Iorgos Karagiannis
Coordinator of the Athens Solidarity Center of SolidarityNow

This article was published on Huffingtonpost, 14/01/2016

Across from Larissa Station, in the old familiar garrison, are the headquarters of a joint effort in which I was asked to contribute as Coordinator, in April 2015. This is an innovative approach combining a multitude of services (medical, legal, counseling, support and family and child counseling) under the same roof so as to relieve those who are faced, on a daily basis, with problems that were created or exacerbated by the crisis.
The Solidarity Center is not just a simple gathering of organizations and services; it is the basis of an agreement to unite the efforts of partners with extensive experience and expertise in their field, on the basis of a common reasoning that prioritizes need and the beneficiary, over the entity or the nature of the service. All this precedes and follows need. Our partners in this effort, while maintaining their autonomy and their basic principles, demonstrate a cooperation and flexibility that honors us and the needs of the people.
PRAKSIS, ARSIS, the Network for Children’s Rights, the Association “Together for Children”, act as a group in a space that belongs to the municipality and was recently reinforced with the presence of a unit of the Asylum Service that is hosted on site , targeting the most vulnerable groups. In this effort, SolidarityNow retains its supervisory and coordinating role. This holistic approach supported by Civil Society, the City and State Services, reflects the culture and the character of a unique Center that operates 12 hours a day and is open to all – prioritizing vulnerability but without excluding anyone.
In this venture, the challenges were many and were only surpassed through demonstrating genuine solidarity and teamwork among our associates, who implement the programs together. Before we got to see what inspired everyone, the multiple assistance to multiple needs, the expression of real solidarity, we had to work together with a common vision. Today, a year later, more than 200 people visit the center daily. More than 30,000 people living permanently or temporarily in Greece have received, in a year’s time, over 70,000 services.
Nevertheless, the Center was not static in terms of developments, as it participated in joint exploratory efforts for refugees and migrants last summer, during the big explosion of the refugee crisis on the Aegean islands, and incorporated new services, and opened its doors to new partnerships and ideas.
I have often found myself, personally, in efforts that require from everyone to outdo themselves for an urgent or great need, but it is not something easy. Usually, the collaborative and team spirit is not decided or planned centrally, but comes through as a unique response to a great need that unfolds. This happens in the Solidarity Center and I feel great satisfaction and gratitude to the employees of the Center for this very reason.
It seems that the original conception of the idea was correct, but eventually became successful due to those who choose, on a daily basis, to prioritize man and needs. Tense moments are rare, especially if one considers the volume of cases and the complexity of the requests – and if something does not go well, the good relationship with the beneficiaries resolves any issue.
It is obvious that our beneficiaries will continue to have the need for new approaches and programs or more help in the coming years. The responsiveness of state structures is finite and in no way commensurate with the effects of the economic crisis and the humanitarian consequences of the refugee flow, while social exclusion makes many of our fellow human beings vulnerable to taking extreme positions. Our priority is none other than to ensure the assistance provided for the future. With the same reasoning, we would also like to see a common advocacy and communication where there is a common ground with those involved in this effort, but also with entities outside the Solidarity Center. Many times, bringing about an institutional change or halting social exclusion of specific groups by promoting solutions and suggestions is as important as the actions taken. This is what we would like the Center to inspire in the coming period.
* SolidarityNow supports groups and organizations of civil society working in Greece and operates Solidarity Centers where vulnerable groups can receive free services. The Athens Solidarity Center operates with the financial support of Open Society Foundations, the EEA Norway Grants, and the Embassy of Norway in Greece and in collaboration with the Municipality of Athens.