Drafting of the initial liquidation balance of SolidarityNow Ltd, 01/03/2016
Category: ΔΕΛΤΙΟ ΤΥΠΟΥ
Joint Letter to European Leaders ahead of the EU Council Summit on the 17th & 18th of March 2016
Dear European Leaders:
As international organisations working directly with refugees and migrants in Europe, we ask European Member States present at the European Council meeting of 17th and 18th March 2016 to take the opportunity to come together in solidarity and conclude bold, unified and decisive policies to address the humanitarian crisis.
A response to the humanitarian crisis in Europe must build on the work of last year and squarely address the current, clear gaps in policy, whilst fully respecting the law and spirit of the EU’s own legislation and the 1951 Refugee Convention.
2015 proved to bring difficult challenges for all working on the ground; Member State authorities, humanitarian agencies, non-governmental organizations, local populations and volunteers. It also provided us with some tremendous lessons to be learnt.
One such lesson has been that an approach to migration based on containment costs lives. Since 2014, 74931 people have lost their lives at sea, a large proportion of which have been children. Border blocks coupled with no legal routes of entry force people to turn to smugglers to seek refuge in the EU on increasingly dangerous routes. Unilateral, arbitrary border closures worsen the humanitarian crisis. Such closures undertaken in the last weeks have forced tens of thousands of people into confined areas often without access to the absolute basic needs: shelter, food, health care and water. This confinement also creates enormous difficulties for the humanitarian organisations to reach areas quickly and provide adequate supplies and protection services.
The decisions taken by the European Council on 7 March 2016 have perpetuated the confinement of people and discriminatory practices. Border management is essential but must be separated from the inadvisable and unattainable goal of reducing migration to zero. Border closures, coupled with a stark lack of legal routes, are not the answer to managing the arrival of refugees and migrants in Europe. People, not borders, are in urgent need of protection.
The current situation has also encountered numerous institutional barriers, both in terms of mandates and funding possibilities. We welcome the efforts of the Council and Commission to bridge these gaps by establishing new and innovative instruments to ensure adequate response in this time of public pressure and urgent humanitarian need. We appeal to you as European leaders to follow this up with political support. Funding in itself will not do it alone, it will also require political courage and will. Europe has the capacity to manage this situation effectively and humanely. We therefore urge that at the upcoming European Council meeting, the following issues are addressed as a matter of urgency:
Create safe and legal routes. Policies that provide for a range of safe and legal channels for entry into the EU are an essential part of responsible and humane management of migration. We call on leaders to take a progressive approach to creating safer, more transparent, legal options, both temporary and permanent, for people on the move to Europe. As a matter of immediate urgency the EU must improve access to international protection for those fleeing conflict and persecution, including:
– Providing increased access to safe and legal routes for cross-border migration, including, for example, more flexible family reunification policies. Children should never be separated from their parents or primary caregivers unless this is in their best interest.
– Making new commitments to resettle refugees in need of protection. With refugee numbers at the highest level globally since 19952 , EU countries must take immediate steps to resettle their fair share of the ten per cent most vulnerable cases identified by UNHCR.Ensure safety at sea and at borders. Europe must maintain its search and rescue operations: saving lives should be the priority for all operations in the Mediterranean. The EU must also ensure these operations have the adequate capacity and mandate needed to ensure no further deaths at sea, and respect of the rights and dignity of those taken into European custody. Standards must be put in place to ensure that all current and future border operations are transparent and in line with international standards and European human rights law.Provide sufficient and humane reception conditions for all people arriving in Europe. Currently reception capacity in many places in Europe are inadequate for meeting people’s basic needs, ensuring their protection, and guaranteeing the respect of their rights. There is a lack of vital services including safe spaces, designated shelters and case management that takes into account the needs of vulnerable groups, including children. Ensuring that all people arriving at the EU’s borders can access basic services, be protected from harm, and have their human rights guaranteed, including the right to claim asylum, is a collective responsibility that EU leaders must take immediate steps to meet.
