Feb 28 2019
0

Social inclusion and green transition projects in the innovative WELCOMMON HOSTEL

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Social inclusion and green transition projects in the innovative WELCOMMON HOSTEL

WELCOMMON Hostel, an innovative hostel with social inclusion and energy transition vision

It is a demanding project, but we decided to risk. We created the WELCOMMON HOSTEL, an innovative hostel and also a social experiment in the center of Athens.   We decided to combine two “different” aims: sustainable tourism, green and social innovation with social inclusion, art, intercultural dialogue. And it seems, it works.

The WELCOMMON HOSTEL is a project run by the cooperative Anemos Ananeosis / WIND OF RENEWAL. We are part of the social change we want to see happen.

 

Social Program: non-formal education and social inclusion of refugees

Although the building is no longer a refugee hosting center and has been refurbished into a modern facility, two floors of the WELCOMMON Hostel are used as an open center for social empowerment and inclusion. Learning from each other is an important and interesting part of our social project. As many people with different knowledge and skills come together, we try to benefit from each other.

We offer in daily basis classes (e.g. for language, painting, puppet show, music etc) with the support of volunteers to about 50 refugees, migrants, local people, tourists; we work for the empowerment and training of our guests and design interactive workshops for the professional training and promotion of the abilities and qualifications of refugees, especially the young people, along with Greek nationals, in order to be able to find their way in our society and for the benefit of our societies (see attached a brief report about our activities with refugees).

The aim is to create also new employment opportunities for everyone in areas such as up-cycling, ethnic cuisines, culture, green / cyclic economy, energy efficiency and others. Our societies must not accept generations being lost, we must not leave young persons, Greeks, migrants, refugees behind.

Challenge:

We want to reach a satisfactory level of completeness of our WELCOMMON HOSTEL through our collaboration with sustainable tourism organizations, schools, universities, Erasmus groups, ethical enterprises, social enterprises and cooperatives, social and ecological groups.  We hope in 2 years to be able to finance 100% of the operation of the Hostel and more than 50% of our social and green projects, which are also very demanding. In 2019, we have to find the resources of more than 70.000 euro to finance part of our social projects’ costs.

Needs:

In order to maintain the social project and the proportions of the building used for the social activities (800 m2), as well as being able to develop our social – ecological projects and to have a valuable continuation, it’s necessary to have more support.

The salaries of the volunteers’ coordinator and volunteers’ mentor as well a small part of the materials for the activities and lessons are funded by the non-profit association Respect for Greece and one foundation until the end of 2019. But this is a small part of the cost that in total is higher than 8-10.000 Euros/month. In order to be able to continue our work we have to find, very soon, donations, as two floors in the Hostel are not used for the guests/tourists but for the social inclusion activities.  The expenses of the social project are high:

  • the proportional rent cost for 2 floors – 800 m2- used for the social, cultural and ecological activities and the lessons,
  • hosting 10-12 volunteers in special rooms,
  • the activities as such,
  • use – consumption of materials,
  • need for supporting services, eg cleaning,
  • refurbishment of the rooms,
  • bills for water, electricity, heating and cooling

The philosophy, vision and mission of Anemos Ananeosis/Wind of Renewal and WELCOMMON Hostel

  • Our philosophy is that we want to be part of the social change we want to see happen. Anemos Ananeosis / Wind of Renewal has a strong commitment to building a better world through social and green innovation and the cooperative business model. We want to influence the direction of our society to become more sustainable and ecologically and socially fair.
  • Our visionis to bring close people from all over the world, to enable them to communicate, to be entertained and to explore the creative side of Athens. In the WELCOMMON Hostel we can introduce you to the world of Greece’s cultural, environmental and social organizations as well as of social economy. You can also contribute with your ideas and experience. It highlights the positive impact that cooperatives and social enterprises have on communities, revitalizing neighborhoods, making bridges between communities, social groups, newcomers and local people.
  • Our missionis to daily improve and develop our services, make our hostel more than convenient, friendly and live, artistic and social innovative. We can organise your study trip in the city and provide details about interesting social events and groups. We can also supply you with all necessary information on other Greek cities, islands or a mountainside, connect you with cycling groups, or let you know the secrets of culinary delights. This networking supports our model for the way out of the deep crisis.

Who we are

Anemos Ananeosis /Wind of Renewal has a strong commitment to building a better world through social and green innovation, green and social economy and the cooperative business model. We want to influence the direction of our society to become more sustainable and ecologically and socially fair.

We “promote” our WELCOMMON HOSTEL to Universities, schools, social groups, social enterprises and cooperatives, artists which plan to visit Athens. If they decide to stay in our hostel, they can discover the creative side of the city and at the same time support our social and green activities. Our guests can participate in workshops, art exhibitions, cultural events, social activities, networking, youth meetings, youth exchanges like Erasmus projects. We collaborate with a lot of eco- and social active groups in the city and we could connect our guests with groups that offer guided tours to cultural sites, alternative neighborhoods, “secret” corners, traditional shops, local and authentic places in Athens. We can plan the perfect tour for our guests.

Best regards!

www.anemosananeosis.gr

www.welcommonhostel.gr

www.facebook.com/welcommonhostel

www.facebook.com/daysofwelcommon

www.facebook.com/socialcooperatives

#Sustainability #Athens #cooperatives #SocEnt #innovation #social
#inclusion #withrefugees #WelcommonHostel @Social Cooperatives

#sustainabletourism #education #youth #Erasmusplus #volunteers #art

Contact us: info@welcommonhostel.gr or windofrenewal@gmail.com

If you want to support our social activities with a donation, our bank account is

ANEMOS ANANEOSIS / WIND OF RENEWAL

Piraeus Bank
IBAN: GR83 0172 0180 0050 1807 7868 253

Piraeus’s BIC code is PIRBGRAA

 

Feb 28 2019
0

You stay in a hostel in Athens and you support social and green projects: this is our WELCOMMON HOSTEL

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WELCOMMON Hostel, an innovative hostel with social impact

The WELCOMMON HOSTEL is a new Hostel in Athens and also a social experiment. We are combining two “different” aims: sustainable tourism, green and social innovation with social inclusion, art, intercultural dialogue.

