Apr 15 2022
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11 european and international awards and distinctions for Wind of Renewal and Welcommon Hostel

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ANEMOS ANANEOSIS / WIND OF RENEWAL has received 11 international and European-level distinctions for innovation and contribution to the social economy, social innovation, social and green impact.

– Anemos Ananeosis / Wind of Renewal has been awarded the European Citizen’s Prize 2018, by the European Parliament.  The European Citizen’s Prize recognizes initiatives that contribute to the promotion of EU values and fundamental rights, mutual understanding and closer integration between people in the EU, cross- border cooperation that builds a stronger European spirit.

– HOSTEL WORLD named in 2020 the WELCOMMON HOSTEL as one of the Hostel Heroes 2020, “a hostel that in the midst of the crisis is supporting the community coming together… building a better world!”.

– Welcommon Hostel was recognised as the most EXTRAORDINARY Hostel Hero 2021 by leading Online Travel Agent focused on the hostel market, Hostelworld. It was crowned most EXTRAORDINARY Hostel Hero by a panel of expert travel judges and more than 20,000 votes by hostel  travelers  all around the world.

– WELCOMMON HOSTEL was distinguished as the best social / intercultural action 2020-2021 in Greece during covid-19 – the competition was organized by the national network of “Anna Lindh Foundation“, the euro-med network for the intercultural dialogue.

– It was included in the short list of the finalists of the Central European Bank – CEB “social inclusion” award 2021,

– It was included in the short list (5 projects) of the HOSCARs “Extraordinary Sustainable Hostel” 2021

– It was selectd as one of the best 3 examples of projects for refugees contributing to the dialogue between the cultures in the Euro-med area (2017 Euro-Med Dialogue Award) by the Anna Lindh Foundation and the Fondazione Mediterraneo.

– We have also received A Special Mention” award of the REVES Excellence Award 2017 and a bronze prize 2019 in the competition @REVESNetwork #ExcellenceAwards2019 and.

– The French Federation of Social Inclusion Enterprises invited ANEMOS ANANEOSIS / WIND OF RENEWAL to participate in it’s national Congress organized 16-17/11/2018, in Marseille, and presented  the WELCOMMON center for housing and social inclusion of refugees as a “good example of social inclusion in Euro-Med area”.

– Welcommon Hostel was selected as one of the Best Of civil society initiatives of the Euro-Med Region and was presented during the “Long Night of Ideas” on 7/6/2021: how civil society in the Euro-Med was contributing to overcome challenges of our times

Jan 16 2022
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Hannah Neumann, MEP: “My trip to Greece” – and her visit to Welcommon Hostel

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Hannah Neumann, MEP: “My trip to Greece” and …her visit to Welcommon Hostel

This article is published by Hannah Neumann, a Member of the European Parliament (Greens/EFA, Germany) after her visit to Athens, and, between others, to Welcommon Hostel. Thank you Hannah

Hannah Neumann talking to Afghan Women MEPs in Greece
In Greece, female MPs are working on the foundation of an Afghan Women’s Parliament in exile. As soon as I heard about it, it was clear to me: I have to meet them.With almost 30 per cent female members, the Afghan parliament had been a pioneer in the region for years, thanks to a fixed quota (the percentage of female MPs was even ahead of some EU countries like Bulgaria, the Czech Republic or Croatia). When the country was taken over by the Taliban, most women parliamentarians were forced to leave their homes; the majority currently live in Greece. I was therefore keen to find out how they see the future of Afghanistan in view of the ever-dwindling room for manoeuvre for women and girls and the desolate economic situation in the country.My trip was also a welcome opportunity to follow up on the topic of arms export. The former German government had supplied U-submarines to Turkey, even though the Council of the EU had imposed sanctions on Turkish officials because of the escalation in the Mediterranean. These submarines could be used against Greece, an EU member state. In Greece, the issue is understandably high on the foreign policy agenda, as Athens sees the Turkish conduct in the Mediterranean as a threat.

