Event

The key importance of citizen participation in the Energy Transition being attempted in Western Macedonia was highlighted by the online discussion entitled The Green Path of the Just Transition in Western Macedonia, organized by the green think tank The Green Tank and the Heinrich Böll Foundation - Thessaloniki Office, Greece on 26 January with the participation of representatives of the local government, the local community and the academic institution of the region.

Greetings:

Ioli Christopoulou - The Green Tank

Michael Goudis - Heinrich Böll Foundation - Thessaloniki Office, Greece

Speakers:

Nikos Mantzaris - Co-Founder of The Green Tank, Policy Analyst

Lazaros Tsikritzis - Professor at the University of Western Macedonia, President of the Ecological Movement of Kozani

Lefteris Ioannidis - Former Mayor of Kozani (2014-2019), Member of the Ecological Movement of Kozani, Member of Kozani City Council

Dimitra Karagianni - Philologist, Writer, Editor and Events Manager of the magazine Paremvasi

Moderation:

Vasiliki Grammatikogianni - Journalist, Ecovoice -Athens Voice

The European Green Deal, the EU's climate neutrality strategy for 2050, has been criticised for its weaknesses in terms of its social objectives. On the other hand, it represents an opportunity for a substantial shift to a new production-consumption model. Adaptation to the national and local context and the social dimension of any green change is a prerequisite for successful implementation of the individual parts of the EU Green Deal. What would a Green Deal specifically for Greece look like? And how could it be put into practice so that all could benefit? The Heinrich Böll Foundation Greece and the social cooperative enterprise Anemos Renewal organised the online event "EU Green Deal and the Greek Green Deal", on Monday 20th of December, 14:00-17:00 CET. The event was supported by the European Parliament Office in Greece.

"Bridges" is a about bringing together different people on relevant questions on migration and asylum in Europe. "Bridges" thereby seeks to connect people who's paths would not necessarily cross otherwise and thereby create a conversation on timely topics of mutual interest.

In our first "Bridges" session we focus on the situation of Afghan people after the violent seizure of power of the Taliban in Afghanistan and ask whether and how Europe can and will provide protection for those who are forced to flee. Human Rights Activist Parwana Amiri, author of the recently published book "My pen won't break bur borders will", who fled to Greece with her Family in 2019 and since is residing in refugee camps, first in Moria on Lesbos and now in Camp Ritsona talks about her experiences as an Afghan refugee in Europe and expresses the fears and struggles of both, those who are still in the country as well as those who fled in search for protection. Stelios Kouloglou, is a Greek Member of European Parliament and of the Committee on Foreign Affairs on behalf of Syriza since 2015 and in this capacity works on issues of migration and asylum in Europe and Human Rights in particular.

The recent publication of the Gender Equality Index 2020 Report by the European Institute of Gender Equality-EIGE) has placed Greece in the last position in the EU with regard to gender equality based on the composite index constructed and followed up on a yearly basis. This index monitors the performance of each member state in 6 domains: work, money, knowledge, time, power and health with two additional domains capturing gender violence and intersectional inequalities. This year the focus is on the digitalization of work.  

This ranking of Greece with regard to gender equality acted as a trigger factor as our Thessaloniki Office  is part of the international Heinrich Boll Foundation network placing gender democracy at the core of its interventions as a horizontal, strategic priority. In this framework, we organize this on-line debate on 10.12.2020 with the intention:

• Present the key findings of the Gender Equality Index 2020 Report
• Explore the causes leading to this ranking by focusing explicitly on the domains of work, time, gender violence and power.
• Detect key issues for further exploration, awareness raising and advocacy in the following year.

Both the report and our new gender stategy as Heinrich Boell Foundation highlight the structural causes behind gender inequality in the domains of work and care services with special emphasis on the reconfigurations brought about the pandemic. As such, this domain will be one of the thematic focuses of the debate. The domain of gender violence will be highlighted with special reference to the issue of femicide, a definitely alarming phenomenon. All in all, the approach followed is intersectional in order to allow for all inequalities based on gender identity and/or expression and sexual orientation to be explored beyond the binary male-female.  

Presentation of the report on behalf of EIGE: Christina Agoritsa, General Secretariat for Gender Equality, Ministry of Employment and Social Affairs

There will be two thematic rounds with comments on the findings of the report as well as a wider discussion with:

• Maria Stratigaki, Associate Professor at the Social Policy Department of the Panteion University, former General Secretary for Gender Equality
• Maro Pantazidou, co-supervisor of the global strategy and impact programme of Amnesty International and Phd candidate on the topic Future of Work
• Vagelis Kosmatos, psychologist - specialist in gender issues, responsible of academic work of the Gender Alliance Initiative

The first round will be an exchange of views between EIGE and the speakers on the report itself. The second round will include speakers' remarks on the gender equality legal framework in Greece, the role of stereotypes and civil society’s responses, as well as the future of work and digitalization from a gender perspective, while an open discussion will follow.

Coordination: Areti Georgili, Regional Leader of Lean in Hellas