A great day for the city of Athens, as it was announced as the winner of the 2018 European Capital of Innovation Award! Recognizing our city's extraordinary accomplishments, the European Commission awarded Athens with this prestigious title and a €1 million prize. Together with 5 other European cities, Athens was shortlisted for the award after implementing innovative solutions to social challenges throughout the past year.

Carlos Moedas, European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation, who announced the winner said: “Cities are beacons of innovation. They act like magnets for talent, for capital, for opportunity. With the European Capital of Innovation 2018, we reward the cities that go the extra mile to test new ideas, technologies and ways to make citizens heard in the way their city has changed. Athens stands out as an example that a city facing many challenges can achieve great things. Through innovation, Athens has found new purpose to turn around the economic and social crisis. It is proof that it’s not the difficulties, but how you raise yourself above them that matters.”

Well done, Athens!

To read the article in full, please visit: European Commission

The American elections scheduled for Tuesday, November 6th, will determine the legislative course the USA will follow; Democrats Abroad Greece (DAGR) will be watching the contests across the 50 states, with senatorial and congressional seats pushing citizens to the polls.

DAGR will host a “virtual” party as a Facebook event to check in to and follow races in each state. The Election Watch Party will begin at 10 pm on November 6th and conclude at 12 Noon on Wednesday, November 7th. Because of the 7-hour time difference on the East Coast and 10 hours with the West Coast, winners will not begin to be announced in the U.S. until at least 2 am Greek time, when the polls officially close at 7pm Eastern Standard Time.

For the virtual watch party click HERE!

By November 2nd more than 25 million registered voters had cast their ballot; these ballots have been cast through absentee voting, early voting or mail-in voting. Members of DAGR cast their ballots using the absentee ballot method by postal mail or in states where it is permitted, electronic form.

For more than 30 years US citizens living in Greece have the right to vote by absentee ballot. Democrats Abroad Greece is registered as an official non-profit organization. Democrats Abroad is the official Democratic Party arm for the millions of Americans living outside the United States. The organization strives to provide Americans abroad a Democratic voice in the US government and elect Democratic candidates by mobilizing the overseas vote.

Democrats Abroad has more than 60 country committees throughout Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. These country committees keep Americans abroad informed of their rights and help them participate in the U.S. political process. Members live in more than 190 countries around the globe and vote in every state and Congressional district in the U.S.

Democrats Abroad is recognized as a "state" party by the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and is represented on the DNC by eight voting members, as well as at the quadrennial Democratic National Convention.

The Regional Authority of the Southern Aegean has joined forces with the Traditional Boat Association of Greece, Kathimerini, and Skai TV in launching the #saivekaikia campaign. The campaign aims to raise public awareness about the importance of safeguarding Greece’s seafaring heritage and traditions.

 

The issue of traditional fishing boats dates back to 1996, when fishermen where required to forfeit their licences and destroy their boats, resulting in thousands of traditional boats ending up in landfills. According to the Traditional Boat Association, more than 12,500 traditional boats have been destroyed over the past 20 years.

 

The governor of Southern Aegean, Giorgos Hatzimarkos hopes to salvage boats from the scrapyard and create incentives for saving traditional vessels. On the other hand, the Traditional Boat Association has repeatedly suggested allowing boat owners to transform their vessels into recreational boats or to sell them for private use, in order to safeguard Greece’s maritime legacy.

 

To read the article in full, please visit: ekathimerini

For a second year, the GNO Alternative Stage Piano Festival, in collaboration with the Thessaloniki Piano Festival, revisits a theme that has determined the course of “the king of instruments” over the 20th century: Piano & Jazz. The Festival's inclusive programme comprises five recitals by outstanding soloists with an international career and two major concerts dedicated to the top jazz composer, George Gershwin.

While the triumphant advent of jazz led it to appropriate piano as its main instrument, an opposite influence became manifest on the composers of intellectual music. Impressed by the dynamism of the new folk music idiom, intellectual music composers quickly integrated the harmonic and rhythmic elements of jazz into their compositions, breathing thus new life into classical music.

