HOMEPAGE

action24: SN’s General Manager, Ms Antigone Lyberaki, on the refugee and the humanitarian crisis

Posted on Friday May 11th, 2018

The General Manager of #SolidarityNow, Antigone Lyberaki – Antigone Lyberaki spoke TODAY on Action24 channel for the activities of the organization that aim to improve the living conditions of thousands of people – Greeks, refugees and immigrants.
Speaking of the organization’s Solidarity Centers, she stressed the character of the “open door” of their operation, since they address to all people seeking help to make their lives better, while for the refugee crisis she commented:
“The effort and the interest and the solidarity shown by the people are tremendous, when you explain to them what the matter is: we do not face an invasion of enemy forces, but we deal with people who are trying to escape hell and strive to survive. They come to thrive with us … “.

Watch the clip after 30”.

Join #MyBook project powered by SolidarityNow!

Posted on Thursday May 3rd, 2018

Are you a migrant, or an asylum seeker, or a refugee artist?

Do you write poems, novels, or love to paint?

Share with us your art – a short story, a poem, some song lyrics, a painting or any other kind of art and see them be a part of a book!

Share your art with us and contact us at:

mybook@solidaritynow.org

Greece: Government Defies Court on Asylum Seekers

Posted on Wednesday April 25th, 2018

Giorgos Moutafis for SolidarityNow

Reinstates Containment Policy That Keeps People Trapped on Islands

(Athens, April 25, 2018) – The Greek government’s move on April 20, 2018, overturning a binding court ruling ordering it to end its abusive policy of trapping asylum seekers on Greece’s islands raises rule of law concerns, 21 human rights and humanitarian organizations said today.

Rather than carrying out the April 17 ruling by the Council of State, the country’s highest administrative court, the government issued an administrative decision reinstating the policy, known as the “containment policy.” It also introduced a bill on April 19 to clear the way to restore the policy in Greek law. Parliament members should oppose such changes and press the government to respect the ruling.

Parliament began discussing the draft law on April 24. But the government has preempted the debate on the bill, including the issue of the containment policy by reinstating it. On April 20, the new director of the asylum service reissued an administrative order setting down the reasons for the containment policy. Among grounds given to justify the restrictions imposed by the policy are the need to implement an EU-Turkey deal on migration and a broader public interest claim. But the decision goes against the Council of State ruling and Greece’s responsibilities under international, EU and Greek law, as it offers insufficient justification for the restrictions, the groups said.

The Council of State’s April 17 ruling said that Greece’s containment policy had no legal basis and that there were no imperative reasons under EU and Greek law justifying the restrictions to the freedom of movement of asylum seekers. It ordered the annulment of the administrative decision imposing the restrictions and permitted the free movement of asylum seekers arriving on the islands following the ruling’s publication. The ruling also highlighted that the disproportionate distribution of asylum seekers has overburdened the islands. The ruling is limited, however, applying only to new arrivals.

The draft law is currently being discussed before the parliament’s Standing Committee for Public Administration, Public Order and Justice and will be debated by the full parliament in the coming weeks. The bill seeks to provide a legal basis for the containment policy. It would incorporate into domestic law EU Directive 2013/33, which sets standards for the reception of asylum seekers. While the draft bill would possibly bring some improvements to the Greek reception system, the directive allows restricting the movement of asylum seekers when the government considers it necessary for rapid processing and effective monitoring of claims. The Greek government presumably believes that the legislation would provide a stronger legal basis for maintaining the containment policy.

Greece’s abusive containment policy was put in place in March 2016, with the support of the European Union and its member states. By the latest government count, more than 15,400 asylum seekers are on the Greek islands. Many are living in crowded and filthy processing centers, and many spent the winter in lightweight tents or even sleeping outside on the ground. The Greek government contends that the containment policy is necessary to carry out its commitment under the March 2016 EU-Turkey migration deal, under which asylum seekers must be returned to Turkey to have their asylum claims processed there, although the text makes no reference to such a policy.