It is a project run by the cooperative Anemos Ananeosis / WIND OF RENEWAL. We are part of the social change we want to see happen.

With a lot of effort and hard work, we succeeded in creating an innovative Hostel in the center of Athens, which aims to promote sustainable models of tourism and at the same time provide the space for non-formal education and social inclusion for about 50 refugees daily. It is also a place for art and culture as well as for social and green innovation and economy.

 

 

We “promote” our WELCOMMON HOSTEL to Universities, schools, social groups, social enterprises and cooperatives, artists which plan to visit Athens. If they decide to stay in our hostel, they can discover the creative side of the city and at the same time support our social and green activities. Our guests can participate in workshops, art exhibitions, cultural events, social activities, networking, youth meetings, youth exchanges like Erasmus projects. We collaborate with a lot of eco- and social active groups in the city and we could connect our guests with groups that offer guided tours to cultural sites, alternative neighborhoods, “secret” corners, traditional shops, local and authentic places in Athens. We can plan the perfect tour for our guests.

  

Who we are: Anemos Ananeosis / Wind of Renewal

Anemos Ananeosis /Wind of Renewal has a strong commitment to building a better world through social and green innovation, green and social economy and the cooperative business model. We want to influence the direction of our society to become more sustainable and ecologically and socially fair.

The social enterprise Wind of Renewal / Anemos Ananeosis (WoR) was constituted in Greece in 2014 for the promotion of social cooperative and responsible economy, social entrepreneurship, green-circular economy, eco-social innovation, intercultural dialogue and the protection of environment.

The WELCOMMON Hostel highlights the positive impact that cooperatives and social enterprises can have in a society to revitalize neighborhoods and communities, social groups, newcomers, social groups, youngsters and locals.

We are a member of the European Social Entrepreneurs network for inclusive community tourism LE MAT EUROPE, which reflects on the triangle of “outstanding spaces, values, people”. We are also part of the Greek Youth Hostels Association as well as of the international network of hostels Hostelling International.

Additionally,  Wind of Renewal is a founding member of the Greek Forum of Social Entrepreneurship and member of REVES, the European network of regions, municipalities and social enterprises for the development of the social economy.

 

How you could support our innovative project

If you like our project “WELCOMMON HOSTEL”, please inform your friends, social networks, schools, universities, artists, organizations and institutions. We create job opportunities for unemployed locals, refugees and migrants in a cooperative environment and in diverse fields, while training in fields of sustainable tourism, energy transition, climate protection, social innovation and inclusion.

If one decides to stay in our hostel. one supports the sustainability of our project, the employment of young Greek, migrants and refugees, one can feel the history of Welcommon and can support our work for climate protection, energy transition, energy poverty etc

Challenges:

Although our program is highly innovative and carriers from all over the world visit us to get to know the business model that combines social entrepreneurship with social benefits, we did not get to have access to even a micro-credit. All the official banks refuse to give us a credit of 45-50.000 Euro on the grounds that we had no profit in the last years.

The key factors in making our program a success are:

  • Access to financial resources and funding for this first period of the operation of the Hostel, until we reach a satisfactory level of completeness and we are able to ensure the financial viability of the hostel. Until now we were not able to have such an access to micro-credits or other financial tools because of the difficult financial situation in Greece and the crisis of the Greek systemic banks.
  • Investments: We have so far invested more than 250.000 euro for the renovation, refurbishment and to acquire equipment for the hostel, but we must invest more resources for the artistic decoration and the rest of the equipment, for energy efficient systems, and an infrastructure for a better environmental performance
  • Hiring extra personnel from vulnerable groups (refugees, young and elder unemployed local people etc.) and training them for high-quality accommodation service and sustainable tourism in general, as soon as we are financial viable.

Needs:

(a) Our basic need is to make the Hostel in one year sustainable and subsequently the income of the Hostel is enough to finance its operation and additional programs of social impacts, benefits and inclusion as well as energy transition and climate protection. This means marketing the aims and needs of the WELCOMMON HOSTEL to networks and carriers, universities and schools, in order to consider our Hostel when they visit Athens to support our activities.

  • Communication about the innovative hostel and the activities we organize every day (we need a communication officer and campaigner, but we cannot afford the resources for this job position).
  • Cooperation with social networks, universities, Erasmus+ projects, cultural initiatives, environmental and youth organizations, special partners from the tourist ecosystem, experts.
  • Advertisement of our project through social networks

(b) We need immediately access either to some micro-credits or to donations to be successful and to pay back loans we were forced to take out from friends and partners as well as to fulfill the investments we still need. It would be also very helpful if groups, friends and partners that plan to visit Athens and stay in WELCOMMON HOSTEL would book timely and already pay for their accommodation now (prematurely). Every financial alleviation and donation is necessary for us, to withstand economically as long as it takes until we are sustainable from the incomes of the Hostel.

Best regards!

www.anemosananeosis.gr

www.welcommonhostel.gr

www.facebook.com/welcommonhostel

www.facebook.com/daysofwelcommon

www.facebook.com/socialcooperatives

#Sustainability #Athens #cooperatives #SocEnt #innovation #social
#inclusion #withrefugees #WelcommonHostel @Social Cooperatives

#sustainabletourism #education #youth #Erasmusplus #volunteers #art

Contact us: info@welcommonhostel.gr or windofrenewal@gmail.com

If you want to support our social activities with a donation, our bank account is

ANEMOS ANANEOSIS / WIND OF RENEWAL

Piraeus Bank
IBAN: GR83 0172 0180 0050 1807 7868 253

Piraeus’s BIC code is PIRBGRAA

 

Feb 11 2019
0

EUKI YESClima: The “Wind of Renewal” and the Municipality of Agios Dimitrios collaborate on energy efficient schools

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Schools can be energy efficient and this will benefit the environment, climate and public economy. On the other hand schools can operate as training centers on energy efficiency for youngsters, students, teachers and parents. On this purpose, Wind of Renual/Anemos Ananeosis trains young people in energy saving issues and cooperates with municipalities in order to increase energy efficiency of their schools, as part of the project “YESclima – Young experts for climate friendly scholls in Mediteranian countries”.