The 2018 GNO Alternative Stage Piano Festival will centre both on the jazz-influenced repertoire of intellectual music composers, and on jazz pianists who will present their own personal approach to the classical piano repertoire. The festival's two main concerts constitute a tribute to the work for piano and orchestra of one of the greatest 20th-century American composers, George Gershwin. Starting from some of Gershwin's most popular compositions such as the Rhapsody in Blue and the Concert in F, an osmosis of the classical repertoire with the jazz culture and improvisation will be attempted.

The Festival's parallel actions include a three-day masterclass with members of the Piandaemonium ensemble, afternoon concerts of up-and-coming soloists, as well as concerts of young artists that will be selected through auditions.

Dates: 6, 7, 13, 20, 21, 24, 25 November 2018

EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, Christos Stylianides, visits ACS Athens’ Youth-to-Youth program for refugee minors

Having the experience of transforming lives through the Youth-to-Youth Programs, ACS Athens invites other educational institutions to follow its example.

Mr. Stylianides: “I wanted to come here to see this extraordinary project.”

November 3, 2018 - Halandri, Athens Greece: On Saturday, November 3rd, 2018, Christos Stylianides, the European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, visited the ACS Athens campus to observe the classrooms of the Youth-to-Youth (Y2Y) Programs and met with the unaccompanied refugee minors.

Taking an active stand during the beginning of the refugee crisis in 2016, ACS Athens initiated the Youth-to-Youth Educational and Social Integration Programs which now, entail: the Part-Time and Full-Time Youth to Youth (Y2Y) Programs and the Part-Time Business-to-Youth (B2Y) program designed in collaboration with the HOME Project Organization for the children residing in their shelters. The specially designed curriculum, the student-to-student partnership model, the differentiated instructional strategies, the athletic and social activities have provided thus far, meaningful educational and social integration experiences to approximately 96 students. The framework ensures social integration through youth-to-youth teaching, public events and inclusion in the social life of the school. The Part-time programs run by volunteers for the first two years while this academic year the programs are funded by sponsors via the HOME Project Organization.

The November 3rd, 2018, marks the beginning of the 3rd academic year of the Part-time Youth to Youth and Business to Youth Programs. ACS Athens is pleased to announce that this year both programs will be funded by the HOME Project Organization.

Commissioner Stylianides had the opportunity to visit the classrooms with the newcomers and experience first-hand how their orientation day was carried out. The Commissioner was briefed on the details of this initiative and its impact to the lives of the young refugees by the ACS Athens President, Dr. Stefanos Gialamas, the Counselor for Political Affairs of the Embassy of the United States of America in Athens, Ms. Amy C. Carlon, the Executive Director of THE HOME Project Organization, Ms. Sofia Kouvelaki, and by the Director of the Youth-to-Youth Educational and Social Integration Programs, Ms. Julia Tokatlidou. Furthermore, Mr. Stylianides had a conversation with the ACS Athens faculty, student volunteers and Y2Y students from the HOME Project Organization.

Mr. Stylianides explained the reason for his visit: “I wanted to come here to see this extraordinary project.” In relation to the importance of education the Commissioner explained: “We have a new policy because of these education emergencies. Our top priority is to prevent children from staying out of school more than 3 months.”

Regarding the next steps needed he highlighted: “The other big challenge is to find ways to connect this project to the national curriculum. Above all is to give hope and prospect. But you have to materialize this process in order to give hope and prospect. “

The President of ACS Athens, Dr. Stefanos Gialamas highlighted the importance of synergies for the realization of such initiatives: “This is the ideal situation for a four-way partnership with our school: It’s THE HOME Project which provides family. Then, the Shapiro foundation has provided the funds for full time scholarships, and another key element is the support of the U.S. Embassy. Also, from today, the IKEA foundation is providing the funds for the part time scholarships.”

