Nov 18 2020
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Refugee Portraits (No1), from WELCOMMON HOSTEL: The story of Hamid. Love is whenever I play with my children

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Refugee faces (No1), from Welcommon Hostel. The real stories of refugees 

The story of Hamid: Love is whenever I play with my children

During COVID – 19, we – the social cooperative Anemos Ananeosis / Wind of Renewal – are hosting about 50-60 homeless vulnerable refugees in our innovative and inclusive WELCOMMON HOSTEL. Additional to accommodation and interecultural courses we already offer them, we want to aware the citizens of the real problems and needs of the refugees, therefore we will present the real stories of them.

If you want to support our work, go here: www.gogetfunding/welcommon

Portrait n°1 : Hamid

“I’m from Afghanistan. I’ve been in Greece for one year and one month. Two months in Athens. The rest of it in Moria. I decided to come to Greece because our lives were in danger in Afghanistan and also for the future of the kids.

Love is whenever I play with my children. It makes me happier than anything else. Everything is a memory with them. There is a particular story about a moment when we were terrified but we also love laughing about.

We were on a way from Turkey to Greece. One day we were in a park and it was a cold day and we put our 1,5 year old son in a box to keep him safe and warm. We were resting and fell asleep and at one point my wife realized that somebody was trying to take the box with our child. It was a person cleaning in the park. We realized we need to be more cautious since then!

I would like my children to become football players. That’s the only thing I would like them to become in the future.”

What is the WELCOMMON HOSTEL and the WELCOMMON project

The WELCOMMON Hostel is an innovative hostel run by the social cooperative enterprise Anemos Ananeosis / Wind of Renewal. We provide safe accommodation, promote social inclusion and propose non formal education to travellers who needs it. To do this we use our 7 storeys building with its 167 beds and its 2 floors dedicated to education and intercultural activities. If you’ve ever come into the Welcommon you probably felt that it is a special place, a place where you can meet people, learn from them… it is a community.
We  and various organisations are stepping up to provide emergency accommodation to as many families as we can in the Welcommon hotel during COVID-19. During this new lock down we are hosting a number of people from Afghanistan, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Algeria, Palestine, Congo. Many of them children, women, young refugees.
Since the creation of the Welcommon Hostel in 2018, the aim has been to be self financed by sustainable tourism. All was going well since the Covid crisis reached Greece in March 2020. With the collapse of tourism and the various crises that occured since the spring, we and our collaborators find ourselves in a position of financial struggle.
That’s why today we need your help to take some of the burden away. Anything you can give will help, from a single euro to larger donations, to help keep the Welcommon Hostel open and the people we host out of the streets this winter. To financially support us: https://gogetfunding.com/welcommon/
And if you are not able to give, sharing this to as many people as possible is also a great help!

#tellyourstory #refugeeswelcome #refugeestories #WelcommonHostel #daysofwelcommon #WindofRenewal #WithRefugees #socialinclusion #empowerment #Athens #LeaveNoOneBehind #erasmus #EuropeanSolidarityCorps

Nov 10 2020
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Green Deal, European Youth Guarantee and youth employment: Opportunities and Challenges in Greece and Spain

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Online Event

The European Green Deal and the reinforced European Youth Guarantee: Will they help to tackle Youth Unemployment? Opportunities and Challenges with focus on Greece and Spain

12th November 2020
Time: 2-3.30 pm CEST

 The webinar is a collaboration of the World Future Council with the pilot projects GRÆDUCATION and EUKI YesClima and their partners. Anemos Ananeosis / Wind of Renewal is participating in the preparation of the event and the pannel of the discussion.

The event would like to discuss with participants and audience if and how a Green Sector offers a unique chance to involve young women and men endangered by economic exclusion, in particular by implementing the goals set out in the European Green Deal (EGD) and the corresponding National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs). The online event provides a forum for EU parliamentarians, representatives of the national focal points of the Youth guarantee as well as young people and civil society working in this field to report on the specific situation in their countries. Best practices for measures, educational cooperation and policies will also be presented to initiate new ideas and to plan their implementation. The online event enables for discussions about the remaining tasks of the member states to develop programmes on how to (financially) implement the European Youth Guarantee in light of green recovery policies and the challenges of climate protection.

To be successful in reducing youth unemployment in light of the European Green Deal we will need strong European networks for an effective exchange of knowledge, sustainable cooperation and good policies. The online event aims to give an impulse to develop such networks and showcases some innovative policies.

