PRESS RELEASE
The Mediterranean Institute for Nature and Anthropos (MedINA) in cooperation with the Green Tank present the project “Alliance for Sustainable Local Development (SymATA)” implemented under the Active citizens fund.
The Alliance for Sustainable Local Development – SymATA aims at the revitalisation of rural areas by their own communities through the support and development of local Civil Society Organisations.
The abandonment of rural areas especially by young people, the contraction of the vivid energy and prospects of many areas, as well as the insufficient use and promotion of their comparative advantages as part of sustainable development, make it imperative to strengthen local organisations. SymATA’s action comes to address this need in practice through a comprehensive framework of support for its members.
Several bodies form the alliance. The Initiative Team comprises 6 national and supra-national bodies, eager to offer their know-how, and the Members Network comprises 12 local Civil Society Organizations actively engaged with nature, culture and sustainable development.
Organizations identify fundraising, communication and good governance as key to their proper functioning and development. In addition, they face other difficulties in such fields as staff training, strategic planning and organizational issues. As they notably mentioned, there is a pool of 245 volunteers who are systematically involved in their activities. At the same time, the organizations recognize advocacy at the national and European levela as equally critical, and prioritize both the protection and the development of their local area. Empowering organizations in this direction, the advocacy seminar, to be held in July 2022, will present the key points of environmental and sustainable development policy, providing insight into the meaning, means and tools of advocacy, and the sources of information on issues of interest. In autumn, the project partners will organize training seminars on sustainable local development and fundraising, as well as targeted support on internal organization and governance issues.
By the end of the year, the members of SymATΑ will have a common roadmap that will include the vision, identity and values of SymATA as a basis for its further development.
“SymATA is a journey in Greece of Civil Society Organizations beginning just now. We are on the same page, writing the story together.”
- Miranda Vatikioti, Project Manager, MedINA
“We participate in the project, drawing inspiration from the wide experience of the Members Network, in order to strengthen the skills of the organizations and in this way contribute to the development of SymATA as an active Civil Society network for the promotion of sustainable local development in our country.”
- Ioli Christopoulou, Policy Director, The Green Tank
Τhe project “Alliance for Sustainable Local Development (SymATA)” is being implemented under the Active citizens fund in Greece by MedINA and its partner The Green Tank.
The Active citizens fund in Greece is supported through a € 13.5 m grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway as part of the EEA Grants 2014 – 2021. The programme aims to develop the sustainability and capacity of the civil society sector in Greece, and to strengthen its role in promoting and safeguarding democratic procedures, active citizenship and human rights. The Fund Operator for the Active citizens fund in Greece is Bodossaki Foundation in consortium with SolidarityNow. More information: www.activecitizensfund.gr/en/
