarity Centers, 6,500 asylum seekers have temporarily settled in independent homes, buildings, structures, and families in Greece, 21,000 children have received child protection services, whilst last year alone, around 5,000 children were supported to reintegrate into education or received remedial teaching.

The event about SolidarityNow’s journey into this decade was coordinated by journalist Ms. Niki Lymperaki. In the beginning, Mr. Stelios Zavvos, Chairman and Founder of SolidarityNow, welcomed the audience and spoke about the vision and work of the organization since its establishment. Introducing the next day, he stressed: “SolidarityNow is not a static organization, it goes along with society, listens to its needs, and evolves accordingly. At the beginning of our second decade, we are starting a new course, dynamic, but with our values as a constant compass. Join us, so that together we can become a catalyst for a better Greek society. Let’s all come together to continue this wonderful human endeavor.” The speakers then presented SolidarityNow’s multifaceted work, implemented in collaboration with the State, international organizations, foundations, businesses, and private donors.

During the first panel titled “Facing the challenges of today”, the members of the Board of Directors of SolidarityNow, Mr. Nikos Alivizatos– Lawyer, Emeritus Professor of Constitutional Law at the Athens School of Law, Mr. Nikiforos Diamantouros-Academic and first Ombudsman of Greece, Mr. Christos Rozakis-Professor Emeritus of the University of Athens and Vice President of the European Court of Human Rights, set the theoretical background on which the 10-year course of the organization has been based, responding effectively and directly to the pressing social issues of our time.

This was followed by the speech of Mr. Efthymios Vidalis, Vice President of SolidarityNow, who spoke about transparency and proper management of resources, which lie at the heart of the organization’s operation.

In the second panel entitled “Civil Society and its role in addressing the needs of Greek society”, Ms. Sofia Voultepsi – Deputy Minister for Migration and Asylum, Ms. Domna Michailidou-Deputy Minister for Labour and Social Affairs, Mr. Kostas Bakoyannis, Mayor of Athens and Mr. Yiannis Boutaris, Member of the Board of Directors of SolidarityNow and former Mayor of Thessaloniki, highlighted the importance of Civil Society in strengthening the state’s efforts to provide tangible support to all those in need.

During the third panel titled “The importance of international cooperation in enhancing the impact of Civil Society interventions”, the following speakers participated: Mr. Gianluca Rocco, IOM Greece Chief of Mission & Regional Response Coordinator, Lajla Brandt Jakhelln– Ambassador of Norway to Greece, Maria Clara Martin – UNHCR Representative in Greece, Dr. Jennifer Cavounidis -Member of the Board of Directors of SolidarityNow, Sociologist, Academic, and pointed out that the only way to have a substantial impact on the lives of people in need is the cooperation of international bodies with organizations, while they also spoke about the social and economic benefits of migration for host countries, like Greece.

This was followed by a brief statement by Prof. Jeffrey Sachs, who congratulated SolidarityNow on their great work, emphasized the need to continue dynamically where systems fail, and apply practical wisdom to find solutions to social challenges.

The great celebration was enriched with images and video footage bearing the signature of SolidarityNow’s 10-year operation, reflecting the pride of its people, the dignity and strength of the soul of its beneficiaries, and the commitment to the continuity of the organization.

The event evolved into an evening full of music and emotion, through the songs of singer Eleni Arapoglou and Nova Opera, refugee musicians from the Ukraine.

In closing of the event, staff, volunteers and members of the board, sang in unity the song “Imagine” by John Lenon, providing an emotional close to the wonderful evening and setting off a promise to continue their efforts to provide for those in need, with solidarity and strive for a better world.

EMPOWER YOU(TH): Kick-off Meeting

Posted on Friday December 2nd, 2022

SolidarityNow organizes the online kick-off meeting of the EmpowerYOU(th) program, on Wednesday, December 7th, 14.00-15.30.

The program is implemented in collaboration with the Norwegian organization Norsensus Mediaforum and aims to empower young people from different social groups to lead the change they want in their community! To register for the event, please follow the link.