Chair: Samia Kassid, Germany. Senior Programme Manager – Rights of Children and Youth, World Future Council.

Our Keynote Speakers
– Prof. Dr. Lina Gálvez Muñoz, MEP, Vice Chair of Committee on Industry, Research and Energy
– Max Uebe, European Commission, Head of Unit, Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion B1 Employment Strategy
– Dr. Spiros Protopsaltis, Governor of OAED Manpower Employment Organization Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Vice Chair of European Network of Public Employment Services, Greece

A moderated discussion with
– Nikos Chrysogelos, Wind of Renewal: Youth unemployment, EYG and the challenges in Greece
– Silke Steinberg, FIAP, e.V.: GRÆDUCATION: a systemic approach for innovative, greennvocational training as change agent for labor markets (Best Practice)
– Afroditi Strati, Young Voice from Greece
– Ms Sandra García Lopez, Public Employment Service, Spanish Youth Guarantee Coordinator
– Dr. Silke Karcher, German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety / EUKI (Policy Example) (tbc)
– Prof. Dr. Francisco José Sánchez de la Flor (Universidad de Cádiz): YesClima: Lifelong Education (Best practice)
– Mario Férnandez Ardanaz, Vice-President of the Provincial Government of Cádiz: Tackling Youth Employment in the province of Cádiz.
– Paula García Rodríguez, Young Voice from Spain
– Ian Menzies, Senior Education Officer, Education Scotland: Scotland’s Youth employment strategy: Developing the young workforce (Policy Example)

In our web-event we will discuss if and how a Green Sector offers a unique chance to involve young women and men endangered by economic exclusion, in particular by implementing the goals set out in the European Green Deal (EGD) and the corresponding National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs). The Green Recovery will create new business and service opportunities for which today’s youth will need to be prepared.The European Commission’s initiative to “reinforce the Youth Guarantee” aims to support young people in gaining work experience and developing skills as well as to boost employability for a green economy. There is no doubt that the COVID-19 crisis will worsen employment opportunities, and it is feared that young women and men are hit hardest being excluded from qualified work. The exclusion of (not only!) the European youth from economic activities will increase intolerably, particularly in regions with an already high youth unemployment.

Therefore, the focus of the reinforced Youth Guarantee should also be on employment in innovative, emerging professions that are important for a sustainable Europe and in Subscribe Past Issues Translate creating jobs with a focus on “Green Skills”.

Today, youth make up 37 % of the global working-age population, but account for 60 % of the total unemployed. According to OECD, global youth unemployment rate is three times higher than for adults. The youth labour market is highly sensitive to economic cycles and in times of economic crisis youth employment is hit more strongly by economic shocks than adult employment. Young workers are often “first out”. During the 2008 crisis, one in ten jobs in Europe held by workers under 30 were lost. In Spain, Greece and Ireland, half of working young people lost their jobs between 2007 and 2014. Twelve years after that recession and despite economic recovery across the OECD, youth employment rate stagnated since 2010 and never recovered to pre-2008 crisis levels. Economic crises force young people into long-term unemployment, inactivity and discouragement which affects their long-term career prospects. The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on youth labour market outcomes will be severe in developed, emerging, and developing countries. Economies with high rates of informal employment are particularly vulnerable to shocks. The lockdowns and the spread of the virus mean millions of young people lack social protection, income benefit in case of sickness, and are at risk through inadequate access to universal health care.

The reinforced Youth Guarantee will play a crucial role to tackling youth unemployment in Europe, especially in countries like Greece or Spain. The World Future Council and its partners, the Diputación de la provincia de Cádiz, Universidad de Cádiz, FIAP e.V. (Gelsenkirchen), the Sekretariat für Zukunftsforschung(Berlin) and Wind of Renewal (Greece), welcome the Commission’s initiative to “reinforce the Youth Guarantee” and have submitted in May 2020 a memorandum to the European Commission advocating for adequate training of young people to create new jobs that are in line with the European Green Deal. On top prevocational and vocational qualifications must be improved and should form part of the educational system.

About the World Future Council

The World Future Council (WFC) works to pass on a healthy and sustainable planet with just and peaceful societies to our children and grandchildren. To achieve this, it focuses on identifying, developing, highlighting, and spreading effective, future-just solutions for current challenges humanity is facing, and promote their implementation worldwide. The Council consists of 50 eminent global change-makers from governments, parliaments, civil societies, academia, the arts, and the business world. Jakob von Uexkull, the Founder of the Alternative Nobel Prize, launched the World Future Council in 2007. It is an independent, non-profit organisation under German law and finance our activities with institutional partnerships and donations.

