On April 21, 22 and 23, Justice Initiative Greece was one of 200 NGOs participating in a colourful celebration of solidarity and cooperation organised by the Municipality of Athens and SynAthina (+Athens) to connect civil society groups and the public. It was an initiative aimed at uniting, connecting, supporting, highlighting, and empowering the active part of the city: civil society organisations, agencies and groups.
Behind the inspiration for the implementation of the festival is a game: the Chinese Tangram puzzle, which consists of seven flat shapes that are joined, “worked together”, combined to form infinite symbols, images, and designs, without a single piece overlapping with the other. This was the philosophy of the festival, that the organizations, the groups, and the bodies of civil society give their presence, present their actions, work, envision, and connect with each other under a common goal: Athens being a city of acceptance, equality, parity, support, and solidarity.
The presence of Justice Initiative consisted of an outdoor kiosk next to the Eliza Organisation for three consecutive days. Most people were interested in learning about the European campaign and signing up. Apart from being an occasion to raise awareness for the campaign and collect signatures, the festival was a unique opportunity of networking with the civil community. Many contacts have been made, common grounds were explored, and future cooperation was mutually expressed.
During the festival, the following meetings were scheduled to explore common ground for cooperation, among others with the vice mayor of Ilioupoly (Athens suburb), with Terre des Hommes, with Salvia The Greek Association for Burn Survivors, with the organisations Nosilia, Antama and Helmsic – Hellenic Medical Students International Committee.