The executive director of THE HOME Project explained the significance of the Y2Y program: “We are extremely grateful to ACS Athens because it has opened its arms to us at the very beginning of our operations. We are a newly born, nonprofit organization that provides support, protection, and social integration to unaccompanied minors. Dr. Gialamas and Ms. Tokatlidou, with their innovative and humanistic approach to education, opened their arms to the children we care for; making a huge difference in Greek society; breaking all social and economic barriers and really providing an example to the world of how academic institutions can really play a difference and transform lives. So, we’re very grateful. “

As a representative from the American Embassy, Amy C. Carlon addressing the unaccompanied minor refugees students congratulated them on their efforts to adjust in a new place and culture and stated: “As you know, thereare a lot of American embassy children here in the school. This is really an important experience for them as well. One of the basic tenets of the school is Ethos, and this indeed shows how the school does that: it tries to build humanitarian citizens. And I’m so glad that all of you could be a part of that. Congratulations and do your best!”

The Director of Youth to Youth Educational and Social Integration Programs and Academy Vice Principal, Director, Ms. Julia Tokatlidou commented on the progress of the students: “You can see the growth of the students who have been with us through the part-time Y2Y program. It’s tremendous. They came to the full time program and adjusted fully with no problem at all. Because the model is so inclusive and holistic, they developed skills right away and so fast. And we are very confident that we are going to have tremendous results for them.”

Ms. Julia Tokatlidou also invited other educational institutions to follow this example: “This is a program developed from the heart of ACS Athens students and caring professionals of high caliber from ACS Athens and THE HOME Project organization. It reflects our goal to serve humanity and to educate students holistically. It has benefited not only the lives of the recipients, the refugee minors, but more so the lives of the givers, our ACS Athens students. We wish that all private international institutions around the world can follow this paradigm of developing, caring and integrating refugee minors. Together, we can offer equal educational opportunities for all children”.

The Youth-to-Youth Programs, designed and implemented by ACS Athens faculty and students in collaboration with the HOME Project organization, provide a valuable educational and social integration framework focused on unaccompanied refugee minors in Greece living at THE HOME Project shelters. With the help of the HOME Project four of our part-time Business to Youth students (18+) found full-time positions in the Greek Tourism industry in the summer of 2018.

The Part-Time Y2Y and the B2Y Career programs deliver a need-based curriculum designed, by ACS Athens faculty, around the academic skill level and goals of each individual student. The curriculum includes academic learning (English and Greek languages, art, computer), skill development (professional etiquette, oral presentation), wellness (athletics, sports, drama, dance), and social integration (student-to-student teaching, public events, celebrations, social media). The development of relevant skills for work as well as social learning goals of collaboration, discipline, focus, resiliency, trust, a renewed hope for relationships, and tolerance for diversity of perspectives are the essential learning aims of the curriculum and the teaching methodology. The Part-Time B2Y program expands to 10- Saturdays in order to include a career day, designed in collaboration with local businesses aiming to familiarize students with the job requirements of different organizations.

The benefits of the program also extent to ACS Athens student volunteers, who are developed as learners, caring individuals, and responsible global citizens via the teaching assistant role they undertake through the program. Further, the positive feedback from student volunteers and parents has made this program a sustainable community program and a lifelong educational experience for all involved.

The HOME Project Organization and the professionals involved in the care of the unaccompanied minors is an important factor in the development of the program. In addition to their continuous presence every Saturday, there exists full alignment of the programs’ educational and social goals with the processes and practices as well with the socio-emotional support mechanisms in place in each of the homes run by the HOME Project. The continuous communication between ACS Athens and HOME Project professionals regarding the wellbeing and growth of the

students is vital in ensuring the success of the intended outcomes of the programs.

The City of Athens in cooperation with C40 cities initiative and the Walking and Cycling Network are planning to expand the city's bicycle lanes to include the areas of Ambelokipi, Exarchia, Kolonaki, Kypseli, and Petralona. The project aims to reduce traffic and pollution, while making Athens a more cyclist-friendly city. The new bicycle lanes will be added to the existing route that connects Gazi, a downtown neighborhood, to Faliro on the southern coast of Athens. In the meantime, plans to connect Gazi to Kifissia, are already in progress.