– Making new commitments to resettle refugees in need of protection. With refugee numbers at the highest level globally since 19952 , EU countries must take immediate steps to resettle their fair share of the ten per cent most vulnerable cases identified by UNHCR.Ensure safety at sea and at borders. Europe must maintain its search and rescue operations: saving lives should be the priority for all operations in the Mediterranean. The EU must also ensure these operations have the adequate capacity and mandate needed to ensure no further deaths at sea, and respect of the rights and dignity of those taken into European custody. Standards must be put in place to ensure that all current and future border operations are transparent and in line with international standards and European human rights law.Provide sufficient and humane reception conditions for all people arriving in Europe. Currently reception capacity in many places in Europe are inadequate for meeting people’s basic needs, ensuring their protection, and guaranteeing the respect of their rights. There is a lack of vital services including safe spaces, designated shelters and case management that takes into account the needs of vulnerable groups, including children. Ensuring that all people arriving at the EU’s borders can access basic services, be protected from harm, and have their human rights guaranteed, including the right to claim asylum, is a collective responsibility that EU leaders must take immediate steps to meet.
Take action to protect the most vulnerable. Up to 58% of people travelling into and through Europe are currently women and children. Children on the move, travelling alone or with their families, are exposed to specific risks, which require special attention and action. Women and girls also have specific protection needs stemming from greater vulnerability to gender-based violence, targeted robberies, harassment and assault, sexual exploitation and abuse. Specific protection measures must be built in to all policies and new proposals, and current systems must urgently be reviewed and adjusted accordingly.
Ensure all people arriving at the EU’s borders have access to asylum procedures. According to law , every migrant must be informed about their rights, including the right to ask for international protection, in a form and language that is easily comprehensible. The EU must take urgent steps to investigate and address the gaps in due process in national procedures and in ‘hotspots’ that have been identified4 Profiling of refugees at any border on the basis of nationality and any form of collective return, as foreseen at the latest EU Council, denies the right to an individual assessment of protection needs and constitutes a violation of international and EU law. Additionally, Iraqis, Afghans, and other nationalities will not benefit from the resettlement scheme proposed at the latest EU Council and do not have the right to claim long-term refugee protection in Turkey.
Protect the human rights and dignity of all people arriving in Europe regardless of status. For people who genuinely choose not to seek or who are found not to be eligible for asylum or other legal forms of entry, any returns process must still be respectful of their fundamental human rights and conducted only to countries where their safety can be assured. No one must be left to fall into undocumented status, a precarious condition with high vulnerability to abuse and exploitation, including at the hands of criminal networks. 10,000 children alone have disappeared since arriving in Europe; the EU must take urgent steps to ensure they are the last.
The EU has the means to manage the arrival of people humanely and with full respect to both EU and international law, and we urge EU leaders to re-establish the EU’s collective position as a global humanitarian and human rights leader and live up to their moral and legal obligations. The stakes are too high to continue down a path that risks exacerbating the humanitarian situation: we need bold leadership for genuine, collective EU solutions based on the principle of solidarity and fair responsibility sharing, and the priority of the protection and human dignity of the people arriving at the shores of Europe today.
Signed: Lorenzo Trucco, President, Associazione per gli Studi Giuridici sull’Immigrazione (ASGI) Agata Račan, President, Croatian Law Network Ann Mary Olsen, International Director, Danish Refugee Council Leigh Daynes, Executive Director, Doctors of the World UK Vladimir Petronijević, Executive Director, Group 484 Jane Waterman, Executive Director and Senior Vice President Europe, International Rescue Committee UK Emir Prcanović, Executive director, Association Vasa prava BiH – Legal Aid Network Katarina Bervar Sternad, Director, Legal-Informational Centre for NGOs in Slovenia Jasmina Mujezinović, Executive Director, Local Democracy Foundation The international organizations who are signatories to this letter, are ready and able to continue to be part of those solutionsMartina Smilevska-Kcheva, President, Macedonian Young Lawyers Association Martin Bandzak, Executive Director, Magna Marie Aude Tavoso, President, Medici per i Diritti Umani Onlus Evgenia Thanou, Director, Medicines du Monde – Greece Jan Egeland, Secretary General, Norwegian Refugee Council Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director, Oxfam International Branislav Tichy, Director, People in Peril Association Janti Soeripto, Chief Executive Officer, Save the Children International Epaminondas Farmakis, Managing Director, Solidarity Now Deirdre de Burca, Director, Advocacy and Justice for Children, World Vision EUREP
INVITATION TO PRESS CONFERENCE “The Journey. People On The Move.”
Orestis Seferoglou
Photo Exhibition of Solidarity Now on migration at the Benaki Museum from 19 to 29 May
SolidarityNow and the Administrative Committee of the Benaki Museum invite you on Monday, May 16, 2016 at 12.00 to the Benaki Museum Building on Pireos (Piraeus 138 & Andronikou), at a press conference co-hosted to present the Photography exhibition:
The Journey. People On The Move.
