News

At 38 Diligianni Theodorou Street, near the Athens Railway Station, a new mural of the Genia 17 project is ready. A collective artwork of the street artist SAME84 and secondary school students from ACS Athens, its concept lies in the SDG4 - Quality Education.

Prior to the mural, the students and the artist came together to talk about the essence of this SDG and brainstorm on the design. What does inclusive and equitable quality education mean to them and how could their thoughts be put on a drawing?

Following their fruitful discussions, the students prepared their own creations which they then shared with the artist. SAME84 combined elements and drew inspiration from them to create the final design, making sure that the resulting artwork captured the project's goal and reflected the input from the students involved.

Genia 17 is an initiative of ELC Productions and this is the second SDG that we’re funding. We truly hope that the mural will speak to people’s hearts, transmitting the message of Quality Education as the cornerstone of human development!

Come and meet Ten Million Hands' brand-new platform, an integrated Information Hub and a Business Network for Responsible Consumption and Production! 🌱

Ten Million Hands just launched its upgraded website incorporating entirely new features. Being fully aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12 (SDG 12), it intends to inform the public and the business world on the importance of Responsible Consumption and Production. Connecting through its two core modules – the Information Hub and the Business Network –, Ten Million Hands is raising awareness, educating and providing tangible solutions to make sustainability an everyday choice.

The Information Hub is indexing all information through its 22 sustainability indicators according to which conscious consumption and production can be put into practice (such as zero food waste, second hand or upcycling) while, at the same time, is providing knowledge through articles, tips and a series of podcasts on simple conscious practices for our livelihoods.

The Business Network for Sustainability, the first of its kind in Greece with a continuously growing list of consumer-centric businesses, is actively addressing environmental and social challenges through the lens of Responsible Consumption and Production. This network includes stores in every Athenian municipality, where the Ten Million Hands Meal and Benefits cards will be redeemable, making sustainability a reality for all of us.

In the framework of the Impact Hub Athens' initiative "Policy Connect: co-creating a roadmap to catalyze the social economy ecosystem", a workshop took place this Tuesday with the invaluable participation of 15 representatives from foundations and impact investing ventures. We worked collectively on the creation of joint proposals around the key subject of how we can promote the sustainable development of the local ecosystem, by enhancing social and environmental innovation.

That workshop was part of a series of Policy Recommendations Focus Groups around Greece that include stakeholders of various fields (research community, governmental/municipal reps, CSOs, foundations, funding institutions, embassies, private companies). The results of all workshops will be compiled and published as policy recommendations, to be then delivered to relevant institutional bodies, partners, and stakeholders in innovation both in Greece and in the EU for review and adoption.

We’d like to thank Impact Hub Athens for inviting us to be co-hosts of the event and a big thanks to the following Foundations: Stavros Niarchos, Onassis, A.C. Laskaridis, The Hellenic Initiative, Qualco, The Hellenic Initiative Canada, Captain Vassilis and Carmen Constantakopoulos, Aikaterini Laskaridis, Hellenic Impact Investing Network, Bodossaki, Investing for Purpose, Costas M.Lemos, TIMA, G. & A. Mamidakis.

Ten Foundations in Greece are re-joining forces to support small Civil Society organizations, with the aim of implementing original small-scale projects of maximum social impact, as well as developing skills that will contribute to their sustainability.

This is the first year that our Foundation takes part in the Points of Support Program and the thematic area we’ve chosen is the one of Sustainable Cities and Communities. The participating Foundations in the 7th Cycle of Points of Support are: John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation, Bodossaki Foundation, Captain Vassilis and Carmen Constantakopoulos Foundation, A. G. Leventis Foundation, Athanasios C. Laskaridis Charitable Foundation, Costas M. Lemos Foundation, Social and Cultural Affairs Welfare Foundation (KIKPE), The Hellenic Initiative Canada, Athina I. Martinou Foundation, Helidoni Foundation. The Bodossaki Foundation will also act as the Program Coordinator.

You can read more about the Open Call here. The inaugural event of the Program will take place on Monday 11 March, at 14:00, at the Cultural Centre of the Benaki Museum (138 Pireos & Andronikou).

Wanna cycle into history and art? The first network of bicycle-friendly cultural venues in Athens is underway for the many bike aficionados out there!