 

According to the municipality, the main goal of the project is to create a functional and user-friendly network of cycling routes that will eventually expand to include even more areas in the city Athens.

Source: ekathimerini

Dolmades, or stuffed vine leaves, is one of the most famous traditional Greek dishes; it is light, meat-free, and really tasty! Dolmades make an excellent starter for a family dinner, but they are so delicious they can also be served alone as a main dish.

 

Traditionally, dolmades are prepared with rice, herbs, and onions but some regional variations  call for toasted pine nuts, red currants, and raisins. Stuffing the vine leaves my look a bit tricky at first, but after your first few rolls you'll realize how easy it really is!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup olive oil

• 2 cups sweet white onions, chopped very fine

• 4 cups long-grain riced, uncooked

• 6 cups fresh herbs – measured before chopping, chopped fine ( I use equal parts dill/mint/parsley)

• 3 tsp salt

• 2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

• 4 cups vegetable broth

• Grape leaves – 1 large 16 ounce jar (approx 60-80 leaves,rinsed well) or hand picked and boiled

• 2 cups vegetable broth

• 1/3 c olive oil

• Juice from one lemon
  
  

To view the full recipe, please visit: The Greek Vegan

The Danish Institute at Athens is pleased to invite you the opening of an art exhibition on 3 November 12 noon at The Bath House of the Winds.

The exhibition is the end result of the Danish sculptor Misja Kristoffer Rasmussen’s collaboration with The Danish Institute at Athens. Here the artist had the opportunity to intensify his research: "Step by step, layer by layer, I learned to scratch under the contemporary concrete skin of Athens: the city gradually taught me how, and when to discover and rediscover my inspiration."

“At first sight Misja Kristoffer Rasmussen might be taken for a nostalgic imitator of classical art, an interpreter of the image, intent on reproducing the stylistic features of Greek statuary with painstaking precision; but only an absent-minded observer could fail to miss the modernity at the soul of his inspiration.” (Prof. Cosimo Strazzeri, art critic, historian)

Misja Kristoffer Rasmussen has chosen to invite the young Greek artist Raschmie Soukoulis to participate. For this exhibition she has created a set of visual voices that unfold in the historical space of the Bath House of the Winds narrating a single story through three sections.

Lunch or dinner, local or ethnic, traditional or creative, Athens offers a wide choice of restaurants where you can enjoy an excellent meal without breaking the bank! As you wander around the city center you'll discover many cheap and cheerful restaurants that serve delicious food. Here is list of three great, reasonably priced, restaurants in Athens.

 

Zampano takes traditional Greek cuisine to a whole new level with modern, creative elements based on seasonal ingredients from all over the country. The restaurant’s wine list includes some of the finest wine varieties in Greece that will satisfy even the most demanding wine connoisseur. And if you are feeling groovy, Zampano has you covered with a great selection of cocktails!

 

Address: 18 Sarri, Psyri, Athens
Telephone: 213 0233244

Price Point: $
Dress Code: Casual

 

The Holy Goat

Run by a collective of twelve people, The Holy Goat (Το Θείο Τραγί) identifies itself as a punk bistro, where music and food are a ritual. It combines a bucolic yet elegant atmosphere with a touch of Brooklyn punk and serves creative Mediterranean cuisine, prepared by imaginative cooks. The space is designed for demanding foodies, and people who enjoy unique tastes, eclectic music, and good wine!

Address: 36 Kidantidon, Ano Petralona, Athens
Telephone: 210 3410296

Price Point: $
Dress Code: Casual

Taqueria Maya

Tacos, burritos, quesadillas, Cuban sandwiches, juices, and margaritas, that’s what Taqueria Maya is all about. Authentic ingredients, non-GMO maize flour, and high-quality vegetables and legumes are used for the preparation of the dishes, which are all made on the spot. A tiny place packed with flavor and Latin vibes!

 

Address: 10 Petraki, Syntagma, Athens
Telephone: 211 2167081

Price Point: $
Dress Code: Casual

Photo Credit: Zampanó

To read the article in full, please visit: 10 Best