8 Leading Photographers on Migration
140 photos
1 Journey from Turkey to Greece for a safe refuge in Europe
The civil war raging in Syria and the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, have created those exact explosive conditions which inevitably led to a huge wave of refugees that landed on the heart of Europe. We are going through the largest refugee crisis since the 2ond World War and the tragedy of the people arriving in Greece is the global focus of not just the media but above all, societies.
In order to highlight this burning issue concerning people -and not numbers and statistics- and to raise awareness, but mainly, to awaken consciences, we co-organize the timeliest than ever photographic exhibition entitled “The Journey. People On The Move”.
Among the photographers who will exhibit their works, are world-renowned photographers that have been internationally awarded for monitoring and portraying the refugee/migration crisis. Among them are Yannis Behrakis and Alkis Konstantinidis, who were awarded the 2016 Pulitzer Prize in the category “Breaking News.”
The Photographers: Yannis Behrakis, Giorgos Moutafis, Angelos Tzortzinis, Alkis Konstantinidis, Enri Canaj, Myrto Papadopoulou, Orestis Seferoglou, Chloe Krithara – Davienne
The Photo Exhibition runs from 19 – 29th of May and admission is free to the public.
Operating Days & Hours
Thursday and Sunday: 10:00 – 18:00 Friday and Saturday: 10:00 – 22:00
Curated by Dora Komninou
Organization: Benaki Museum, SolidarityNow
Europe protect the refugees – Joint statement of 26 NGOs about the refugee crisis
Athens, 7th March 2016
26* national and international organizations from Greece, FYRoM, Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia, working along the Western Balkan migration route, we condemn the European governments that violate national, European and international Law by closing the doors to people who need international protection.
In the past couple of months more than 108,000 people reached Europe through Greece. They are willing to put their lives in danger by making a very dangerous trip because they leave wars behind. Neither the bad weather, nor the European governments’ policies do they stop them from trying to save their lives. At the same time, these policies are pushing Europe towards a dangerous and condemnable trajectory that violates international and European Conventions on the protection of refugees and human rights in general.
We worry about a series of restrictive policies that affect the security, well being and rights of refugees and migrants in Europe. The discrimination against the Afghans in the border between Greece and FYRoM is unacceptable. The decision of the police authorities of the Republics of Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and the FYRoM to let through their borders only people who can prove their nationality amount to arbitrary and illegal restrictions on a person’s right to seek international protection. The daily restrictions in the number of people who are admitted in a country are according to the European Commission clearly incompatible with the Geneva Convention on Refugees. We are concerned these policies may lead to increasing cases of “pushbacks” or collective expulsions in violation of the European Convention on Human Rights.
These decisions have only served to further exacerbate the level of human suffering. Men, women and children are trapped on the borders in inhumane conditions, since thousands of people are forced to sleep outside in dropping temperatures. They also force them in the arms of the traffickers and push them to find new and dangerous routes so that they continue their journey. The refugees become vulnerable since their money is running out, while unaccompanied children are easy prey to criminal networks, taking them further out of reach of humanitarian actors who can offer them support and protection. The use of violence in the borders, the “pushbacks, and the returns and deportations from one country to the other are putting the safety of refugees in danger.
These practices in Balkan countries are nothing more than a natural continuation of policies adopted by neighbours further up the route, who built fences, imposed caps in the number of asylum requests to be accepted daily, decided to confiscate cash from arriving refugees and restrict the rights of families to be reunified. Europe is on an extremely dangerous trajectory.
We invite Europe to respect its own Conventions, human rights and finally the right of every person to international protection. Everyone has the right to apply for asylum, their application to be examined individually, and in case of rejection, the returns process must still be respectful of their basic human rights. We call, finally, all European governments to accept a substantial number of refugees in their countries and take all necessary measures so that there is an end in the wars that have caused this crisis.