The “Cycle into History and Art” program comes to enhance urban cycling, filling an important gap in the city as each venue will now host specially designed, secure bicycle parking spaces, offering a solution to the ones who would like to use their bike to visit the site. Through the creation of a network of such spaces, cultural routes will then be established, which Athenians and visitors alike can follow.

Prominent destinations of cultural interest have already entered the network such as the National Gallery, the Benaki Museum (Pireos 138), the Kypseli Municipal Market, the Athens Municipal Arts Center, the Melina Cultural Center, the Museum of Folk Art and Tradition Angeliki Hatzimichali, the Plato’s Academy Digital Museum and the Municipal Gallery of Athens. And the list will grow, so stay tuned!

The initiative belongs to Cities for Cycling and is implemented with the sponsorship of our Foundation.

We would like to share with you an interesting new experience for social contribution and personal development!

Ecogenia – the nonprofit organization that mobilizes young people through community service projects to promote sustainable development and climate action in Greece – is currently in the process of finding the next team for their upcoming project on Mount Olympus.

With the motto "You offer – You’re trained – You get paid", Ecogenia invites you to a hybrid 14-week program on ecotourism and natural disaster management in Litochoro and the wider Olympus area.

Applications will be open from January 15 to February 25, 2024. You can find the full description of the program and job position here.

Here’s a new interview of the President and Co-founder of Helidoni, Dimitris Georgakopoulos, to Capital.gr. Dimitris is unfolding his life’s roadmap from the time he was studying in the U.S. till today. He talks to Eleftheria Piperopoulou about his major milestones;

◽ the establishment of Buildium and the 15-year course until its acquisition

◽ the creation of Outseta – an experiment in organizational design and purpose at the startup ecosystem

◽ his return to Greece, the impact investments through Helidoni Group and the philanthropic work of Helidoni Foundation.

To read the interview, click here.

In Spring 2024, the Ecogenia team will again be putting boots on the ground to lead their first disaster management pilot. This project will combine ecotourism program impact (trail maintenance and revitalization work) with disaster management (wildfire fuel reduction, fire breaks, community engagement). Litochoro will serve as the homebase for the project and will include work in the foothills of Mt. Olympus National Park.

Ecogenia’s next cohort members will be equipped with the essential skills in order to support local efforts in ecotourism infrastructure projects, as well as implementing community-based disaster preparedness and prevention.

The program is part of a strategic partnership with the U.S. Embassy Athens and in collaboration with the California Conservation Corps and the Dion-Olympus Municipality. For the month of November, Ecogenia has set out to raise €15.000 through their #PathToOlympus campaign. Every contribution, big or small, will take them closer to their goals for a resilient Greece and a protected Mt. Olympus!

https://ecogenia.org/donate/

The results of the first "Close the Food Cycle" pilot, a program designed and implemented by InCommOn, are very encouraging in terms of its impact to the local community (see relevant post).

The project aimed to inform and activate the citizens, businesses, students and local authority of Papagou-Holargos around the proper management of food waste, so as to gradually shift them towards adopting the separation-at-source habit and the use/expansion of the brown bin network.

The ICO team tested different tools and actions from a wide range of activities to explore what works best and concluded to a guide that can be applied on organic waste (and possibly other recycling streams as well) and be replicated to other Municipalities.

A big thanks to InCommOn for contributing to the transition to a more circular everyday life for all, through a series of inspired and effective programs!

Where do ancient knowledge, medicine, humanities, spirituality and art meet? How can we collectively create an ecological civilization?

In the framework of 2023 Eleusis European Capital of Culture, the groundbreaking international symposium titled “How to Change Our Mind, to Change the World” takes place on 27, 28 & 29 September in the old IRIS factory, with the participation of distinguished speakers, researchers and artists from all over the world.

The central theme deals with the different ways of evolving, both on an individual and social level, towards a higher level of consciousness, in order to address contemporary global challenges and contribute to the protection of life on our planet. In parallel, the audience has the chance to participate in exciting discussions, experiential workshops and artistic activities.

The event is organized by the World Human Forum and is the first in a series of annual meetings aiming to re-establish Elefsina as a point of reference on a global scale in matters of consciousness, self-development and connection with the self, with others and with nature.

We’re very excited to be co-sponsoring the symposium and working closely with the World Human Forum's inspirational members!