Municipality of Agios Dimitrios, in Attica, has expressed its will to colaborate for this progect, and the first meeting took place at the municipality on Wednesday 10th of January, with the participation of:
– Mayor, Maria Androutsou
– Deputy mayor of technical services, Aggelos Gavalas
– Members from the Electical-mechanological Department of Municipality ms Olga Vlachou, Environmental Engineer Msc and Antonis Manolaros, Electrical Engineer.
– President of Wind of Renewal, Nikos Chrysogelos
– The first greek team of 4 young people who are being trained in energy saving issues, Ioannis Kotsalos, technician of heating, cooling and electrical systems, Agapi-Evagelia Tzampazi, Civil Engineer Msc, Sofia Papadopoulou, Energy Sources Msc and Dimitra Apostolopoulou, Engineer of Renovation and Restoration.

The topics of the meeting were:
– Description of the project that will be applied in five schools of Agios Dimitrios
– The participation of teachers and students in energy audits and energy saving proposals
– Collection of data needed to formulate the final proposals for reducing energy consumption and energy upgrading of selected schools
– Public environmental awareness actions with the participation of parents and the school community.

During the implementation of the project energy audits will be carried out in schools – that have been selected – jointly with students and teachers on the basis of a participatory methodology developed under the EUKI “Climate Schools Be.Ath“ project, in which Wind of Renewal is a partner. The energy audits will be carried out by the four trainees in colaboration with the educational communities of the schools. Following the audits, low, medium and high cost proposals  for the energy upgrade of schools, will be drafted.

One of the main tasks of the project is the improvement of the quality of schools spaces and and the energy efficiency in educational buildings with the use of energy efficient and passive systems.

The municipality will collect information and data about schools that will help in energy audits and proposals, using a questionnaire especially drafted for the energy audits.

About the project “YESClima” 

The project is being implemented by ‘Wind of Renewal’, University of Cadiz at Spain, Secretariat for Future Studies of Free University of Berlin and the APEC -Provincial Energy Agency of Cadiz, Andalusia. This project is part of the European Climate Initiative (EUKI) which is a financial 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.’

The aims of the project are:
– Climate protection and energy saving
– Reduction of energy consumption and the ecological footprint of schools
– Education and training of young people in order to work in energy saving issues, natural heating and cooling systems.
– To familiarize young people with scientific – technical issues, economic issues, entrepreneurship and legislation on climate protection, and more specifically energy saving and energy inspections and interventions.

During the project “YESclima – Young experts for climate friendly schoolls in Mediteranian countries” 11 young people from Greece and 11 from Spain, organized in three groups, will have 6months theoritical and practical education so they can work in the energy saving sector and natural heating and cooling techniques in buildings.

Wind of Renewal will cooperate with the Municipality of Agios Dimitrios, the Municipality of Chania and the Municipality of Sifnos in the framework of this project. The trainees will apply their knowledge and experience in energy audits in a number school of these 3 municipalities, exploring forms of collaboration with students and educators, and conducting studies on what can be done in these schools in order to be upgraded and gradually convert to almost zero-emission buildings (Zero Emissions Buildings, as is now the case for building legislation).

@EUKI_Climate,  #ClimateAction

Project Partners:
    
Supported by:
Jan 29 2019
0

The social cooperative Wind of Renewal and its social project “Days of Welcommon” in the innovative WELCOMMON HOSTEL

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The social cooperative Wind of Renewal and its social project “Days of Welcommon” in the innovative WELCOMMON HOSTEL

Who we are

The social enterprise ANEMOS ANANEOSIS/ WIND OF RENEWAL was constituted in Greece in 2014 for the promotion of social cooperative and responsible economy, social entrepreneurship, green-circular economy, incorporation of democracy and human rights in financial and social life, as well as eco-social innovation.

One of its projects is the new WELCOMMON HOSTEL, a new Hostel in Athens and also a social experiment. We are combining two different aims: sustainable tourism in Athens with social inclusion, culture and social entrepreneurship.

  

5 floors of the WELCOMMON HOSTEL are dedicated for sustainable tourism and 2 floors for social inclusion, social entrepreneurship activities, intercultural dialogue and art work, green economy and energy transition.

It is the only project in sustainable tourism and accommodation in Athens run by a cooperative, ANEMOS ANANEOSIS/ WIND OF RENEWAL. It is based on the idea of “community” as well as ecological, social and inclusive growth for all. We are part of the social change we want to see happen. Our moto is “special people, values, places”, we are part of the European LE MAT Network of social enterprises in tourism and HOSTELLING INTERNATIONAL.

What is about

It is not only an opportunity for tourists to stay in a good place in Athens; it is also a way to enjoy their stay in the city, discover its social, cultural, environmental side, exchange experiences and ideas, learn and “share”; they can participate in activities we organize (art exhibits, non-formal education, music events, visits to cultural sites) or they can organize something themselves.

 

 

Our solution is integrated, has social impact, combines commercial activities (hostel) with social, intercultural and environmental goals.

The idea of the Hostel is to involve also guests and locals from the neighborhood into the social project by informing about our activities. For example, a guest of the Welcommon Hostel was very inspired by the social project and he offered a painting session for the participating kids. This went out really great and so volunteers, guests and refugee kids learn and benefit from each other. Other groups of visitors / tourists meet refugees and cook together or organize activities together.

The ongoing collaborations of ANEMOS ANANEOSIS / Wind of Renewal are with different organizations as:

  • Many universities, like Vanderbilt University (USA), Hoch Schule Darmstand (Germany), Hohe Schule Technic und Wirtschaft Berlin, University of Candiz (Spain), Frei Universitaet Berlin and 20 other universities all over the world
  • Many European networks like REVES, Social Economy Europe, CICOPA/CECOP. REScoops.eu, Housing Europe,
  • Respect for Greece from Germany / Berlin is supporting and sending Volunteers to us.
  • Many Municipalities in Greece
  • Humanity Crew from Palestine, which also provides psychological support to our “guests”, mostly vulnerable refugees (children, teenagers, adults).
  • Volunteers ofthe European Voluntary Service (which is part of the European Union’s Erasmus+ programme), coming from different countries are running social activities.
  • American students from the Dikemes exchange program. Dikemes are providing language lessons to our students on a voluntary basis.