Curiosity about the traffic light coalition and the issue of arms exports

On the first day of my stay – which was actively supported by the Thessaloniki office of the Heinrich Böll Foundation – I was invited to the Greek parliament. On the agenda was a meeting with MP Dora Bakoyannis, first female Foreign Minister of Greece and first female Mayor of Athens. I discussed with her the impact of the Afghanistan conflict on migration and refugee numbers in Greece, the Greek interest in a common European position on arms exports and the change of government after the elections in Germany. We also exchanged views on the issue of sexism towards women politicians: Disparagement and misogynistic prejudices do not stop at party or national borders.The new traffic light coalition in Germany was one of the topics of many of my conversations. After 16 years of Merkel, many people are looking to Germany, curious about what the new government will bring. A lot is expected of us when it comes to defending Europe and human rights, as well as in terms of climate diplomacy and a feminist foreign policy.After the meeting, I went to the headquarters of the Greek TV station Skai to give an interview on this very question: What can the member states, but also the EU, expect from the new German government and Germany’s first female foreign minister? How will Germany position itself on arms exports to Turkey? And what can be expected from the French Council Presidency? After the countless remote interviews (due to Covid), it was a welcome change to be able to actually sit across from a journalist in a TV studio again.
Picture at the premises of Melissa network
A range of pictures at the premises of Melissa Network

The return of the Taliban: sheer disbelief, agony and the search for solutions

In the evening, I had an appointment with former Green MP Nikos Chrysogelos, who is now involved in local socio-ecological projects. Our meeting place was a special one: the Welcommon Hostel. It had always been planned as a joint accommodation for tourists and asylum seekers, but since the massive decline in tourism in Greece, the hostel had many vacant rooms. Since many state-funded shelters had been closed at the same time, the rooms now benefit refugees in need of protection. During the meeting, Nikos Chrysogelos introduced me to a number of former Afghan judges and prosecutors who were evacuated from the country with the help of the International Bar Association and are now staying at the Welcommon Hostel, among other places.
In our conversation, it quickly became clear how gruelling it must be for them to wait for the approval of resettlement applications and the onward journey to family members in other EU member states, who they wish to reunite with. We urgently need more flexibility and pragmatic solutions here, because it is clear: these people will not be able to return to Afghanistan any time soon. And of course, we mustn’t forget the countless people who are still in the country due to a lack of contacts and resources.The following day, I finally met the Afghan MPs in the rooms of the Melissa Network. The organisation was instrumental in the evacuation of the women and provides them with a platform for exchange and networking. As the MPs have not all been housed in the same place since their arrival in Greece, the meeting provided them with a welcome opportunity to exchange ideas and discuss future strategies.Of the former 69 female MEPs, around 25 are in Greece. The rest have gone to other European countries, Turkey or the US and Canada; according to BBC research, nine MPs are still in Afghanistan. One of the first to speak was Amina Afzali, former Minister of Labour and Social Affairs. She had followed the return of the Taliban with sheer disbelief, which quickly turned to agony when she witnessed the destruction of lots of what had been achieved so far. After all, Afghan women have been fighting for their freedom and rights for the last 100 years – certainly including many setbacks. Much of what they have achieved in the last 20 years they now see being destroyed at a staggering pace – and although they are in exile, their conversations revolve almost exclusively around possible ways to somehow still improve the situation on the ground.
Discussion with Afghan women at the Melissa Network

Afghanistan’s central bank reserves – and a humanitarian crisis

The question of how to deal with the frozen assets of the Afghan central bank sparked off the first lively exchange of words – my interpreter could hardly keep up with the translation.The money involves reserves of no less than 9.5 billion US dollars, which some of the MPs argued could alleviate food insecurity and deep-rooted poverty in the country. Others were convinced that the money in the hands of the Taliban would not be used for the benefit of the population. Even if the funds were released, they would only cover the country’s import costs for about 15 months, according to World bank calculations. Structural problems such as drought, dependence on international aid and high unemployment cannot be solved even by releasing the reserves.The issue of central bank reserves is closely linked to the recognition of the Taliban regime: Currently, no state has recognised the Taliban. And, according to the women in the room, this should remain the case.
It is clear that the country is facing a humanitarian crisis and that women and children are particularly affected. According to estimates by the UN Refugee Agency, almost 23 million people, or 55 percent of the population, are suffering from extreme hunger. It is therefore urgent that the EU continues humanitarian aid to the country. Earlier this year, the UN issued an appeal for more than $5 billion in donations for Afghanistan in the hope of restoring the country’s collapsing basic services – the largest amount ever requested for humanitarian aid for a single country.Addressing the humanitarian crisis does not mean acknowledging the Taliban, who are a big part of the problem. Aid must reach the people of the country, regardless of their gender, origin or religious affiliation.

Hope for the next generation?