The case was brought before the Council of State by the Greek Council for Refugees, a non-governmental organization providing legal support to asylum seekers. Nongovernmental groups began a campaign to #OpenTheIslands in December 2017, calling on Greece and its EU partners to transfer asylum seekers to the mainland before winter and end the containment policy.

In seeking to justify the containment policy, the Greek government, EU institutions, and governments point to increasing numbers of migrants and asylum seekers crossing the Aegean Sea, some fleeing intensified conflict in Syria. Yet there is no evidence that lifting the containment policy would be a pull factor, as Greece and others claim, especially given the largely closed borders along the Western Balkan migration route into Western Europe.

It is evident that the Greek authorities cannot meet the basic needs and protect the rights of asylum seekers while they remain on the islands, the groups said. The containment policy traps people in conditions below EU minimum standards, impedes their access to necessary services, and denies them access to fair and efficient asylum procedures because of the overcrowding on the islands and the lack of basic services.

Rather than restoring its abusive containment policy, the Greek Government should respect the rule of law, immediately carry out the Council of State ruling by allowing asylum seekers to move to the mainland, and along with its EU partners ensure protection for all asylum seekers in Greece, the groups said.

The government should rapidly expand safe accommodation and access to services on the mainland and create a system to move people quickly to mainland accommodation that provides for their medical and mental health needs while their asylum application is processed. The EU should look at sharing responsibility across member states and increasing availability of more safe and legal channels into the EU.

Containing asylum seekers on the Greek islands in substandard and appalling conditions that violate their rights and Greece’s international obligations cannot be justified for migration control purposes, the groups said.

Organizations Signing the Statement:

Advocates Abroad

Amnesty International

AEDH (Association Européenne pour la Défense des Droits de l’Homme)

Caritas Hellas

European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE)

EuroMed Rights

FIDH (International Federation for Human Rights)

Gisti (Groupe d’information et de soutien des immigrés)

Greek Council for Refugees

Greek Forum of Refugees

Greek Helsinki Monitor

Human Rights Watch

HumanRights360

Jesuit Refugee Service

Lesbos Legal Center

Oxfam

PRAKSIS

Refugees International

Refugee Rights Europe

SolidarityNow

Terre des Hommes

by(e)plastic: We say goodbye to plastic and we embrace its new uses!

Posted on Monday April 23rd, 2018

A new educational project by SolidarityNow

SolidarityNow, through its lifelong learning initiative named Education Matters, and in collaboration with Electra Energy Cooperative and Precious Plastic Greece, aims to train a group of people about plastic recycling/upcycling, by building and using Precious Plastic machines. The Precious Plastic machines can be built and operated anywhere in the world, allowing its users to melt and reshape recycled plastic into new, marketable products.

We are currently assembling a team of motivated people that will learn how to build the above-mentioned machines, experiment with the production of such products, operate a plastic recycling workshop and train others in the process. The project foresees that participants will obtain the necessary ideas, skills and tools and create a follow-up project, such as a social cooperative around the innovative concept of plastic recycling or use the skills acquired in order to build new machines and undertake relevant initiatives via the use of the machines. Through this empowering process, creativity and skills development of participants will be reinforced, as well as inclusivity and sustainability.

Whom does the program address?

The educational program By(e)plastic is addressed to everyone.

We are seeking individuals who have a deep, genuine interest in the environment, who are creative, practical and confident using hand and power tools, who are highly motivated, eager to transmit knowledge, while also being committed to fully carry on this project in the long run.

Duration

The workshop will be taking place twice a week (minimum), will last on average 2-3 hours (afternoon/evening sessions) and will include presentations, videos and experimenting with plastic.

The project will run for a minimum of 3 months under the supervision of Electra Energy Cooperative and is expected to continue independently afterwards with any mentoring required.

Location

The seminar will take place at the Intercultural Center Diadromes – in collaboration with Almasar and the support of the Development Forum.

Entry criteria

If you have previous experience on working with metal, plastic or wood, if you have any kind of technical background, if you are interested in learning how to operate a small recycling workshop as a social enterprise, then you should apply today!