Inclusive education and empowerment for social inclusion

We are committed to work for the promotion of the education and social inclusion of all young people by the support of many volunteers all over the world. Especially for refugees:

  • We give children the best possible start in their life
  • we support parents by providing places for their children to meet, play and learn, build trust and develop creativity

We believe that we can build coherent and active communities by bringing people together.

These activities are not addressed only to the refugees but also to the tourists – guests of the Hostel and to the neighbors that they want to interact with the refugees through various cultural activities such as: board games, museums visits, intercultural cooking, cinema, theater etc.

Through this interaction and coming together, we promote awareness on social, cultural and ecological issues. The participants can have a better understanding of asylum seekers and hear their personals stories, but also the refugees can understand better the values, relations and functions of the hosting society. We promote a win-win and inclusive society.

Since 2016 ANEMOS ANANEOSIS / Wind of Renewal (social cooperative) has cooperated with more than 270 volunteers from all over the world. The most of them were accommodated by the Welcommon Project for non formal education and social inclusion.

Our organization focus on creating a network with national and international partners in order to promote mobility of young people for collaboration with them on intercultural dialogue, art, energy transition, social inclusion, social innovation, social entrepreneurship, circular economy.

Daily program of activities:

Language lessons

ANEMOS ANANEOSIS / Wind of Renewal provides in its innovative Welcommon Hostel language lessons for adult and teen refugees in English and German. The lessons are divided into different levelsto ensure similar language skills in each classand to achieve better results. The mainly focus of the lessons are on practical issues, learning useful vocabulary for their interactions and communication in daily life.

From Monday to Friday there is a kids-program for non-formal education at Welcommon Hostel where refugee children in school age are able to do beside of their homework different creative activities. The Volunteers are providing together with the Volunteers Coordinator an intercultural program such as:

  • music lessons
  • cooking
  • theater
  • dancing
  • gardening
  • art and handcrafts (mostly using recycling materials)
  • team and relaxation games
  • yoga
  • cinema
  • making puppets

The kids-program also includes:

Maths and Greek lessons to prepare the children for the school and help them with their lessons. These activities take place on the first and second floor of the Welcommon Hostel. We want to start again an integrated tutoring program for the children, to support them with the lessons in school.

Outdoor activities:

In addition to the daily program, the volunteers are organizing regularly outdoor activities around the neighborhood but also educational daytrips for the refugee children, like to visit a museum, or/and a Cultural Center or/and a parc. As part of the program Athens Open Schools of the municipality of Athens, the kids are allowed to play in the afternoons at the schoolyard of the primary school close to the Hostel, so they have contact and be familiar with the school environment.

For the most of the participating children, this program is the only educational framework they get, so the aim is to empower the kids through educational games.

Extra activities;

A Christmas show and bazaar went pretty well. We have been preparing it more than one month, stuff volunteers, children, teens and getting involved the adults and mothers as well.

  • Dance Chorography
  • Poetry project ( reciting poems in Arabic & English written by Afghan teens – inspired by a German project)
  • Bazaar (making Christmas decorations, crafts)
  • Cooking Christmas sweets
  • Shadow puppets
  • Christmas songs ( Greek – Arabic – English )
  • Giving prizes rewards and presents

The active role of volunteers

To create more of these interactive moments the volunteers established new projects in the Welcommon Hostel, that are open to everybody, guests, locals and refugees. So once a week there is a football project in the park of the neighborhood and intercultural events take place in the Hostel: a language exchange evening and a get-together (playing board games).

“Learning from each other” is an important and interesting part of the social project. As many people with different knowledge and skills come together, we try to benefit from each other. This happens through workshops we are giving to each other and in our daily work and interactions. For example, together with one of our volunteers we had organized a workshop of fire prevention, or volunteers and participants of an Erasmus exchange group that was hosted by Welcommon Hostel discussed about their experiences and organized together some social activities.  Not only tourists and groups can participate in our social, cultural and ecological activities, but also our volunteers and the kids, teens and adults can participate in workshops that visitors organize in our hostel.

We need your support

In order to maintained the social project and the proportions of the building used for the social activities (800 m2), as well as being able to develop our social – ecological projects and having a valuable continuation, it’s necessary to have more support. The salaries of the volunteers’ coordinator and the mentor as well a small part of the materials for the activities and lessons are funded by the non-profit association Respect for Greece until the end of 2019.

But this is a small part or the cost that in total is higher than 8.000 euros/month. In order to be able to continue our work we have to find, the soonest, donations, as two floors in the Hostel are not used for the guests/tourists but for the social inclusion activities.  The expenses of the social project are high:

  • the proportional rent cost for 2 floors – 800 m2- used for the social, cultural and ecological activities and the lessons,
  • hosting 10 volunteers in special rooms,
  • the activities as such,
  • use-consumption of materials,
  • need for supporting services, eg cleaning,
  • refurbishment of the rooms,
  • bills for water, electricity, heating and cooling

 If you want to support our social activities with a donation, our bank account is

ANEMOS ANANEOSIS / WIND OF RENEWAL

Piraeus Bank
IBAN: GR83 0172 0180 0050 1807 7868 253

Piraeus’s BIC code is PIRBGRAA

Jan 24 2019
0

How to Reduce Youth Unemployment by Fighting Climate Change A Study in Greece and Southern Spain  

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The study ZEWKlima_Final Report_HTW Berlin Jan 2019  is a result of the project “Zukunftschancen Energiewende und Klimaschutz – With new energy against youth unemployment” (ZEWKlima), realised in Winter 2017/18 by the following organisations:

  • Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft, Berlin
  • Universidad de Cádiz, Spain
  • The Greek social cooperative “Wind of Renewal”, Athens
  • Sekretariat für Zukunftsforschung, Berlin