*The NGOs that are signing the joint statement are (in alphabetical order):
ActionAid Hellas, Albanian Helsinki Committee, Belgrade Center for Human Rights, Civic Initiatives Belgrade, Civil Rights Program Kosovo, Doctors of the World Greece, European Council on Refugees and Exiles, Humanitarni centar za integraciju i toleranciju (HCIT), Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia, Građanske inicijative – Civic Initiative, Greek Council for Refugees, Greek Forum of Refugees, Grupa 484, Hrvatski pravni centar, International Rescue Committee, Lawyers Committee for Human Rights, Macedonian Young Lawyers Association, Norwegian Refugee Council, Open Gate – La Strada, Oxfam, Practical Policy Centre Serbia, Praksis, Praxis Serbia, Save the Children, Solidarity Now, VluchtelingenWerk Nederland.
Invitation to the launch of the innovative online platform “SUPPORT4ALL”
SAVE THE DATE! We invite you to the launch of the innovative online platform “SUPPORT4ALL” by Σύλλογος Ασθενών Ήπατος Ελλάδος “Προμηθέας” -HLPA “Prometheus” with the support of SolidarityNow, on February 19, 2016, at 16:00, at the Athens Solidarity Center.
For more information about the platform and the event, see here.
We hope to see you all there!
A glimpse into the humanitarian crisis on the Greek islands
Evaluation Report and Assessment Results
In the context of strengthening bilateral relations between Greece and Norway, SolidarityNow, in cooperation with its partners and with NGOs from Norway, carried out – in the summer of 2015 – an assessment in order to record and assess the situation and needs, as they have arisen with the explosion of mixed migration/refugee flows on the Greek islands and specifically in Rhodes, Tilos, Kos, Samos and Lesvos.
The results of this assessment were presented by the team of SolidarityNow along with its partners, four Greek and two Norwegian non-governmental organizations: Norwegian Refugee Council, Norwegian People’s Aid, ARSIS, PRAKSIS, Network for Children’s Rights and Association “Together for Children”, at the Athens Solidarity Center.
Through mapping, establishing contacts with local and competent bodies but also through the development of concrete policy proposals, the Evaluation Report could be a useful tool for the Greek state and other international organizations and contribute to the development of future policies to combat the refugee crisis.
The results of the Evaluation report of the exploratory mission were presented by Ljubisha Vrencev, Project Manager, Elli Xenou, Head of Programs of SolidarityNow and Iorgos Karagiannis, Coordinator of the field team of the assessment.
Moreover, during the event the documentary “Refugee Highway” by Chronis Pechlivanidis that reflects the humanitarian crisis on the Greek islands, was viewed.
HE Ambassador Mr. Jørn Gjelstad, Embassy of Norway to Greece, Ms. Polyxeni Anastasiou – Commercial Officer at the Embassy of Norway, Mr. Frode Mortensen, Senior Officer-Justice and Home Affairs, EFTA and Mr. Stelios Zavvos, Chairman of SolidarityNow, honored the event with their presence.
* The Evaluation Report and the documentary “Refugee Highway” were financed exclusively by the EEA Grants and the Norwegian Embassy in Greece.
See the detailed Evaluation Report on the Greek islands, here.
Results of the co-action at the Athens Solidarity Center
30,255 beneficiaries and 70,800 provided services
Athens, January 14, 2016
On Thursday, January 14th, the organizations ARSIS, PRAKSIS, NETWORK FOR CHILDREN’S RIGHTS, ASSOCIATION TOGETHER FOR CHILDREN, the ASYLUM SERVICE and SolidarityNow, held a joint Press Conference to mark the one year of operation of the Athens Solidarity Center. During the one year of operation of the Athens Solidarity Center -from December 2014 until December 2015- the total number of beneficiaries rose to 30,255 while the number of services provided, reached 70,800.
Iorgos Karagiannnis as the Coordinator of the Athens Solidarity Center of SolidarityNow, noted that: “After one year of operation, the Solidarity Center demonstrates that wherever efforts of civil society are combined with those of the municipality and public services, the result is noticeable and advantageous both for those in need of services and for those that work together to offer them.”
The Coordinator of the Legal Aid Office of ARSIS, Evangelia Kontodima, stressed the importance of “providing free legal counseling and legal representation to vulnerable social groups, especially those to whom the impact of the crisis is not visible immediately, such as women who suffer violence or children.” She did not fail to mention the increased number of arrivals of beneficiaries of the Service and made particular reference to advocacy – claim direct and efficient access to justice, and to networking with other agencies and organizations with a common purpose and action.