Agenda:

  • the Need for Youth Empowerment today

George Tsitiridis, SolidarityNow

  • Welcome

Maria Chené, Assistant Program Director, Active citizens fund

  • Empower YOUth

Theo Bogeas, SolidarityNow

  • The role of stakeholders in supporting youth initiatives

Babis Papaioannou, General Secretariat for Youth, European Commission

  • Sharing experiences from empowering practices with youngsters

Vedat Sevincer, Norsensus Mediaforum, Norway

  • Young Roma in Greece today

Stavros Giouvannis, Lighthouse of the World

  • Supporting young refugees

Dimitra Adamantidou, Association for the Care of Minors and Youth

  • The needs and empowerment of the voice of LGBTQI+ young people

Alexandra Panagiotakopoulou, Colour Youth

Questions – Closing

SolidarityNow in the 28th Athens International Film Festival with the short movie “I Woke Up 18”

Posted on Tuesday November 8th, 2022

“I Woke Up 18”: Dreams, disillusionment, fear and hope of six young people. The short movie produced by SolidarityNow and directed by Vera-Iona Papadopoulou, was presented for the first time to the public, on Friday, September 30th, in the context of the 28th Athens International Film Festival.

The film “I Woke up 18” presents through the stories of its six young protagonists, the difficulties that unaccompanied children face as soon as they turn 18 and was produced under the framework of the European project UACFutures | “Building Futures, Sharing Good Practice: Migrant Children’s Transition to Adulthood-UACFutures”.

PRESS RELEASE: SolidarityNow at the Athens Democracy Forum: “Migrant Children’s Transition to Adulthood”

Posted on Thursday September 29th, 2022
Copyright Myroslava Klius for SolidarityNow On the left: Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University & President of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, On the right: Stelios Zavvos, Chairman of the BoD SolidarityNow

Breakfast briefing titled: “Migrant Children’s Transition to Adulthood”

SolidarityNow organized today, within the framework of the annual Athens Democracy Forum, a discussion on the topic of unaccompanied children becoming 18 years old in Greece and the challenges they face deprived of any previous supporting framework.

The Chairman of the Board of Directors of SolidarityNow, Mr. Stelios Zavvos welcomed the participants stating: “It is important to strengthen democracy, especially in today’s geopolitical situation, with the continuous crises including the climate one, notably in a Europe plagued by populism and the aging of population. We speak for and experience democracy when we take care of everyone, let alone young people, the most active part of the population, which with its dynamic and diversity can push all sectors of our society forward”.

Afterwards, the Special Secretary for the Protection of Unaccompanied Minors, Mr. Heraclus Moskoff, spoke about the work of the Special Secretariat and its impact on the lives of unaccompanied children living in the country, recognizing the importance of substantial support for unaccompanied children coming of age. “To date, the Secretariat has supported the relocation of 1,271 children in 13 European countries. The main priority of the SSPUAM is the integration of the children who remain in our country, offering them opportunities for education and employment”.

The Head of the Unit for Integration and Support of UAMs of the Special Secretariat, Ms. Gelly Aroni, emphasized on the importance of education, the exchange of good practices, and the participation of the children themselves in the decisions that concern them while underlining that: “Today, we are working on integration practices of the children but essentially what we need to do is to draw up a policy”.

The discussion was honored by the presence of the internationally renowned economist, academic and political analyst, Jeffrey Sachs. In his presentation, Mr. Sachs referred to the global challenges and their consequences on migration, to the imperative need to plan policies, while criticizing the West and especially his birthplace and global superpower America, for its stance on current geopolitical issues with reference to the war in Syria and Russia from 2008 onwards.

In addition, the academic Ms. Jennifer Cavounidis, a member of the Board of SolidarityNow, emphasized the importance of education for integration, stating that: “24% of students attending Greek schools are first or second-generation migrants. We need to support them for their well-being and development, but also for the society”. Marilyn Polena, General Manager of SolidarityNow, summarized the work of the organization for unaccompanied children and the need for further support, especially in the first years of adulthood, with the aim not allowing marginalization to be an option for any child.

The conclusions from the discussion highlighted the gap that arises in the care of unaccompanied children once they turn 18 and the need for further initiatives. It was particularly pointed out that investing in the future needs to be done on children’s potential and not on their vulnerability. The aim is to bring out the children’s talents, through the provision of opportunities for education and skill development, to create a two-way benefit relationship- both for the young people and the society in their new country.

In the context of the meeting, a short video-testimony of an 18-year-old from Gambia was presented, through which the difficulties, anxiety, and impasse experienced by children when they turn 18 were expressed. The issue of the transition of unaccompanied children to adulthood is also addressed by a short film entitled “I Woke Up 18” directed by Vera-Iona Papadopoulou and produced by SolidarityNow which will be shown for the first time tomorrow September 30th at 17:00 at the Danaos cinema, as part of the Athens International Film Festival.