Good knowledge of English or Greek is required.

Cost

Participation in seminars is free of charge for all participants.

Join the seminar now, by submitting the online form

Deadline: May 13th

Have questions? Email at training@solidaritynow.org

The project is being implemented with the cooperation of

and

IT Essentials: The new educational project by SolidarityNow

Posted on Friday April 20th, 2018

Become a Computer and Network Technician Now!

Technology and computers are now a part of our everyday life. Most of jobs today require the handling of computers and other devices. There is an even bigger need for specialized knowledge of computer support.

SolidarityNow, a certified CISCO Networking Academy, gives you the opportunity to study and prepare for Computer Engineering positions with the skills required in the market now!

Whom does the program address?

The Cisco IT Essentials Education Program: PC Hardware and Software is addressed to everyone.

It enables those who follow it to be a step ahead in the labor market and to obtain the necessary skills to work as computer and network technicians in environments such as businesses, public services, educational institutions, or freelancers in the field of technical computer support.

The program includes:

Practical training
Complete Cisco-approved educational material
Access to the Cisco Learning Platform

Why is this a seminar for me? What does it provide?

During the seminar you will learn how to build, repair, format and support a computer, how to build computer networks for small and medium businesses, how to install operating systems such as Windows and Linux, how to deal with a malfunction, but also clean up computers and mobiles from viruses and malware.

At the end of the seminar you will be able to work as: IT support technician, IT Administrator, Computer Technician, Computer Sales Officer, Computer Help Desk, System Administrator, Network Administrator, IT Specialist, IT Engineer. In addition, you will have all the knowledge to advance your career in more specialized networking issues.

Along with the latest equipment and with a series of regular assessment tests and guidance from instructors with 15 years of experience in the field of technology, you will gain competitive knowledge and at the same time you will prepare for the final certification process.

Certification

After the successful completion of the seminar and the related examinations, participants will receive a Cisco Certification Notice.

In the educational context, it is possible to participate and prepare for exams leading to formal certification so that one can work as a computer and network technician.

In addition, those who have attended the Cisco IT Essentials: PC Hardware and Software courses can easily continue CCNA courses.

Certified Cisco Information Technology Essential Expert – CCITEE

Duration

The training consists of 70 hours with a duration of approximately 2 months. The specific days and hours of the lessons will be announced to the participants.

Educational program – Syllabus

During the seminar the trainers, under the supervision of an instructor, will learn:

Methods to assemble a PC
Format and installing windows and linux on PC and all necessary drivers to run other devices
Latest hardware
Ways of protecting machines, mobiles, laptops and materials
To handle professional equipment and tools, such as screwdrivers, pliers, etc, required for computer technicians
To deal with real damage scenarios and ways to solve them with professional technical support and they will have:
Access to Cisco Networking Academy’s specialized e-learning platform that provides access to multiple-choice content and questions with immediate scoring and flagging of errors to be examined under the guidance of the trainer
Cisco Virtual Desktop and Cisco Virtual Laptop tools for familiarization with PC hardware as well as assembly process

The syllabus includes:

First part – Basic

Introduction to Personal Computer
Secure PC Usage Procedures
Assembling, Detecting & Solving Computer Errors
Solving computer hardware and software problems and malfunctions
Operating Systems
Laptops & Portable Devices
Printers & Scanners
Personal Network and Communication Security
Communication Skills

2nd part – Advanced

Desktops
Installation of Operating Systems and software
Multi-user, multi-tasking operating systems such as Linux, Windows 2000, NT and XP
Laptops
Printers & Scanners
Advanced Networking & Networking issues
Advanced Computer Security Issues

Entry criteria – prerequisites

20-25 hours / week of studying are required. If you do not have enough time, this is not the program for you.
Projects and tasks will be given to you every week. If you don’t do the projects, you cannot attend the lesson. Each subsequent lesson is based on the previous one.
Following 8 hours / week of lessons is required.
The seminar will last for 2 months. You must be in Athens to follow it.
The program is offered to all, regardless of nationality.
A genuine interest for Computers and networks is required.
Good knowledge of English is required.
An initial level of PC knowledge is required.