Dina Vardaramatou as the Coordinator of the NGO Praksis, referred to the two main pillars with which the organization is engaged in cooperation with the foresaid bodies. The program MEDICAL SERVICES EXTENDED constitutes an extension of medical services provided in the PRAKSIS Polyclinic of Athens, while the program EMPLOYABILITY CENTER, offers free support services to the unemployed during their job search, in Greek, English and French. Also, she did not fail to make a numerical report, while completing the speech, presenting quantitative data on how much the beneficiaries have been served during the operation of the center.
The coordinator of the Office of Special Procedures at the Regional Asylum Office in Attica, Katerina Prentza, noted that ” in the asylum process it is very important both for the Office and for asylum seekers and particularly for the vulnerable, that they can rely on immediate response of entities under one roof at the Solidarity Center, to provide vital humanitarian, medical, psychiatric and legal aid.”
Additionally, Angeliki Sandilou, the Coordinator of the Child Center, NETWORK FOR CHILDREN’S RIGHTS, commented that the “Child Center” operates based on its rules and the application of the “International Convention on Children’s Rights” and has set forth a basic daily schedule for individual and participative activities, with pedagogical, entertainment and cultural content. Focusing, the program adapts flexibly to new needs, as those arise, and focuses on children and their families and respect for diversity. The presence of the teacher, social worker and psychologist and the assistance of volunteers and friends of the “Network” (pediatrician, teachers, gynecologists, and others) also offer the possibility of enlarging the basic daily support through Greek language courses, information sessions, food distributions, as well as other actions.
Finally, the Coordinator of programs from the “Together for Children”, Konstantinos Tagkoulis made reference to both programs being hosted since January 2015 in the Athens Solidarity Center, the Counseling Line ” 115 25 ” and the ” Counseling Center “, which cumulatively within a year served more than 9,000 beneficiaries.The Counseling Line “11525” and “Counseling center” of the Association “Together for Children”, offer through qualified staff free services for any issue that concerns parents and children in order to raise awareness, and give guidance and psycho-emotional support to each family. Also, as part of his presentation, and in addition to quantitative and qualitative data, he referred to joint actions, of information, humanitarian and entertainment content, that were developed with co-located entities, thereby confirming the value of coexistence of separate voluntary organizations in the same space.
PRAKSIS
The main goal of PRAKSIS is the design, implementation and delivery of developmental, humanitarian and medical programs. Based on the two Polyclinics in Athens and Thessaloniki, the Reception Day Centers for the Homeless (Athens, Piraeus and Thessaloniki), the Reception Center for Unaccompanied Minors in Patras, the Centers for Unaccompanied Minors STEGI PLUS (+), PRAKSIS operates in Greece, mainly in Attica, Central Macedonia, the Aegean islands (e.g. Lesvos, Samos, Kos, Chios, Leros etc.), on the northern border of the country, as well as in the region of Patras, by offering for 18 years direct and free medical care, psychological and legal support to the local homeless, poor, uninsured, newly arrived asylum seekers, refugees and immigrants, repatriated, unaccompanied minors, street children, ex-prisoners and to other socially and economically excluded groups.
It also provides free testing for HIV and Hepatitis B,C, through Mobile Units for Examination and Information; additionally, it operates a Help Line 800 11 11 600 (toll free from a landline) 210 82 50 600 (free of charge from mobile) that provides information about sexually transmitted diseases, Hepatitis B, C and HIV.
www.praksis.gr | email: info@praksis.gr
ARSIS – Association for the Social Support of Youth
ARSIS is a non-governmental organization specialized in the social support of young people and vulnerable groups and the defense of human rights. The main axis of ARSIS’s actions is support, reintegration, education, securing housing and employment, protection of rights, citizens’ awareness and fostering volunteering and solidarity. It is active against discrimination, poverty and marginalization. Founded in 1992, ARSIS operates centers in Athens, Thessaloniki, Alexandroupolis, Volos and Kozani.
www.arsis.gr | email:arsisathina.legalaid@gmail.com
NETWORK FOR CHILDREN’S RIGHTS
The Network for Children’s Rights is a non-governmental organization established in 2004 with primary aim the sensitization and active intervention to the problems regarding Children’s Rights. It has undertaken actions and initiatives for the implementation of the UN International Convention on the Rights of the Child in our country, as well as for the respect of diversity and discriminations. Its members are teachers, parents, academics, writers, artists and children, who act voluntarily in and out of the school community, they undertake research, campaigns and programs.