It was financed by the European Climate Initiative (EUKI). EUKI is a project-financing instrument by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU)

See more:

ZEW-Klima: With new energy against youth unemployment  https://anemosananeosis.gr/en/zew-klima34/

ZEWKlima: με την ανανεώσιμη ενέργεια εναντίον της ανεργίας των νέων https://anemosananeosis.gr/el/zewklima-1/

Θέλεις να συμμετάσχεις στην έρευνα: ZEWKlima-Με την ανανεώσιμη ενέργεια εναντίον της ανεργίας των νέων; https://anemosananeosis.gr/el/zew-klima2/

Η ενεργειακή μετάβαση ως ευκαιρία για δημιουργία νέων θέσεων εργασίας για νέους https://anemosananeosis.gr/el/%CE%B7-%CE%B5%CE%BD%CE%B5%CF%81%CE%B3%CE%B5%CE%B9%CE%B1%CE%BA%CE%AE-%CE%BC%CE%B5%CF%84%CE%AC%CE%B2%CE%B1%CF%83%CE%B7-%CF%89%CF%82-%CE%B5%CF%85%CE%BA%CE%B1%CE%B9%CF%81%CE%AF%CE%B1-%CE%B3%CE%B9%CE%B1/

Εκδήλωση – συζήτηση με φορείς και νέους: η ανανεώσιμη ενέργεια εναντίον της ανεργίας των νέων https://anemosananeosis.gr/el/zewklima567/

Εκδήλωση συζήτηση: «Με την ανανεώσιμη ενέργεια εναντίον της ανεργίας των νέων» https://anemosananeosis.gr/el/zewklima-event/

Χιλιάδες νέες θέσεις εργασίας στην εξοικονόμηση ενέργειας και στις ΑΠΕ, αλλά χρειάζεται εκπαίδευση https://anemosananeosis.gr/el/zewklima-event05/

Jan 16 2019
0

WELCOMMON HOSTEL: innovation, sustainable tourism, social impact

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The WELCOMMON HOSTEL is a new 7floor Hostel in the center of Athens and also a social experiment. We are combining different aims: sustainable tourism in Athens with social inclusion, art, social enterpreneurship. It is based on the idea of “community”, ecological & inclusive growth for all, run by the social cooperative ANEMOS ANANEOSIS/ WIND OF RENEWAL. We are part of the social change we want to see happen.

This project combines commercial goals (sustainable tourism) with visions, values, philosophy for win-win solutions. Our moto is “special people, values, places”, we are part of the European LE MAT Network of social enterprises in tourism and HOSTELLING INTERNATIONAL.

5 floors of the WELCOMMON HOSTEL are dedicated for sustainable tourism.  Accomodation: We offer a variety of options for accommodation in 5 floors; a cheaper or a little more expensive room, 4- or 8-beds dormitory, 5-,4-3-, 2-beds rooms, with en suite or shared bathroom, with or without balcony. Regardless of what the guests select, all rooms are comfortable, clean and attractive. A lot has been artistically designed with reused items, always with the comfort of our clients in mind.

Two floors of the seven are dedicated for art, intercultural dialogue, eco and social innovation, social inclusion, , for social inclusion, social and green entrepreneurship activities, intercultural dialogue and art work, job integration activities, environmental awareness, energy and eco-transition.

Social activities and impact: Two floors of the seven are dedicated for art, intercultural dialogue, eco and social innovation, social inclusion, , for social inclusion, social and green entrepreneurship activities, intercultural dialogue and art work, job integration activities, environmental awareness, energy and eco-transition.

We offer, with the support of many volunteers and experienced educators, social-psychological support, empowerment, language (English, German, Greek), painting, music, theater, dancing and cooking lessons for refugees and migrants (adults, women and children). We develop a number of projects with art therapy, gender issues, the different social policy models, energy transition, reuse, recycling, fire prevention. We are planning non-formal vocational schools for locals and new comers, based on a dual education system: theory, practice, empowerment/social inclusion.

Our new project, the WELCOMMON Hostel, which started in June 2018, addresses the degradation of the urban fabric as a result of the different options of the crisis, the collapse of social infrastructure, social exclusion, the existing gap between the needs and behavior of tourists from one side and the needs of local people and communities, from the other side. It is also a center for intercommunication between tourists, volunteers, refugees and social groups.

The WELCOMMON Hostel highlights the positive impact that cooperatives and social enterprises could have on communities, revitalizing neighborhoods, making bridges between communities, social groups, newcomers and local people. We are very interesting in cooperation with Universities, schools, social groups, social enterprises and cooperatives which plan to visit Athens. If they decide to stay in our hostel, they can feel the history of Welcommon and they support

  • our social work
  • the sustainability of our projects
  • the creation of new jobs for young greek, migrants and refugees, employees from different backgrounds/experiences
  • our work for climate protection, energy transition, energy poverty.

But also very important, we can organise activitiesall together . Our guests can participate in workshops, art exhibitions, activities, networking, youth meetings, youth exchanges like Erasmus projects. We can support our guests to discover the creative side of the city of Athens. We strive to connect our guests with the social and cultural life of the city, the social entrepreneurship, the environmental activities, we host such activities in WELCOMMON HOSTEL, we co-organize events for promoting win-win solutions for all (guests, locals, volunteers, active citizens, unemployed, refugees, Youth etc).

Many groups, students, schools and individuales have already booked with us and we have organised together many activities. Networking and exchange of experiences is one of our priorities.