The desolate conditions in Afghanistan and the desire to work for the good of their country make it difficult for MPs to endure not being able to exercise their mandate. One MP, who did not want to be named, reported how difficult it is for her to do nothing when reports of sexual exploitation and human trafficking reach her: something that is difficult to change from exile. Shagufa Noorzai, elected for Helmand province, pleaded to continue to stand up for women’s concerns, for precisely this reason.The parliament in exile does not yet have an official speaker. The MPs are currently in a readjustment process, which will lead to the foundation of the parliament in exile. As a Member of the European Parliament, I am of course ready to support the women in their important work, and so are many of my colleagues.
One thing is clear: as the European Union, we must now do our utmost to assist the people of Afghanistan. This includes speeding up emigration procedures for people at risk (e.g. by reducing bureaucratic hurdles in visa applications) and expanding humanitarian aid and support for Afghan civil society. Women and girls in particular need this support more than ever – and of course the local forces that made our engagement in Afghanistan possible in the first place. On this issue, I have already submitted a question for oral answer to EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell.. Committed Afghans like the women I met will also in future be an important link to the country. That’s why I will continue to exchange ideas with them in the years to come. And this is also about the next generation: on the sidelines of the meeting, I talked to the 18-year-old granddaughter of one of the MPs. Due to the invasion of the Taliban, she was unable to complete her high school diploma, as the Taliban deny girls access to education. In this exceptional situation, her school took the marks of the mid-term exams as a basis to calculate the grade point average for the girls’ graduation certificates. Now she hopes to come to Canada with her grandmother to study medicine.
Dec 19 2021
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Online event: EU Green Deal and the Greek Green Deal

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EU Green Deal and the Greek Green Deal
Online event: Monday 20th of December | 14:00-17:00 CET

In July 2021, the European Commission presented a series of proposals to implement the Green Deal, the goal of making the European Union “climate neutral” by 2050. Since then, the European Green Deal has been both specialised and criticised for its weaknesses in terms of its social objectives. At Member State level, the landscape is even more blurred and often conflicting, with inadequate climate policies, lack of political will and citizens’ ignorance of the impending changes in their lives, for example in terms of employment, energy, housing and quality of life in cities, agri-food, etc.

Heinrich Böll Foundation Greece and the social cooperative enterprise Wind of Renewal / Anemos Ananeosis have tried to answer the question “What would a Green Deal for Greece look like?” by asking researchers, representatives of institutions and experts to submit their views in the homonymous online dossier. This initiative aims to co-shape a Green Deal that leaves no one behind and achieves the transition to a new productive-consumptive model. In this context, the two organisations, are organising the online event EU Green Deal and the Greek Green Deal, on Monday 20 December, 14:00-17:00 CET.

The event takes place on the occasion of the publication of the Policy brief “A Green Deal for Greece”. The online discussion aims to contribute to the information of Greek citizens and to trigger a fruitful dialogue between a wide range of civil society actors and competent authorities on this strategy, the opportunities and challenges for its implementation in Europe, as well as in Greece.

The debate, which is the first of a series of others that will follow, is with the support of the European Parliament Office in Greece.

The event will be held in Greek and English, with simultaneous interpretation, and will be broadcasted live here and here

Registration here

For more information, please contact:
– Nikos Chrysogelos, Wind of Renewal, nikos.chrysogelos@gmail.com
– Kyriaki Metaxa, Heinrich Boell Foundation Greece kyriaki.metaxa@gr.boell.org

PROGRAM |14:00-17:00 CET

14:00 – 14:15 Welcome, Greetings:

  • Constantinos Tsoutsoplides, European Parliament in Athens
  • Michalis Goudis, director Heinrich Boell Foundation Greece

14:15 – 15:15 A European Green Deal for all

  • Emmanuella Doussis, Professor at the University of Athens, UNESCO Chairholder on Climate Diplomacy “Geopolitics of the European Green Deal”
  • Alexandra Geese, MEP Greens/EFA, “Green Deal and gender budgeting“
  • Elsa Durieux, Senior Officer, Sustainable Finance, Smart Cities and Business – ICLEI (tbc)

Questions

15:15 – 16:25 A Green Deal for Greece

  • Athena Dimou, Assistant to the Director and President of the BoD – Programs’ monitoring at National Observatory of Athens – CLIMPACT project “The need to link research with decision-making centers to address the Climate crisis. Examples of collaborations at national and regional level“
  • Vlassis Oikonomou, Managing Director – Institute for European Energy and Climate Policy Foundation “Heating decarbonization in Greece and the role of energy efficiency”
  • Nikos Chrysogelos, former MEP, chair of Wind of Renewl: “Green recovery of neighborhoods and cities and the role of social economy“
  • Maria Mourtzaki, Policy Manager – ActionAid Hellas: “The social dimension of the European Green Deal: elements for inclusive policies“

Questions
16:25 – 17:00 Wrap up
Moderation: Michalis Goudis, Director Heinrich Boell Foundation Office Thessaloniki, Greece