www.ddp.org.gr | email:diktio1@gmail.com
ASSOCIATION “Together for Children”
The Association “Together for Children” is comprised of 10 charitable organizations that have as a common denominator the child and the modern family, and operates in Greece since 1996. The nationwide Line “11525” and the “Counselling Center” of the Association “Together for Children” are hosted from January 2015 at the Athens Solidarity Center, offering through qualified staff free services for any issue that concerns parents, children and adolescents raising awareness and offering guidance and psycho – emotional support to each family.
www.mazigiatopaidi.gr | email: info@mazigiatopaidi.gr, 11525@mazigiatopaidi.gr
NATIONAL ASYLUM SERVICE
The National’s Asylum Service mandate is according to the law the implementation of the national legislation on the provision of political asylum and other forms of international protection to foreigners who have fled their country due to justified fear of persecution on the basis of race, religion, national origin, political opinion or membership in a particular social group, and who are unable or unwilling to return home. As required by law, the Service receives, examines and decides on the basis of the national legislation and the international obligations of the country, for asylum applications filed in Greece. The Solidarity Center serves vulnerable people, so as to enable the direct provision of medical, psychosocial and legal services of the organizations hosted in the Center, when necessary.
www.asylo.gov.gr/en/ | email: press.asylo@asylo.gov.gr
SOLIDARITYNOW
SolidarityNow is a network of people and organizations founded in 2013 in Greece with the initiative of the Open Society Foundations (OSF) mainly aiming at providing assistance and support to those affected by the current crisis. The program “Solidarity Centers” has been running since January 2014 and is based on the idea of an open space, a core that enhances the participation of different groups of civil society in order to cover the lack of access of the city’s most vulnerable populations to integrated services.
www.solidaritynow.org | email: contact@solidaritynow.org
For the presentations (available only in Greek):
PRAKSIS, ARSIS – Association for the Social Support of Youth , ΥΠΗΡΕΣΙΑ ΑΣΥΛΟΥ/ΠΕΡΙΦΕΡΕΙΑΚΟ ΓΡΑΦΕΙΟ ΑΣΥΛΟΥ ΑΤΤΙΚΗΣ, ΔΙΚΤΥΟ ΓΙΑ ΤΑ ΔΙΚΑΙΩΜΑΤΑ ΤΟΥ ΠΑΙΔΙΟΥ, ΕΝΩΣΗ ΜΑΖΙ ΓΙΑ ΤΟ ΠΑΙΔΙ, αλληλεγγύη-SolidarityNow
INVITATION TO PRESS CONFERENCE
One year of co-action at the Athens Solidarity Center
Multiple benefits and results
On Thursday, January 14, 2016, the organizations ARSIS, PRAKSIS, NETWORK FOR CHILDREN’S RIGHTS, ASSOCIATION TOGETHER FOR CHILDREN, THE ASYLUM SERVICE and, SolidarityNow invite you to a joint Press Conference to mark the first anniversary of the Athens Solidarity Center.
After the co- operation of 1 year, all the implementing partners under the auspices of SolidarityNow exhibit their work, the results of their actions and the multiple benefits of offering free services to the beneficiaries, operating in a common structure.
Services offered at the Athens Solidarity Center include:
- Legal Assistance from ARSIS
- Medical Services from PRAKSIS
- Employability Services from PRAKSIS
- Day Care Center for Children from NETWORK FOR CHILDREN’S RIGHTS
- Advisory Services from ASSOCIATION TOGETHER FOR CHILDREN
- Examination of asylum applications by the ASYLUM SERVICE
SolidarityNow coordinates and communicates the activities of the Centre as a whole.
The services provided by the Solidarity Center are free and addressed to all: adults and children who are faced with poverty and social exclusion, with housing and insurance problems, migrants and asylum seekers/refugees, and to any family wishing to obtain specialized counselling services. The Solidarity Center implements an “open door” policy and is accessible to everyone regardless of nationality, religion, ethnic origin and social status.
The Press Conference will be held at 12:00 at the Athens Solidarity Center (Domokou 2 & Philadelphias | across the Larissa Station, 1st floor).