ΕΚΔΗΛΩΣΗ: “Tα EEA Grants στην Ελλάδα”_Παρουσίαση του Κέντρου Αλληλεγγύης Αθήνας από την Αντιγόνη Λυμπεράκη, Γενική Διευθύντρια του SolidarityNow

Posted on Wednesday September 15th, 2021

Η Αντιγόνη Λυμπεράκη, Γενική Διευθύντρια του SolidarityNow, παρουσίασε το Κέντρο Αλληλεγγύης Αθήνας της οργάνωσης, στη συζήτηση «Τα EEA Grants στην Ελλάδα: Ένας χρηματοδοτικός μηχανισμός που μας αγκαλιάζει όλες και όλους», που πραγματοποιήθηκε στις 14 Σεπτεμβρίου 2021, στη Διεθνή Έκθεση Θεσσαλονίκης.

«Η κοινωνική ένταξη είναι μία σημαντική επένδυση, είναι μία κοινωνική επένδυση (…). Οι κοινωνίες που δίνουν ευκαιρίες σε όλες και σε όλους είναι πιο ευτυχισμένες, πιο ανεκτικές, πιο ανθεκτικές, πιο δυναμικές.

(…) Για μας στο SolidarityNow, το Κέντρο Αλληλεγγύης Αθήνας είναι η ναυαρχίδα των προγραμμάτων μας που λειτουργεί αδιαλείπτως από το 2014. Μέσα σε αυτό το πρόγραμμα συμπυκνώνουμε δύο βασικές αρχές:

η πρώτη είναι αυτή της ολιστικής αντιμετώπισης, γιατί δεν μπορείς να απαντάς σε μία μόνο ανάγκη των ανθρώπων, γιατί πολλές φορές κάποιος έρχεται για ένα πράγμα, αλλά στην πραγματικότητα χρειάζεται και κάποιο άλλο και στη συνέχεια κάποιο τρίτο και πρέπει να μπορείς να τα προσφέρεις όλα &

η δεύτερη είναι αυτή της υψηλής ποιότητας, γιατί οι άνθρωποι που έχουν ανάγκη, όσο μεγαλύτερη ανάγκη έχουν τόσο υψηλότερης ποιότητας υπηρεσίες χρειάζονται.»

——————-

*Το έργο «Αυξημένες ευκαιρίες κοινωνικής ένταξης για ευάλωτα άτομα» του Κέντρου Αλληλεγγύης Αθήνας (ΚΑΑ) υλοποιήθηκε από το SolidarityNow, στο πλαίσιο του προγράμματος των EEA Grants Greece «Τοπική Ανάπτυξη και Μείωση της φτώχειας», από τον Μάιο του 2019 έως και τον Ιούλιο του 2021, με διαχειριστή της δωρεάς τους ΣΟΛ Crowe και HumanRights360.

Παρακολουθήστε τη συζήτηση: https://www.facebook.com/EEAGrantsGR/videos/206650008118133

One little girl. One BIG hope.

Posted on Wednesday October 7th, 2020
(Ελληνικά) Bevan Roos

Little Amal, a young refugee, embarks on a remarkable journey – an epic voyage that will take her across Turkey, across Europe. To find her mother. To get back to school. To start a new life. Will the world let her? Can she achieve what now seems more impossible than ever?

Following the phenomenal international success of The Jungle, Good Chance, in collaboration with world-famous creators of War Horse Handspring Puppet Company, will present its most extraordinary work yet: The Walk – a travelling festival of art and hope in support of refugees, with Artistic Direction from Amir Nizar Zuabi.

In 2021, from the Syria-Turkey border all the way to the UK, The Walk will bring together celebrated artists, major cultural institutions, community groups and humanitarian organisations to create one of the most innovative and adventurous public artworks ever attempted.

At the heart of The Walk is ‘Little Amal’, a 3.5 metre-tall puppet of a young refugee girl, created by the acclaimed Handspring Puppet Company. Representing all displaced children, many separated from their families, Little Amal will travel over 8,000km embodying the urgent message “Don’t forget about us”.

At this time of unprecedented global change, The Walk is an extraordinary artistic response: a cultural odyssey transcending borders, politics and language to tell a new story of shared humanity – and to ensure the world doesn’t forget the millions of displaced children, each with their own story, who are more vulnerable than ever during the global pandemic.

Little Amal urgently needs your help to advocate for and support young refugees. Please support The Walk by donating today.

