On Thursday, September 25, 2025, a workshop was held in Rhodes on the topic “The South Aegean in Employment, Integration, and Sustainable Development: Actions and Prospects for the Future.” The event was organized by the Social Integration Observatory of the South Aegean Region in collaboration with the Dodecanese Chamber of Commerce. This initiative is part of the informative activities organized by the Observatory aimed at promoting social inclusion, labor integration, and inclusion.
At the opening of the workshop, brief greetings were addressed to the participants by:
Ms. Kyriaki Kyritsi, Head of the Social Integration Observatory,
Mr. Antonis Voutsinos, Head of the Special Management Service (greeting read),
Ms. Haroula Yasirani, Deputy Regional Governor of the South Aegean,
Ms. Maritana Alakiotou-Anthopoulou, Head of Business Support Counseling, Dodecanese Chamber of Commerce,
Mr. Giorgos Karamanolis, Co-founder and CTO/CIO of Crowdpolicy,
Ms. Georgia Anthoula, Exelixis,
Mr. Antonis Yasiranis, President of the Association of Social Workers of Greece from the South Aegean Department,
and Ms. Maria Giannakopoulou, Deputy Head of the General Directorate of Sustainable Development and Innovation of the South Aegean Region.
Next, under the theme “Prospects for Sustainable Development for Local Communities,” best sustainability practices were discussed. Taking the floor, Mr. Nikolaos Komnineas, Mayor of Astypalea, spoke about social housing on the islands, followed by Mr. Angelos Fragkakis, Mayor of Chalki, who referred to good practices implemented in Chalki. This was followed by a presentation from Ms. Kyriaki Kyritsi, Project Manager of the Social Integration Observatory, on the topic “Sustainable Islands: Findings from Research in the Municipalities of the South Aegean.” Subsequently, Mr. Christos Kalloniatis, Professor in the Department of Cultural Technology and Communication at the School of Social Sciences, University of the Aegean, presented “Developing Digital Skills for the Circular Economy: The 3D-Circular Project.” The session concluded with the presentation “Innovative Business Models for Sustainable Development and Social Resilience in Tourism” by Mr. Sotiris Varelas, Assistant Professor in the Department of Tourism Studies at the University of Piraeus.
The event continued with the theme “From Vulnerability to Inclusion: Smart Solutions for the Future”. Mr. Markoussis, social worker, General Secretary of the South Aegean Regional Department of the Association of Social Workers of Greece (SKLE), and Coordinator of the Community Center of the Municipality of Syros-Hermoupolis, emphasized, among other points, the importance of gender equality for sustainable development, as well as the launch of the new Office for Gender Equality and Anti-Discrimination in the Municipality of Syros-Hermoupolis. Following his speech, the floor was given to representatives from the Early Intervention in Psychosis Unit of Rhodes, operated by the NGO Xenios Zeus: Ms. Athina Koti, social worker, and Ms. Aikaterini Panagia, psychologist, who presented the services provided by the unit and highlighted the role of recovery for people with mental illness within a sustainable society.
In the same session, members of the Observatory team presented the findings of recent studies. Ms. Konstantina Kourkoumari, from the company Crowdpolicy, referred to the Poorhouse of Thira as a social protection structure and a good practice in social inclusion. Next, Ms. Georgia Pelari, also from Crowdpolicy, presented the digital tools available on the Observatory’s Online Platform.Ms. Georgia Anthoula, from the company Exelixis, introduced the “Housing and Work for the Homeless” Program of the Municipality of Rhodes, as well as the key findings related to Employment in the Dodecanese.
The event concluded with the theme “Work and Society Without Barriers”. Mr. Andreas Georgiou, President of the Board of Directors of the Social Cooperative of the Mental Health Sector of the Dodecanese, presented the first Social Cooperative in Greece, highlighting both the challenges they faced and the organization’s multifaceted activities. Following his presentation, Mr. Panagiotis Foniadakis, President of the Association of People with Disabilities of the Rhodes Region and member of the National Confederation of Disabled People (ESAMEA), spoke about the employment rights of people with disabilities and the ongoing difficulties they continue to face in the labor market.
Next, Mr. Andreas Stefanidis, President of the Athens Educational Association “Hephaestus” and of the Academy of Entrepreneurship, presented the mission and vision of the Academy, emphasizing the importance of skills development as a key factor in achieving sustainability. The event continued with a presentation by Mr. Dimitris Panopoulos, Head of the Labour Market Research and Documentation Unit, Technical Coordinator of Rebrain Greece, and EU expert on innovation and labor market issues. He discussed the importance of social innovation and the employment and training opportunities available in the public sector. The final speaker of the workshop was Mr. Ioannis Psycharis, Professor in the Department of Economic and Regional Development at Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences and Director of the University Research Institute of Regional Development. He presented the conclusions of an inclusive policy initiative regarding the social integration of refugees.
Finally, the event concluded with Ms. Kyriaki Kyritsi briefly summarizing the key takeaways from the workshop’s proceedings. This was followed by a short statement from Ms. Despina Dourou, representative of Crowdpolicy, who spoke about the ongoing efforts to create an ecosystem of innovation, as well as the many ideas and opportunities for collaboration with the participating stakeholders.