Anemos Ananeosis/Wind of Renewal has a strong commitment to building a better world through social and green innovation and the cooperative business model. We want to influence the direction of our society to become more sustainable and ecologically and socially fair. Wind of Renewal / Anemos Ananeosis Anemos has been awarded with

  • the European Citizen’s Prize 2018
  • the “Special Mention” award of the REVES Excellence Award 2017

and was selected as

  • one of the 3 best 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, and as
  • a “good example of social inclusion in Euro-Med area”

Contact us: info@welcommonhostel.gr or windofrenewal@gmail.com

If you want to support our social activities with a donation, our bank account is

ANEMOS ANANEOSIS / WIND OF RENEWAL

Piraeus Bank

IBAN: GR83 0172 0180 0050 1807 7868 253

Piraeus’s BIC code is PIRBGRAA

#Sustainability #Athens #cooperatives #SocEnt #innovation #social#inclusion #withrefugees #WelcommonHostel @Social Cooperative#sustainabletourism #education #youth #Erasmusplus #volunteers #art

Dec 18 2018
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Energy transition and youth employment in Spain and Greece

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Published at https://energytransition.org/2018/12/energy-transition-and-youth-employment/ 

by Energiewende Team
10 Dec 2018
Anemos Ananeosis / Wind of Renewal participated in drafting of the study

Youth unemployment, especially in southern European countries, remains unbearably high. Renewable energy and climate protection are an opportunity to create new, well-paid jobs in urban and rural areas, Dr Hartwig Berger explains.

The energy transition could result in hundreds of thousands of jobs, especially for young people (Photo by Radostina Primova)

Spain and Greece were hit hard by this summer’s droughts and wildfires – the Mediterranean regions are highly endangered by the climate crisis, and energy change there is urgent. At the same time, the opportunities for a climate-friendly transformation of the energy systems are very promising. The conditions there are excellent for the use of sun and often ideal for the exploitation of wind. There is a considerable scope for efficient and economical energy use too.

It therefore essential to train young people in qualifications and skills that are required for this vast economic transformation so that Europe can become a global leader in green energy and fulfil its Paris commitments. They can be offered a promising professional future instead of being marginalized from work.

At the beginning of 2018, a team from three countries conducted research in the Spanish province of Cádiz and in Athens. Their goal was to find out what opportunities there were for a climate-friendly energy change in the coming years and the additional demand for qualified work resulting from it. Next, they examined how the energy transition is viewed by stakeholders, local politicians and affected young people themselves and whether local communities are willing to participate in appropriate initiatives. Finally, the team developed a set of proposals on how such professional training should be designed in order to increase the prospects of subsequent employment.

The project was financed by the EU Climate Initiative (EUKI) of the German Federal Ministry for Environment.

Potential for renewables

The key results of the research are that the energy transition could result in hundreds of thousands of jobs, especially for young people. In addition, the Mediterranean’s sunny climate makes distributed solar energy a profitable option.

Transitioning to renewable energy and climate protection offer considerable employment potential. We expect a six-figure number of new jobs in Spain and almost a six-figure number in Greece for energy-efficient building refurbishment alone. In the various renewable energy tasks, we estimate the number of new jobs in both countries to be in the five-digit range. In the municipalities surveyed, the energy balance of the buildings is generally so unfavourable that the applicable national and European regulations virtually force refurbishments.

From an economic point of view, the prosuming (production and consumption) of solar electricity required by households, businesses and public institutions themselves in the investigated regions is also very attractive. In Greece, the legal framework is favourable. In Spain, fundamental improvements can be expected in the near future. Even for low-income households and businesses, solar power generation is economically viable, provided that there are favourable microcredits, state subsidies and offers for a so-called “energy contracting”.

At present, young people in the regions who are trained in energy management have clear difficulties to find jobs in their field. Their chances improve significantly if vocational training is closely linked to practical learning in companies or communal activities. But close attention must be payed to prevent misuse of apprenticeships by companies.

Policy proposals: local and regional training

The team came up with the following proposals to improve youth unemployment and switch to clean energy:

–    Municipal action plans at both local and regional level. Action days should be organized in towns to present possible or existing projects and to inform citizens and local businesses about national and regional energy plans, as well as the possibilities for funding activities related to energy and climate protection. For renovations and energy efficiency projects, the study recommends building cooperatives or neighbourhood associations.

–   Programs for targeted “dual” qualification of young unemployed people and energy refurbishments in municipal buildings. The energy-saving provisions for buildings should include natural techniques and the use of renewable energy sources on site. In autumn 2018, a test project was launched in small towns near Cádiz and in Athens for schools in these regions, which are notoriously hot in summer and cold in winter.

–    Programs for “round-up” training of young people. It is crucial that these programs begin now because in the coming years, a large number of experts will be in demand for the use of solar energy. Training should include planning, installation, monitoring, economic efficiency calculations for solar systems, plus energy-saving measures.

–     Professional training programs in climate protection activities for youth in rural areas. Young people without jobs and training have the greatest difficulties in finding a job in the regions studied. Therefore, providing professional training in the sectors of agriculture, forests and green urban environment will be important.

–    The existing “European Youth Guarantee” should be extended to finance training in occupations in which a high demand for skilled workers can be expected in the future. This is undoubtedly the case in the areas of energy transition and climate protection.

The detailed study “How to Reduce Youth Unemployment by Fighting Climate Change” is available at www.hartwig-berger.de.

Dr. Hartwig Berger (Berlin), was before his retirement a private lecturer for sociology at the FU Berlin and at times deputy in Berlin and chairman of the Ökowerk Berlin.

 *”energy contracting” is a bold technical term. It refers to contracts in which a company typically invests at its own expense in energy-saving measures or energy installations and then “recovers” its own costs by means of the savings achieved, etc.

Dec 06 2018
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WELCOMMON HOSTEL, an innovative proposal for sustainable tourism, with social impact

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The WELCOMMON Hostel is a hostel in the center of Athens, an innovative proposal for sustainable tourism, innovation, art, social and job integration based on the idea of “community”, initiated by the social cooperative ANEMOS ANANEOSIS / WIND OF RENEWAL.

The WELCOMMON Hostel is a seven-floor facility for people of all ages. We would like to welcome you during your visit to Athens. We can also help you plan your stay in the city. WELCOMMON is not just a hostel, it is also part of a social experiment, a center for innovation and art, as well as social and job integration for Greeks, migrants and refugees.

We can organize your study trip in the city and provide details about interesting social events and groups; we can also supply you with all necessary information onother Greek cities, an island or a mountainside; we can connect you with cycling groups, or let you know the secrets of culinary delights, we can host your seminar orworkshop; we can also host a painting exhibition or a cultural event.