SolidarityNow’s General Manager, Ms Antigone Lyberaki, welcomes Amala to Greece:

 

 

Sky School is launching its courses

Posted on Thursday January 16th, 2020

Sky School, in partnership with #SolidarityNow, is preparing to launch a second set of courses for displaced learners between 16 and 25 years old: 1) Ethical Leadership & 2) Living Peace. The language of instruction is English and we ask for roughly a B1 level. Each course combines 6 hours per week of in-class time and 4 hours of independent online work for a total duration of 10 weeks (up until mid April).

Courses will start in the week of 3rd February and will take place in the center of Athens.

Applications are open and can be found here: https://www.skyschool.world/apply

The deadline is 30th January.

Read the related material:

Ethical Leadership

Living Peace

The 1st Job Fair of SolidarityNow is successfully completed!

Posted on Thursday October 3rd, 2019
Alexandros Avramidis for SolidarityNow

“We, at SolidarityNow, believe that the best service for people is to teach them to swim, at the pace they want, at the speed they want”

SolidarityNow’s 1st Job Fair was completed with great success. Refugees, migrants and asylum seekers, agencies, bodies and private companies in Thessaloniki gathered for the first time, sat at the same table and discussed labor issues. At SolidarityNow we believe that refugees’ and migrants’ integration in the Greek society requires equal opportunities and access to the job market. The partnership of -institutional and non-institutional- bodies and stakeholders at our organization’s 1st Job Fair shows that this is possible.

The attendance at the two-day Job Fair (September 26 & 27) has exceeded our expectations. Around 500 people, refugees and migrants looking for work, representatives of organizations and companies came to the organization’s Blue Refugee Center. Specifically, 375 people, women and men aged 18-60, from different countries including Syria, Afghanistan, Cameroon, Nigeria and Iran, participated in the two-day festival. The Fair provided the opportunity to learn about important issues related to their labor rights, to exchange views, to be taught by experienced speakers, to take a professional photo for their resume in the photo booth that was included for this purpose. There was even an original online game application they could play with to help them become familiar with the job search process.

“A man who has no job is going through difficult times”, we could say, paraphrasing the words of the Irish writer George Bernard Shaw. The 1st Job Fair was organized on the occasion of the urgent needs of our beneficiaries. At the Solidarity Centers in Athens and Thessaloniki, as well as at the Blue Refugee Center in Thessaloniki, people from all over the world seek career counseling at the Employability Service, which is provided free of charge. “People are sometimes confused – they think the best “lesson” they can offer to vulnerable people is to embrace them tightly, to keep them in their own lifeboat. At SolidarityNow, we believe that the best service for people is to teach them to swim, at the pace they want, at the speed they want”, said SolidarityNow’s General Manager Antigone Lyberaki on the opening day of the 1st Job Fair, an initiative of the SIRIUS* program.

The businesses and agencies that presented their activities, were in return informed about how to reach out and collaborate with the refugee and migrant population.

We can learn from each other.

Beneficiaries of the organization shared their own success stories in the workplace providing a source of inspiration to all. “The job for us is like our ‘heart’, it gives us life and reason for our existence,” said Deborah from Nigeria, one of the speakers who lives and works in Greece. “Some people have said that they do not rent their shops to refugees. But I found a shop and soon I will open my own pastry shop. All Greeks will soon have my sweets in their fridge. For some this sounds like a joke, but tomorrow you will tell your friends, ‘let’s go for coffee at Lade’. Your opinion of your own life will change. One has to change his life and become more successful”, stressed Loghman, Kurdish from Iran, who did not give up and will open soon his own pastry shop in Thessaloniki.

At SolidarityNow we believe that everyone should have equal access to the labor market and equal opportunities; and the Job Fair was the best channel for this powerful message to be heard. Antigone Lyberaki noted: “The successful completion of the 1st Job Fair for refugees and migrants makes us even more responsible for what we have started. Our next goal is to make this event happen not only in Thessaloniki but also in other Greek cities!”.

* The SIRIUS program “Skills and Integration of Immigrants, Refugees and Asylum Seekers in the European Labor Market”, funded by the European Union, started in January 2018 and lasts three years. The program involves 11 actors from 7 countries. The program in Greece is implemented by SolidarityNow.

*The Blue Refugee Center Blue, launched in 2016, is supported by the UNHCR and funded by the European Union.

*The Employment Service operates at SolidarityNow’s Solidarity Centers in Athens and Thessaloniki as well as at the Blue Refugee Center in Thessaloniki, as one of the many services provided free of charge to anyone in need.