Seminar in Athens

I was delighted when, as last year, I was asked to speak at a seminar organized by "ΕΛΙΑΜΕΠ" The Hellenic Foundation for European and foreign policy, in association with "Moveact" and "Europe Direct". The subject of the seminar was: 

                       "Eυρωπαίοι Πολίτες και Πολιτική Συμμετοχή"

"European Citizens and Political Participation" 

It was a beautiful day when I arrived in Athens and walked through Syndagma square towards my hotel

The fountains were playing - although just across from them there was quite a racket where a lot of the marble flooring of the square was being cut up!

The seminar was held at the

" Πνευματικό Κέντρο Δήμου Αθηναίων"

"Cultural Centre of Athens"    

Europe Direct του Δήμου Αθηναίων

    

We were welcomed by,

Θάνος Ντόκος, Γενικός Διευθυντής ΕΛΙΑΜΕΠ

Thanos Dokos, Director General ELIAMEP

The introduction was by:

Κωνσταντίνα Καρύδη, Σύμβουλος Δημάρχου Αθηναίων, Επικεφαλής του Europe Direct του Δήμου Αθηναίων

Constantina Karidi, councillor City of Athens, Director, Head of Europe Direct, Athens

The other speakers included:

Nina Ghita, Δικηγόρος, πρόεδρος της Ρουμανικής κοινότητας Άγιος Στέφανος ο Μέγας

Nina Ghita, Lawyer, President of the Romanian community of Saint Stephen the Great Athens    

Αθανάσιος Τσιούρας, Νομικός Σύμβουλος του Δημάρχου Αθηναίων

Athanasios Tsiouri, Solicitor and councillor of Athens 

Michaela presented information from the last year's research 

Μικαέλα Μαρούφωφ, Βοηθός Ερευνήτρια, ΕΛΙΑΜΕΠ

Mikaela Maroufof, Assistant Researcher, ELIAMEP

There was a great diversity of attendees including 

Vania Nedeltcheva, Sociologist and Migrant counsellor of the  "Athens Labour Unions, Organization". ( EKA) - Supporting office for immigrants and refugees.

It was a very interesting seminar, the challenges faced by the Romanians and other non Greeks in Athens are very different from ours here in Apokoronas. We were told that there are 40,000 Romanians now in Athens and of those there are only THREE registered to vote. Part of this is that they say they cannot take a day of work to register, but some is simple apathy and lack of information. Also they mentioned that als the Greeks do not have the information I replied that we have the same problem here and I often have to inform the "locals" about something. It is a general problem here in Greece and you need to be proactive.   I was able to tell the seminar about the European participation in the elections in Apokoronas and they were very interested in our participation. During question time one member asked several pointed questions - it transpired later that he was a journalist from "ΤΟ ΒΗΜΑ" so that explained his position. I was asked if I would be interested in attending something being arranged by The "EKA" later in the year. After the official seminar we had the chance to chat informally  - and I was interviewed by the journalist, though I don't know if anything will be in the paper!