Be sure to CONTACT US before arriving in Athens, let us know about your needs and your interests!

The Hostel, Welcome in Common

You have a variety of options for accommodation in WELCOMMON; you may like to share an eight-bed dormitory with your friends or other travelers; or you may prefer to stay in a five-bed room, a four-bed room, a three-bed room, a twin ordouble bed room or a single; you may need a cheap room or you may be willing to pay a little more for some extra perks; or you may like to go for a room with a balcony. Regardless of what you select, all rooms are comfortable, clean andattractive; a lot has been artistically designed with reused items, always with yourcomfort in mind.

WELCOMMON HOSTEL belongs to the Greek Youth Hostel Association, – a network of 21 youth hostel in Grece, member of the HOSTELLING INTERNATIONAL network

Hostelling International is a worldwide network of Not-for-Profit Youth Hostel Associations

Hostelling International (HI) is a charity that manages a federation of not-for-profit youth hostel associations. Its Youth Hostel Associations such as YHA, Stayokay and DJH combined provide a network of hostels in more than 80 countries. They believe that exploration and travel lead to a better understanding of other cultures, and in turn that creates a peaceful, smarter, and more tolerant world. This is and has been HI mission for almost 100 years. HI operates ‘for good and not-for-profit’ which means your stay should be cheaper while contributing to something amazing — any surplus of funds is reinvested in affordable hostelling and not shareholders.

Booking your hostel stay on hihostels ensures HI can continue to help its Youth Hostel Associations provide safe and clean HI Hostels for young people to enjoy for years to come. Book direct with HI Hostels and support this mission – we typically have the best prices!

Hostelling International Greece
The social cooperative ANEMOS ANANEOSIS / WIND OF RENEWAL runs the WELCOMMON HOSTEL. We are committed to work for the promotion of the education of all young people. We care for this, it is not only words, it is every day practice with the support of many volunteers all over the workssured Standards for comfort, so you can rely on a consistent level of services and facilities wherever you stay. HI Hostels enable you to meet people of different cultures, backgrounds and experiences, and provide a rich resource for learning and for building a better, more peaceful world.
 
The Greek Youth Hostels Association accepts the criteria set by HI:
“to promote the education of all young people of all nations, but especially young people of limited means, by encouraging in them a greater knowledge, love and care of the countryside and an appreciation of the cultural values of towns and cities in all parts of the world, and as an ancillary thereto to provide hostels or other accommodation in which there shall be no distinctions of race, nationality, colour, religion, sex, class or political opinions, and thereby to develop a better understanding of fellow men at home and abroad”.
 
Unique, diverse, cosmopolitan and sustainable
Just as there are diverse types of people, so there are numerous Youth Hostels throughout Greece. The GRYH has developed special labels and ranges of offers for various groups of guests. These labels are “Family Friendly Hostel,” “Active Hostel”, “Green Hostel”, “Fun Hostel”, “Charming Hostel” and “Group Friendly Hostel”. With our labels and specified categories such as culture, nature, sports, relaxation and discover we hope to make it a little easier for our guests to choose the perfect Greek Youth Hostel for their particular travel needs. Experience the great community
Hostelling International Greece
HI Hostels is the brand name of more than 90 Youth Hostel Associations in 90 countries, operating over 4,000 hostels world-wide. What makes HI different from other hostel operators is a focus on quality over quantity: all member countries are required to meet HI’s internationally-agreed Assured Standards for comfort, so you can rely on a consistent level of services and facilities wherever you stay. HI Hostels enable you to meet people of different cultures, backgrounds and experiences, and provide a rich resource for learning and for building a better, more peaceful world.
 
The Greek Youth Hostels Association accepts the criteria set by HI:
“to promote the education of all young people of all nations, but especially young people of limited means, by encouraging in them a greater knowledge, love and care of the countryside and an appreciation of the cultural values of towns and cities in all parts of the world, and as an ancillary thereto to provide hostels or other accommodation in which there shall be no distinctions of race, nationality, colour, religion, sex, class or political opinions, and thereby to develop a better understanding of fellow men at home and abroad”.
Unique, diverse, cosmopolitan and sustainable
Just as there are diverse types of people, so there are numerous Youth Hostels throughout Greece. The GRYH has developed special labels and ranges of offers for various groups of guests. These labels are “Family Friendly Hostel,” “Active Hostel”, “Green Hostel”, “Fun Hostel”, “Charming Hostel” and “Group Friendly Hostel”. With our labels and specified categories such as culture, nature, sports, relaxation and discover we hope to make it a little easier for our guests to choose the perfect Greek Youth Hostel for their particular travel needs.
 
The social cooperative ANEMOS ANANEOSIS / WIND OF RENEWAL runs the WELCOMMON HOSTEL. We are committed to work for the promotion of the education of all young people. We care for this, it is not only words, it is every day practice with the support of many volunteers all over the work

Be sure to CONTACT US before arriving in Athens, let us know about your needs and your interests!

Dec 06 2018
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Let’s make our common European home modern, social, green

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The speach of the chair of the social cooperative ANEMOS ANANEOSIS / WIND OF RENEWAL Nikos Chrysogelos during the ceremony for the awarding of the European Citizen’s Prize στο Ευρωκοινοβούλιο, on 9th of October 2018, in the European Parliament. It was the 4th award for ANEMOS ANANEOSIS / WIND OF RENEWAL.

It is a great honor for Anemos Ananeosis/Wind of Renewal to have been awarded the European Citizen’s Prize.

In fact, the European project was born the day the Second World War ended on May 8th 1945. We need to remember the images of survivors amongst the ruins, who found the will within themselves to passionately dance the end of this devastating war. Some dreamed of an end of war era and the creation of a European peace.

Seventy-three years later, many have forgotten the horrors of war or are disappointed by the current European Union. Europe, our common home, really needs renewal. It is not enough to argue that the EU contributes to the absence of war, we must do more to revitalize the European project: greater integration, mutual understanding – mutual respect, social cohesion, no one abandoned or left behind. It’s economy needs to be more responsible, green, sustainable. There needs to be more opportunities for young people, favorable conditions for healthy aging, revitalization of the social model, protection of the climate and the planet.