PRAKSIS
The main goal of PRAKSIS is the design, implementation and delivery of developmental, humanitarian and medical programs. Based on the two Polyclinics in Athens and Thessaloniki, the Reception Day Centers for the Homeless (Athens, Piraeus and Thessaloniki), the Reception Center for Unaccompanied Minors in Patras, the Centers for Unaccompanied Minors STEGI PLUS (+), PRAKSIS operates in Greece, mainly in Attica, Central Macedonia, the Aegean islands (e.g. Lesvos, Samos, Kos, Chios, Leros etc.), on the northern border of the country, as well as in the region of Patras, by offering for 18 years direct and free medical care, psychological and legal support to the local homeless, poor, uninsured, newly arrived asylum seekers, refugees and immigrants, repatriated, unaccompanied minors, street children, ex-prisoners and to other socially and economically excluded groups.
It also provides free testing for HIV and Hepatitis B,C, through Mobile Units for Examination and Information; additionally, it operates a Help Line 800 11 11 600 (toll free from a landline) 210 82 50 600 (free of charge from mobile) that provides information about sexually transmitted diseases, Hepatitis B, C and HIV.
www.praksis.gr | email: info@praksis.gr
ARSIS – Association for the Social Support of Youth
ARSIS is a non-governmental organization specialized in the social support of young people and vulnerable groups and the defense of human rights. The main axis of ARSIS’s actions is support, reintegration, education, securing housing and employment, protection of rights, citizens’ awareness and fostering volunteering and solidarity. It is active against discrimination, poverty and marginalization. Founded in 1992, ARSIS operates centers in Athens, Thessaloniki, Alexandroupolis, Volos and Kozani.
www.arsis.gr | email:arsisathina.legalaid@gmail.com
NETWORK FOR CHILDREN’S RIGHTS
The Network for Children’s Rights is a non-governmental organization established in 2004 with primary aim the sensitization and active intervention to the problems regarding Children’s Rights. It has undertaken actions and initiatives for the implementation of the UN International Convention on the Rights of the Child in our country, as well as for the respect of diversity and discriminations. Its members are teachers, parents, academics, writers, artists and children, who act voluntarily in and out of the school community, they undertake research, campaigns and programs.
www.ddp.org.gr | email:diktio1@gmail.com
ASSOCIATION “Together for Children”
The Association “Together for Children” is comprised of 10 charitable organizations that have as a common denominator the child and the modern family, and operates in Greece since 1996. The nationwide Line “11525” and the “Counselling Center” of the Association “Together for Children” are hosted from January 2015 at the Athens Solidarity Center, offering through qualified staff free services for any issue that concerns parents, children and adolescents raising awareness and offering guidance and psycho – emotional support to each family.
www.mazigiatopaidi.gr | email: info@mazigiatopaidi.gr, 11525@mazigiatopaidi.gr
NATIONAL ASYLUM SERVICE
The National’s Asylum Service mandate is according to the law the implementation of the national legislation on the provision of political asylum and other forms of international protection to foreigners who have fled their country due to justified fear of persecution on the basis of race, religion, national origin, political opinion or membership in a particular social group, and who are unable or unwilling to return home. As required by law, the Service receives, examines and decides on the basis of the national legislation and the international obligations of the country, for asylum applications filed in Greece. The Solidarity Center serves vulnerable people, so as to enable the direct provision of medical, psychosocial and legal services of the organizations hosted in the Center, when necessary.
www.asylo.gov.gr/en/ | email: press.asylo@asylo.gov.gr
SOLIDARITYNOW
SolidarityNow is a network of people and organizations founded in 2013 in Greece with the initiative of the Open Society Foundations (OSF) mainly aiming at providing assistance and support to those affected by the current crisis. The program “Solidarity Centers” has been running since January 2014 and is based on the idea of an open space, a core that enhances the participation of different groups of civil society in order to cover the lack of access of the city’s most vulnerable populations to integrated services.
www.solidaritynow.org | email: contact@solidaritynow.org
The Athens Solidarity Center operates with the financial support of Open Society Foundations, the EEA Norway Grants and the Norwegian Embassy in Greece, in collaboration with the Municipality of Athens and fund operator, PWC Cyprus and First Elements Euroconsultants Ltd. The 2009-2014 Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area (EEA, EEA Grants), which is the main donor of the Athens Solidarity Center, constitutes the financial contribution of the three donor countries Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, for the reduction of the financial and social disparities between EEA regions and the strengthening of bilateral relations with the beneficiary countries. In particular, the EEA grants period 2009-2014, contribute with financial aid totaling 993 million euros to support 86 projects in 16 European countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain.
The amount that has been committed for Greece amounts to 63.4 mil. euros and the priority areas selected are: Protection and Management of the Environment, Climate Change and Renewable Energy, Civil Society, Human and Social Development and the Academic Research.
