A SURVIVAL MAP IN HERAKLION!
Thalassa of Solidarity and its team of volunteers, through courses at its social workshop and activities to support groups facing social exclusion, comes into daily contact with them, whether they are asylum seekers, recognized refugees, migrants or locals. The problems they face are many, their living conditions quite difficult and one of the main challenges they face is the lack of information on where and how they could find services on key social issues such as access to social services, material assistance, the labour market, their health, their human rights. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, these people, along with the homeless and unemployed, have become even more convinced of the effects on their mental and physical health.
In order to help our fellow citizens to have access to such information, we have created the Survival Map in Heraklion, Crete, a network where through information material, brochures and a website, the relevant authorities and organizations are presented with the services they offer and their activities.
In this way, interested parties will be able to have independent access to up-to-date information based on their needs and available in their language in order to easily search for information to meet basic needs that the interested parties themselves will choose.
Hoping also that this tool will become a permanent gateway for interaction to bring local civil society organizations closer to a common ground, to face common challenges but also to take initiatives for further actions.
The Survival Map in Heraklion, Crete, will be constantly updated and in the future other information and languages will be added!
About the project
The project Survival Map in Heraklion Crete is being implemented under the Active citizens fund in Greece by Thalassa of Solidarity.
The Active citizens fund in Greece is supported through a € 13.5 m grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway as part of the EEA Grants 2014 – 2021. The program aims to develop the sustainability and capacity of the civil society sector in Greece, and to strengthen its role in promoting and safeguarding democratic procedures, active citizenship and human rights. The Fund Operator for the Active citizens fund in Greece is Bodossaki Foundation in consortium with SolidarityNow.
More information: www.activecitizensfund.gr/en/
Thalassa of Solidarity has been developing since October 2019 in Heraklion, Crete, relief, information and learning activities for the creative integration into the Greek social and labour reality of locals, refugees and migrants. At the Amalab social workshop, basic skills courses (Sewing, Computer, Greek and English) are offered that help the participants develop in the workplace and socialize. The courses are free of charge by volunteers and based on solidarity actions. The aim is to create and develop relationships that contribute to the evolution of our society into a society of solidarity, mutual help, mutual learning, creative coexistence, substantial integration and participation with respect to diversity.
More information: www.thalassa-solidarity.org
About the EEA Grants:
Τhe EEA Grants are jointly financed by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The EEA Grants are available to the 13 EU member countries that joined the EU and the European Economic Area (EEA) in 2004, 2007 and 2013 as well as Greece and Portugal. The decision-making body of the EEA Grants is the Financial Mechanism Committee, which is composed of representatives of the Foreign Ministries of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.
More information: www.eeagrants.org & www.eeagrants.gr
About Bodossaki:
The Bodossaki Foundation is one of the most respected privately-owned public benefit organizations in Greece. The Foundation is the culminating point of its founder’s brilliant course in life and remains the carrying vessel of the values and ideas that he faithfully served throughout his eventful life. The Foundation was established in 1972 by Prodromos – Bodossakis Athanassiades who decided to donate his entire fortune to support health care, equal opportunities, quality in education, scientific progress and environmental protection. The Foundation has a deep knowledge of social needs in Greece and has administered so far more than €450m supporting its causes.
The Bodossaki Foundation also supports NGOs working with socially vulnerable groups and has lately set the strengthening of civil society as one of its primary objectives. Since 2013 it administers the regranting facilities of the EEA Grants for civil society in Greece.
More information: www.bodossaki.gr/en/
About SolidarityNow:
SolidarityNow (SN) is a non-governmental organization established in 2013 to respond to the needs, and advocate for the rights of the most vulnerable and marginalized groups, indiscriminately. SN’s Headquarters are in Athens, with large operations in Thessaloniki and activities across the country. The organization’s vision is to improve people’s lives and to empower them to create a just and inclusive society. SN’s actions fall under three main strategic priorities: a) Promoting safety and protection; b) Catalyzing livelihoods opportunities; c) Strengthening the independence of civil society and defending open society values. SN has supported 320,000 people to date, both through direct project implementation and through regranting programmes. Through its regranting initiatives, SN has supported 73 different programs and provided a total funding of € 14.4M to support Greek civil society organizations.
More information: www.solidaritynow.org/en/