Cost

Participation in seminars is free of charge for all participants.

Location

The seminar will take place at the Intercultural Center Diadromes at 26 Boukouvala str. in Ampelokipoi– in collaboration with Almasar and the support of the Development Forum.

*The project is implemented with the support of the Hellenic American Union (Cisco Academy Support Center and Instructor Training Center), and also the support of the largest networking company, CISCO.

Join the program NOW and submit your participation, by sending the following online form

Deadline: May 27th

Have questions? Contact us at training@solidaritynow.org

An educational initiative of:

With the support of:

GEOGRAPHICAL RESTRICTION OF ASYLUM SEEKERS ON THE GREEK ISLANDS: WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF THE RECENT GREEK COUNCIL OF STATE’S DECISION?

Posted on Thursday April 19th, 2018

Giorgos Moutafis for SolidarityNow

Athens, April 19, 2018

SolidarityNow welcomes Ruling No 805/2018 of the Greek Council of State (the country’s Supreme Administrative Court) (“the Ruling”), which annuls the Asylum Service’s Decision (No 10464/31.5.2016) imposing geographical restrictions on six islands of the Eastern Aegean Sea (Lesvos, Samos, Chios, Leros, Rhodes and Kos). The case was brought forward by the Greek Council for Refugees.

The Ruling lifted the geographical restrictions on asylum seekers arriving to the islands from now onwards, given that the contested Asylum Service Decision did not set out the legal grounds for imposing such restrictions on asylum seekers’ freedom of movement and their confinement in Reception and Identification Centers (hotspots) on the islands (the so-called “containment policy”). In addition, the Ruling highlighted that the regime of geographical restriction within the aforementioned islands has resulted in unequal distribution of asylum seekers across the national territory, over-burdening and exercising significant pressure on specific regions.

Insofar there are no imperative reasons of public interest and migration policy that would justify restricting applicants of international protection to the Greek islands, the Court decided to annul the administrative decision imposing such restrictions and ordered the free movement of asylum seekers arriving to the islands following the Ruling’s publication. The Ruling, however, does not have retroactive effect, i.e., the geographical restriction will continue to apply to over 13.000 asylum seekers currently residing on the islands.

SolidarityNow greets the Ruling as a victory for human rights and asylum law in Greece, in line with our organization’s continuous pressure against the containment policy – through joined letters to the authorities (see here and here) and the #OpenTheIslands campaign, supported by many organizations during 2017.

However, we express our concerns regarding the implementation of the Ruling by the Greek Government and competent authorities:

Firstly, the Ruling has no retroactive effect, which results in unequal treatment between asylum seekers already restricted on the islands, on one hand, and those who come after the Ruling and can freely move. Such discrimination could be explained by the difficulty around the immediate decongestion of the islands and the need to organize proper accommodation in the mainland. This could be resolved only by a Government decision providing for a timely and gradual decongestion of the islands, as part of a well-organized, nation-wide plan.
Secondly, the Ministry of Migration Policy (“MoMP”) seems to be planning the imposition of geographical restrictions anew, on the basis of a law transposing EU Directive 2013/33. The draft law is already submitted to the Greek Parliament for voting (see the MoMP’s announcement in response to the Ruling).

Thus, we are keen to see how the Ruling will be implemented, anticipating the free movement of newly admitted asylum seekers on the Greek islands until the draft law is adopted, and geographical restrictions are potentially re-imposed by an executive decision of the Greek administration.

SolidarityNow strongly opposes the creation of a “multi-speed” asylum system, which randomly favors certain asylum seekers while violating the rights of others and transforming the Greek islands to “buffer zones”. We insist on the need to lift geographic restrictions altogether, along with the adoption of a strategic, long-term plan – at both national and European level – for an equal and fair distribution of refugees and asylum seekers throughout the Greek and EU territories, in accordance with the principles of refugee law and with respect for human rights.