The World Future Council works on solutions to some of the most pressing challenges by finding and spreading exemplary laws and policies that have a proven record of producing positive impacts both for current and future generations, working with parliamentarians, policy makers and relevant stakeholders as well UN bodies at an international level. The World Future Council recognises the increased and urgent need of empowering youth regarding access to decent jobs, including green jobs. In 2019, the Future Policy Award, also known as the “Oscar for best policies”, highlighted exemplary laws and policies that foster enabling environments for youth so that they can develop their full potential, realize their dreams, and contribute to the success of Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals. The Future Policy Award worked in partnership with the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the United Nations Development Programme, with support of the Office of the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth, the International Labour Organization, and Youth Policy Lab. www.worldfuturecouncil.org

GRÆDUCATION

IThe BMBF funded project GRÆDUCATION provides important solutions to this problem in Greece. Together with the Greek Employment Agency O.A.E.D. and the Greek Ministry of Education, FIAP e.V. and the German Greek Chamber of Industry and Commerce are initiating collaborations between German and Greek vocational educators to “green” technical training and qualifications. In addition, the focus is also on interdisciplinary, transformative aspects, which aim at the “green” empowerment of young people. www.fiap-ev.org, www.graeducation.org

EUKI YESclima

In the project YESclima (“Young Energy Experts working for climate-friendly Schools”, 2018-2020), 22 young women and men from Greece and the Spanish province Cádiz, have elaboratedg energy-audits and proposals to make school building more energy efficient, mainly with “smart” natural techniques and using solar energy. The project is managed by the University of Cádiz (leader), the Greek social cooperative enterprise “Anemos Ananeosis / Wind of Renewals” (Athens), the “Sekretariat für Zukunftsforschung” (Berlin) and the Energy Agency of the province of Cádiz (all implementers). The project is integrated in the “European Climate Initiative” (EUKI), founded, and financed by the German Ministry for Environment, Natural Protection and Nuclear Safety. https://www.euki.de/euki-projects/yesclima/

Participants

We aim to reach out to policy makers, parliamentarians, EU-representatives, civil society, and youth working the field of youth employment.

Format

This is a virtual event held over Zoom. It may be streamed live on the World Future Council Facebook page. The event will be recorded and can be made available on the World Future Council’s website and Facebook page.

BACKGROUND

The BMBF funded project GRÆDUCATION provides important solutions to this problem in Greece. Together with the Greek Employment Agency O.A.E.D. and the Greek Ministry of Education, FIAP e.V. and the German Greek Chamber of Industry and Commerce are initiating collaborations between German and Greek vocational educators to “green” technical training and qualifications. In addition, the focus is also on interdisciplinary, transformative aspects, which aim at the “green” empowerment of young people. www.fiap-ev.org, www.graeducation.org

The World Future Council works on solutions to some of the most pressing challenges by finding and spreading exemplary laws and policies that have a proven record of producing positive impacts both for current and future generations, working with parliamentarians, policy makers and relevant stakeholders as well UN bodies at an international level. The World Future Council recognises the increased and urgent need of empowering youth regarding access to decent jobs, including green jobs. In 2019, the Future Policy Award, also known as the “Oscar for best policies”, highlighted exemplary laws and policies that foster enabling environments for youth so that they can develop their full potential, realize their dreams, and contribute to the success of Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals. The Future Policy Award worked in partnership with the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the United Nations Development Programme, with support of the Office of the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth, the International Labour Organization, and Youth Policy Lab. www.worldfuturecouncil.org.

In the project YESclima (“Young Energy Experts working for climate-friendly Schools”, 2018-2020), 22 young women and men from Greece and the Spanish province Cádiz, have elaboratedg energy-audits and proposals to make school building more energy efficient, mainly with “smart” natural techniques and using solar energy. The project is managed by the University of Cádiz (leader), the Greek NGO “Wind of Renewals” (Athens), the “Sekretariat für Zukunftsforschung” (Berlin) and the Energy Agency of the province of Cádiz (all implementers). The project is integrated in the “European Climate Initiative” (EUKI), founded, and financed by the German Ministry for Environment, Natural Protection and Nuclear Safety. https://www.euki.de/euki-projects/yesclima/

Nov 04 2020
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Webinar: “YESClima Young experts for climate-friendly schools in Mediterranean countries”

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“YESClima:Young experts for climate-friendly schools in Mediterranean countries”

Final Event YesClima 2020 | GREECE“

5/11/2020, at 16.00-18.00

An online discussion on “youth work on climate protection and energy saving”, organized by Anemos Renovation in the framework of the EUKI YESclima program on Thursday 5/11, from 16.00-18.00 (the discussion will be in Greek).