For more information
PRAKSIS: Chryoula Patsou , Press Officer, presspraksis@gmail.com / 2105205200, 6947719678
ARSIS: Evangelia Kontodima, arsisathina.legalaid@gmail.com / 2108257661
ASYLUM SERVICE/ REGIONAL OFFICE OF THE ATTICA ASYLUM SERVICE: Katerina Prentza, e.prentza@asylo.gov.gr / 210 6988690
NETWORK FOR CHILDREN’S RIGHTS: Angeliki Sandilou, diktio4@gmail.com / 2108257667
ASSOCIATION TOGETHER FOR CHILDREN: Evina Sotiropoulou, Head of Press Office & Digital Media, socialmedia@mazigiatopaidi.gr / 210 74 82 690
SolidarityNow: Sophia Ioannou, Director of Communications & Fundraising, sophia@solidaritynow.org / 2106772500, 6937251997
Christmas celebration for 300 children at the Athens Solidarity Center!
Christmas celebration for 300 children at the Athens Solidarity Center!
Athens, 21 December 2015. Last Saturday on the 19th of December, a special multicultural Christmas celebration was enjoyed by more than 300 children who came accompanied by their parents at the Athens Solidarity Center. At the SolidarityNow Center all the staff, partners and volunteers welcomed the guests in a festive spirit to a party organized for their youngest friends.
The celebration had it all: music, carols and songs by the children’s choir- Christopher the Magician bearing a tall hat and pigeon tricks enchanted young and old alike! African regional dishes from the Association of Nigerian Women filled the room with flavors and colors! Everyone, voluntarily offered their services and contributed to create a truly cheerful atmosphere for the children.
“Since the Solidarity Center in Athens began operating in 2014, we have welcomed around 30,000 beneficiaries; having offered 60,000 services: medical, legal, consultations, psycho-social support. The Center is open to all – and it suffices to say that our beneficiaries originate from 123 countries of the world” said Giorgos Karagiannis, Coordinator of the Solidarity Center Program. “To be close to them, especially to children, during the holidays, is a great opportunity to share joy and blessings with those who trust us every day. This day has symbolic value for us as well and something we need equally to our beneficiaries”.
The celebration became a reality thanks to precious partners of SolidarityNow offering their services daily at the Athens Solidarity Center: Praksis, Network for Children’s Rights, ARSIS- Association for the Social Support of Youth, Union «Together for Children», and the Asylum Service.
* The Athens Solidarity Center operates with the financial support of the Open Society Foundations, the EEA Norway Grants, the Embassy of Norway in Greece and in collaboration with the Municipality of Athens.
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SolidarityNow is a network of people and organizations established in Greece in 2013 through the initiative of the Open Society Foundations. They work together to help those affected by the crisis the most. SolidarityNow supports groups and organizations of civil society that are active in Greece with programs and operates two Solidarity Centers in Athens (supported by the EEA Grants) and Thessaloniki, at which vulnerable groups of the population can receive free medical, legal and other services.
SolidarityNow operates by supporting synergies between civil society and governmental entities. Since the beginning of 2015, it has allocated the amount of ten (10) million euros to projects related to migration and the refugee crisis in Greece.
SolidarityNow Board of Directors:
Stelios Zavvos – President, Christos Rozakis, Nikos Alivizatos, Efthimios Vidalis, Aristos Doxiadis, Jenny Cavounidis, Antigone Lyberaki, Panos Marinopoulos, Manos Matsaganis, Calypso Nomikou, Anna Triandafyllidou
For information and interviews:
Sophia Ioannou, Head of Communications & Fundraising / tel. 210 677 2550, 6937 251997 | sophia@solidaritynow.org
Honorary award for SolidarityNow
We wish to share with you some good news: #SolidarityNow was awarded for its contribution with the Solidarity Centers!
Yesterday, in the Auditorium of the Acropolis Museum, and within the frame of #BravoSustainabilityAwards, we won one of three distinctions in the category «Bravo Society» for the program Solidarity Centers.
On behalf of our entire Team, the award was received by the Managing Director of #SolidarityNow, Epaminondas Farmakis given by the President of Bodossaki Foundation, Mr. D. Vlastos.
For us it is a price that comes to reward publicly an innovative program in which all believed when it started in 2014. And certainly, it is a push to achieve even more in the future!