We at Wind of Renewal have chosen to be part of the changes we want to see made. That is why our actions and activities aim at revitalizing the social model through the innovations we seek, turning the economy in a circular / green direction, turning problems into opportunities for solutions, mutual understanding and cooperation, dialogue and integration of the social and environmental dimension into the economy.

   

 

Europe and every society has experienced displacement and being refugees at different times. The problem in European societies is not the large number of refugees but the fear in the face of something different. There is often a lack of innovation to support integrate, to turn this challenge into an opportunity for the benefit of these societies, for the sustainable prosperity of all.

We developed such a center of integrated support and preparation for the integration of 600 refugees in a modern European society, a model of empowerment through the community, refugees from 22 ethnicities who spoke 14 different languages ​​and dialects felt they were members of the same community, the WELCOMMON (WELCOME in Common).

400 representatives of institutions, 15 universities, hundreds of city representatives, social and international organizations, MPs and MEPs visited and continue to visit us to discuss WELCOMMON. The team did not only comprise the 30staff members, but also 240 volunteers from many countries who gave a part of themselves to this common cause.

We have been unable to continue our program because there are no flexible tools to finance such innovative policies.

However, we did not give up. We changed, we adapted, we created an innovative hostel, the  WELCOMMON HOSTEL, which combines social entrepreneurship, sustainable tourism models, social inclusion of refugees and vulnerable groups, professional integration, and strengthening of the social and green economy. We implemented the concept of circular economy as we reused many furniture and objects on the basis of artistic and functional perception. 5 floors have simple but beautiful rooms for tourists interested in the creative side of Athens, social and cultural life, social economy, and the environment. But two floors are used for language, cooking, painting, gardening lessons for children, adolescents and adult refugees. These activities are realized with the help of dozens of volunteers and the collaboration of organizations from different European countries as well as outside the EU. We create communities in which tourists, students, volunteers, refugees, and local all take part in.

Despite the difficulties faced, we are moving forward with the solidarity of many people and institutions such as the Respect for Greece Citizens’ Initiative, European Foundations, social solidarity bodies and networks. From Day One we have worked with European networks on issues relating to social economy, energy transition, climate protection like: Social Economy Europe, το Rre-use, το CICOPA/CECOP, το ENSIE, το REScoop,  REVES etc.

Yes, this is a Europe that everyone recognizes and respects, a Europe of responsibility, solidarity, innovation, cohesion, mutual respect, a microcosm of how today’s and tomorrow’s Europe can be with everyone’s contribution.

We are trying to make our common European home modern, social, green, less disastrous for the environment and the climate. We are not alone, many are trying to revive the European dream and re-inspire European citizens. We feel great responsibility in receiving this prize and will step up our efforts to stand out and meet the great challenges of our times.

Thank you. We are citizens, we are active citizens, we are Europeans.

Nikos Chrysogelos

Anemos Ananeosis / Wind of Renewal

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Dec 06 2018
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Children (and not only) participated, played, learned about climate protection and energy saving

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It was Saturday 20th October 2018. In Athens. An interactive public event of the “OPEN SCHOOLS IN CLIMATE PROTECTION & ENERGY SAVING, Climate Schools Be.At.” program was organized with the aim to raise the awareness of the educational community on climate protection and energy saving.

The large hall of Serafio Center (the new Sports, Culture and Innovation Center of the City of Athens) was filled with hundreds of children, teachers and parents, but also with floor games, experiments, activities, a “shadow theater” that functioed with energy produced by cycling, information booths from Environmental Education Centers, Environmental Organizations, the program “Resilient Athens” of the City of Athens, the Social Cooperative “Wind of Renewal”, WWF Greece, Greenpeace Greece, Mediterranean SOS, Organization Earth, the program “Open Schools” of the Municipality of Athens, the Center for Renewable Energy Sources – CRES, and 4 Environmental Education Centers – (from Lavrio, Argyroupoli, Drapetsona and Elefsina)!

The children listened, but mainly played, learned, took stimuli to act for the climate, to protect the climate and contribute to energy saving. They learned to use the devices included in the training suitcases of the program, played with enthusiasm the CRF and WWF floor games, experimented at Greenpeace and STEM booths, made queues to get into the Maker Space of the program “Designed for Better Learning”, planted sprouts with Organization Earth, cycled to feed with energy the creative shadow theater.

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The event was welcomed by Mr G. Kaminis, Mayor of Athens, Mrs M. Iliopoulou, Deputy Mayor for the Child, Mrs L. Myrivili, Deputy Mayor of Green Resilience and Climate Change, Mr Kostis Ougrinis and Mrs Marianthi Liapi from the “Transformable Intelligent Environments Lab” of the Technical University of Crete, Mr N. Chrysogelos President of the Social Cooperative “Wind of Renewal”, representatives of the Ministry of Education and Mr Kostis Kontogiannis, academic director of the program. The attendees were education consultants, environmental education officers, over 300 teachers (primary and secondary education) and parents, hundreds of primary and secondary school pupils and refugee children with the accompaniment of volunteers involved in non-formal education and social inclusion programs organized by “Wind of Renewal” in WELCOMMON HOSTEL.

The event marked the beginning of the second phase of the program “OPEN SCHOOLS IN CLIMATE PROTECTION & ENERGY SAVING, Climate Schools Be.At.“, which concerns the activities of students, teachers and parents in 73 Athens School for climate protection and energy saving. It was preceded by the design of the educational material and the methodology through the cooperation of Greek and German teachers, the training of trainers and the training of 201 teachers from the schools participating in the program. The next public event of the program is on February 7th and May 7th, 2019, in Technopolis.

The program is supported by the European Climate Initiative @EUKI_Climate, which is a financing tool for the German Ministry of the Environment. The event was organized by the Municipality of Athens, the Social Cooperative “Wind of Renewal“, the German Initiative “Respect for Greece“ and the German Indepented Institute for Environmental Issues UfU, which are the partners of the project, with the support of the Athens Radio 9.84