The event, which will be broadcast on Facebook and YouTube, will discuss with specific examples how climate protection contributes to the creation of new quality, green jobs and reduces costs for heating and cooling of public and private buildings.

WHEN? -> at the 5th of November,

WHERE? -> in the WELCOMMON Hostel, an innovative hostel with social impact and a center for social innovation dedicated to promote green and circular economy and employment in green, social and cultural sectors

but also! in our online event on facebook & youtube!!

We would be more than happy to invite you to take part in this event, in order to exchange knowledge, experiences and good practises for more climate-friendly buildings and educational centers as well as for green jobs on energy efficiency and climate protection.

The program of the event is:

  • 16.00 Greetings and description of the project carried out within the framework of EUKI YESclima by Nikos Chrysogelos (President of the Social Cooperative: “Wind of Renewal”)

  • 16:10 Greetings by Francisco José Sánchez de la Flor, (Professor Titular de Cadiz University, Director of the Department of Machines and Thermal Engines, Superior School of Engineering. Universidad de Cádiz, Spain, project coordinator (English))

  • 16.15 “Results of energy control project in 9 school buildings and a hostel within YESclima”: Dimitra Beleri, (architect), Ioanna-Athina Georgopoulou (building physicist).

  • 16.35 “Experience from my participation in the YESclima project”: Agapi-Evangelia Tsampazi (Civil Engineer AUTh., M.Sc., Ecology Program Coordinator, Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Foundation, Greece)

  • 16.45 “Climate protection and energy saving in Municipality’s  schools – the experience of cooperation in the framework of the EUKI-YESclima program”: Maria Androutsou, (Mayor of Agios Dimitrios)

  • 16.55 “Climate protection and energy saving in Municipality’s  schools – the experience of cooperation in the framework of the EUKI-YESclima program”: Alexis Mavragannis (Deputy Mayor of Vrilissia)

  • 17.05 “From the level of the building we are now moving to the level of the neighborhood – interactions and new approaches at European level”, Michalis Goudis (Director of the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Foundation, Greece, former communications manager of Housing Europe, the European Federation of Public and Private Michalis Goudis)

  • 17.20 Discussion – Interventions, questions and answers (Q&A)

  • 17.45 Closing by N. Chrysogelos

The event in Spain 

Energy saving and natural heating – cooling systems

Natural heating and cooling methods use less energy and are frequently more economical. However, many educational buildings in Spain and Greece use expensive and energy-consuming heating and air conditioning systems instead of more efficient and climate-friendly solutions. The condition of most of the educational centres should be improved. It is a fact that more climate-friendly solutions are rarely used.

The YESclima project is an EUKI program that aims to train young experts in energy related topics, to carry out energy audits in primary schools and to provide advice to the municipalities involved in the project. With their practice and additional training, the project goal is to increase their chances of working while at the same time contributing to reducing emissions from heating and cooling in public buildings.

In the framework of the program “YESClima: Young people working for climate protection and energy saving” 11 young people from Greece, organized in 3 groups, after a theoretical training and practicing for 6 months, they acquired knowledge, skills and abilities so that they can work professionally in energy saving techniques in buildings. All three of the teams, firstly, visited 8 educational centers in Athens in order to evaluate their energy audits based on the existing equipment and newly acquired knowledge. After that, their task was to compose technical essays where the current energy behaviour of the buildings is estimated and elaborate on measures and techniques that could improve the the indoor climate and thermal comfort as well as provide data concerning the energy savings in the heating and cooling of buildings, and thus also economic savings for the local authorities that manage the schools.

In Greece this project is organized by the Social Cooperative “Anemos Ananeosis / Wind of Renewal” with the collaboration of two municipalities of Attica, Ag. Demetrios and Vrilissia, the University of Cádiz-Andalusia (UCA), the Provincial Energy Agency of Cadiz (APEC), the Sekretariat für Zukunftsstudien Berlin an der Freien Universität Berlin.

This project is part of the European Climate Initiative (EUKI). EUKI is a project financing instrument by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU). The EUKI competition for project ideas is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. It is the overarching goal of the EUKI to foster climate cooperation within the European Union (EU) in order to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.’