Joint Press Conference: Two years after the EU-Turkey Deal

Posted on Wednesday March 21st, 2018

To mark the occasion of the second anniversary of the EU-Turkey Joint Statement (Deal, in essence), yesterday we held, along with other NGOs, a joint press conference titled: “Two years after the EU-Turkey Deal: a humanitarian tragedy for refugees and asylum seekers”.

The press conference was hosted at the Journalists’ Union of Athens Daily Newspapers (ΕΣΗΕΑ). Participants included journalists, as well as representatives of EU embassies, state institutions, and civil society organizations. The conference speakers covered the main aspects of the refugee issue from a humanitarian, legal, and political perspective.

Jenny Cavounidis, Board member of SolidarityNow, underlined the absence of a coherent strategy for a coordinated and holistic refugee response at both national and European level. Ms. Cavounidis conveyed the experience of SolidarityNow about the problems brought upon by the EU-Turkey Deal and its ongoing consequences on the overall management of the refugee response in Greece.

Ms. Cavounidis underlined “the urgent need for a holistic response to the problems arising from the refugee issue, with a central, visionary, and long-term planning for the whole country”. She also stressed:

“This past winter we experienced once more the lack of a central mechanism for refugee management on the islands. Despite the deplorable conditions in the islands’ camps since the summer, and although the number of residents way exceeded each camp’s capacity, the decongestion of the islands started to take place only when the situation hit rock bottom due to the worsening weather conditions. Then, in November, the Government rushed to transfer people to the mainland, to hosting facilities that were urgently created or adjusted, without proper planning”.

The Director of Amnesty International/Greek section, Gabriel Sakellaridis, and Eva Cossé, Researcher for Greece for the organization Human Rights Watch, analyzed the current situation on the islands for the asylum seekers and refugees stranded there two years after the Deal, stressing the need to lift the geographical restriction.

From a medical care perspective, Agapios Terzidis, Vice-President of the Board of the Hellenic Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (KEELPNO), presented the program Philos (Emergency Health Response to Refugee Crisis) and the challenges faced by KEELPNO during its implementation.

Vasileios Papadopoulos, Coordinator of the Legal Unit of the Greek Council for Refugees, set out the legal effects of the EU-Turkey Deal. Mr. Papadopoulos emphasized the need to move refugees and migrants from the islands to the mainland, while he also explained that the presumption that Turkey is a safe third country is highly problematic, both from a legal and political perspective.

Yonous Muhammadi, President and Coordinator of the Greek Forum of Refugees, and the cultural mediator Yasaman Heidarpour from the organization Melissa Network, talked about the experiences of asylum seekers and refugees on the Greek islands. In particular, Ms. Heidarpour told her own story as a refugee who reached Europe after fleeing Iran.

*The conference was organized by the following NGOs:

SolidarityNow

Amnesty International – Greek section

Greek Council for Refugees

Greek Forum of Refugees

Melissa Network

Human Rights Watch

8 Women, 8 Stories, 8th of March World Women’s Day: A Powerful Message from the Women at SolidarityNow

Posted on Wednesday February 28th, 2018

Giorgos Moutafis for SolidarityNow

“There is nothing left to suffer and now we live again”, “we got strength and we breathe fresh”, “here I am free now”, “I am so strong that nothing will make me cry”, “I am sure that life will bring good things for me, “, “now I feel confident about me “,” my dream is to live in Greece and become a writer. ”

Burfi, Hanasa, Anna, Raha, Tugba, Zainab, Nufa. All of them different, all of them are the same. From Syria, Lebanon, Iran, Greece, Afghanistan. What unites them are the difficulties of life that they did not “break” them, that they did not deprive them of their will for life. Common denominator: their power. This is the driving force along with the almost primitive will to go on. To live and dream.

Eight women, eight stories that will unfold up to March 8, a symbolic day celebrating women’s rights, their struggles, their claims, their victories. World Women’s Day is about to celebrate together with our own “next door” heroes, and in their name, the struggles of everyday, often unseen women, who, with their courage and determination, wrote and continue to write history.

