In 2005, ELIAMEP launched an initiative aimed at “Communicating EU values across Greece” supported by DG Education and Culture of the EU Commission. This project aimed at raising awareness of core EU values, democracy and the relevance of European active citizenship.
An easy-reader booklet “Europe: a community of values” was prepared and distributed by ELIAMEP in four languages: Greek, Albanian, Bulgarian and Russian. Through this initiative, ELIAMEP tried to inform and reach out to immigrants and third-country nationals living in Greece and engage them as well in the debates on the choices and challenges facing Europe today.
Through this project in particular, ELIAMEP aimed at targeting less informed population groups within Greece given the apathy that appears to often characterize large parts of the Greek (and European) population when it comes to European matters. Therefore, ELIAMEP organised a public debate with journalists on EU issues in the media, and a workshop with representatives of civil society organisations and immigrant associations to discuss the relevance of EU values for third-country nationals residing in the European Union.
For this project, ELIAMEP was awarded a Golden Star Award by the EU Commission in 2007 for promoting active citizenship and promoting intercultural dialogue.
In addition to the above workshops and debates, ELIAMEP coordinated a series of public conferences in major Greek cities in order to actively promote public discussion on the European Constitution and the debate on the future of Europe, and to inform Greek citizens on the challenges and choices of EU integration.
These conferences coincided with the Hellenic Foreign Ministry’s Campaign “European Constitution: Europe moves forward, Greece gains”. In this project, ELIAMEP co-operated with the Hellenic Centre for European Studies (EKEM), and is grateful for the support of the Representation of the European Commission and the office of the European Parliament in Greece.
Conferences were held in: Patras, Thessaloniki, Lamia, Komotini, Ioannina, Tripoli, Corfu, Larisa, Kozani, Herakleion, Mytilini, Syros and Rhodes.