On Monday, March 16, 2026, the online informational meeting of the Social Inclusion Observatory of the South Aegean Region was held, titled “Youth, Employment and Entrepreneurship in the South Aegean”, with the participation of representatives from municipalities, Community Centers, as well as partners of the Observatory.

The initiative is part of the Observatory’s ongoing efforts to monitor, analyze, and strengthen social inclusion policies, with particular emphasis on the prospects and challenges faced by young people in the South Aegean.

During the meeting, a brief presentation of the Observatory’s research work from 2024 to date was delivered by Ms. Konstantina Kourkoumari and Ms. Theodora Symeonoglou, along with the main findings of the 2025 Thematic Survey titled “Employment, Living Conditions and Entrepreneurship of Young People in the South Aegean”, presented by Ms. Georgia Tseva. The presentation highlighted key aspects of the situation of young people in the Region, including employment opportunities, socio-economic conditions, and prospects for entrepreneurial activity, as well as the importance of the systematic collection and use of data to support evidence-based social inclusion policies.

This was followed by an open discussion with the participation of representatives from municipalities, Community Centers, social services, and Observatories, who shared observations and proposals regarding the needs of local communities and the themes of future research activities. At the same time, important issues were raised, such as housing, the lack of employment and activities during the winter months, as well as the risk of the decline of the primary sector and the depopulation of the islands, particularly the smaller ones.

The event concluded with a summary by Ms. Kyritsi Kyriaki, Project Manager, along with a presentation of the Observatory’s next steps and the opportunities for municipalities and local stakeholders to make use of its digital tools. The meeting was also attended by Deputy Regional Governor Giannis Kritikós and the Deputy Mayor of Tilos, Anna Kamma.

The meeting was implemented with the support of Crowdpolicy.