Greece: the road to equality is still long

In the recent Gender Equality Index, which measures performance in the areas of work, power, knowledge, health and time, Greece ranked the lowest in the EU, an indication that much remains to be done to empower women and end gender discrimination.

The deep economic crisis in the country has a negative impact on the position of women, among other things, as rigorous austerity policies have led to wage cuts, a reduction in human resources, and a restriction on access to services. Progress, albeit slow in comparison to other EU Member States, in the fields of equality in the labor market, the elimination of wage inequality, equal opportunities in education, health and human rights that has been achieved from the 1980s onwards, is in serious danger.

In SolidarityNow, through our programs, we are trying to fill in the gaps created by the 10-year crisis, to fight stereotypes and propose solutions to tackle gender inequality.

You will find it out the way we do it through the stories of our beneficiaries.

BUSINESS FOR YOUth: SOLIDARITYNOW YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM

Posted on

Click to read the announcement in FRENCH

Click to read the announcement in ARABIC

Click to read the announcement in FARSI

Are you between 18 to 35 years old?

Do you want to make your business dream come true? Are you interested in becoming a freelancer in Greece?

You have the will, you have the idea, but you feel that you do not have the proper tools to start?

SolidarityNow, with the support of the International Rescue Committee (IRC), and in collaboration with the Social Enterprise Knowl, is organizing a 40-hour free Υouth Εntrepreneurship training program in Athens.

In this integrated program, you will acquire knowledge and develop skills that are necessary to make your first steps as a professional. You will learn the basic principles of entrepreneurship and the method that will help you build a successful brand.

And what’s the best?

Forty (40) out of the total of participants who will successfully complete the program will attend a special mentorship program in which they will receive counseling and guidance from entrepreneurs and professional mentors!

Why are you still waiting?

Read the detailed program information and fill in your application at the online form below!

One of the 330 positions of the program is yours.

Because business (is) for YOUth!

CRITERIA FOR PARTICIPATION

Participants for the duration of the program have to be based in Athens.
Young people aged between 18-30 years
Refugees or Asylum Seekers legally residing in Greece, benefiting from the International Protection in Greece, immigrants with a residence permit for Greece, unemployed Greeks.
Adequacy in at least one of the languages offered: Greek, English, Arabic, Farsi or French.

SELECTION OF PARTICIPANTS

The final pool of participants will be selected through personal interviews.
Maximum number of participants: 330

DURATION

The training will be implemented in fifteen separate cycles, comprised of 40 hours of training (over 4 weeks).

The days and hours of the lessons will be announced shortly to the participants.

COST

Participation is free of charge for all participants.

CERTIFICATION

All participants who manage to successfully complete the training will receive a Certificate of Attendance.

For your application to participate in the training program, click the link below and

fill out the form:

Application form to participate in the training program

Business for Youth

For any further information: youth@solidaritynow.org

This project is supported by the Citi Foundation in partnership with the International Rescue Committee.

In collaboration with

Share your story with us!

Posted on Friday December 22nd, 2017

Are you a refugee who is being moved from the islands to the mainland?

Please share your story with us!

Help us keep up the pressure for improved treatment, conditions and rights of refugees in Greece. A group of human rights and humanitarian non-governmental organizations have come together to campaign for Prime Minister Tsipras to #OpenTheIslands and we need your help.

Step 1: Take a selfie video using your phone (ideally two minutes or less) and answer these questions:

Where are you from and who is traveling with you?
Why did you leave your home country?
How long have you been on the Greek islands?
Show us what you are taking with you to the mainland?
How do you feel today to be moving?

Step 2: Post your video to social media using the hashtag #OpenTheIslands or email the video to OpenTheIslands@solidaritynow.org

Step 3: Share the campaign at www.solidaritynow.org/opentheislands with your friends and family

*Videos sent via email may be edited. Not all videos will be used in the campaign. SolidarityNow will not disclose any contact or otherwise identifiable information outside what is shared on social media and in the submitted video.